Jeremiah 13:4

Take the girdle that thou hast got, which [is] upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.

Take {H3947} the girdle {H232} that thou hast got {H7069}, which is upon thy loins {H4975}, and arise {H6965}, go {H3212} to Euphrates {H6578}, and hide {H2934} it there in a hole {H5357} of the rock {H5553}.

"Take the loincloth you bought and are wearing, get up, go to Parah, and hide it there in a hole in the rock."

“Take the loincloth that you bought and are wearing, and go at once to Perath and hide it there in a crevice of the rocks.”

Take the girdle that thou hast bought, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.

Jeremiah 13:4 is a specific divine instruction given to the prophet Jeremiah as part of the "Parable of the Linen Girdle," a powerful visual prophecy from the Lord to the people of Judah. This verse commands Jeremiah to take the new linen girdle he had previously acquired and worn, and travel a significant distance to the Euphrates River to hide it. This seemingly mundane act was imbued with profound spiritual meaning concerning Judah's relationship with God and their impending judgment.

Context

This verse is central to the symbolic act described in Jeremiah 13:1-11. God first instructs Jeremiah to buy a linen girdle and wear it, not letting it touch water. Then, in verse 4, he is told to hide it by the Euphrates. Later, in Jeremiah 13:6-7, he is commanded to retrieve it, only to find it ruined and useless. This entire sequence was a vivid illustration of Judah's spiritual decay and the bitter consequences of their idolatry and unfaithfulness. The long journey to the Euphrates foreshadowed the Babylonian exile, where the people of Judah would be carried away into captivity.

Key Themes

  • Symbolic Prophecy: God often used tangible, dramatic actions through His prophets to convey His messages, making them more impactful and memorable than words alone. This act served as a living parable.
  • Divine Judgment: The command to hide the girdle by the Euphrates and its subsequent ruin vividly illustrates God's judgment upon Judah for their spiritual corruption and rebellion.
  • Consequences of Unfaithfulness: The ruined girdle represents Judah's moral and spiritual decay, showing how their pride and turning away from God would render them useless and broken, much like the girdle.
  • Impending Exile: The specific mention of the Euphrates River, located in Mesopotamia, clearly points to the coming Babylonian captivity, the very place to which Judah would be exiled.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "girdle" here is 'ezor (אֵזוֹר), which typically refers to a loincloth or belt. Linen was often associated with purity and priestly garments in the Old Testament, suggesting that the girdle initially represented Judah's potential for closeness and honor with God. The act of hiding it "in a hole of the rock" signifies a place of obscurity, decay, and separation from its intended purpose, mirroring Judah's spiritual state and ultimate removal from their land.

Practical Application

Jeremiah 13:4 reminds us that God uses various means to communicate His truth, including symbolic acts. For us today, it serves as a powerful warning against spiritual decay and the consequences of drifting from God. Just as the girdle, once close to Jeremiah's loins, became ruined when removed and hidden, so too can individuals or nations lose their spiritual vitality and purpose when they become separated from God through pride and unfaithfulness. It emphasizes the importance of remaining pure, humble, and steadfast in our relationship with the Lord to avoid spiritual barrenness and the painful consequences of divine discipline.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Micah 4:10

    Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go [even] to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

  • Psalms 137:1

    ¶ By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

  • Jeremiah 51:63

    And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, [that] thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates:

  • Jeremiah 51:64

    And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far [are] the words of Jeremiah.

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