Jeremiah 13

Jer 13:1-27.

SYMBOLICAL

PROPHECY

(Jer 13:1-7).

Many of these figurative acts being either not possible, or not

probable, or decorous, seem to have existed only in the mind of the

prophet as part of his inward vision. [So

CALVIN]. The world he moved in

was not the sensible, but the spiritual, world. Inward acts were,

however, when it was possible and proper, materialized by outward

performance, but not always, and necessarily so. The internal act made a

naked statement more impressive and presented the subject when extending

over long portions of space and time more concentrated. The

interruption of Jeremiah's official duty by a journey of more than two

hundred miles twice is not likely to have literally taken place.

1. put it upon thy loins, &c.--expressing the close intimacy

wherewith Jehovah had joined Israel and Judah to Him

(Jer 13:11).

linen--implying it was the inner garment next the skin, not the

outer one.

put it not in water--signifying the moral filth of His people, like

the literal filth of a garment worn constantly next the skin, without

being washed

(Jer 13:10).

GROTIUS understands a garment not bleached, but

left in its native roughness, just as Judah had no beauty, but was

adopted by the sole grace of God

(Eze 16:4-6).

"Neither wast thou washed in water," &c.

4. Euphrates--In order to support the view that Jeremiah's act was

outward, HENDERSON considers that the Hebrew Phrath here is

Ephratha, the original name of Beth-lehem, six miles south of

Jerusalem, a journey easy to be made by Jeremiah. The non-addition of

the word "river," which usually precedes Phrath, when meaning

Euphrates, favors this view. But I prefer English Version. The

Euphrates is specified as being near Babylon, the Jews future place of

exile.

hole--typical of the prisons in which the Jews were to be confined.

the rock--some well-known rock. A sterile region, such as was that

to which the Jews were led away (compare

Isa 7:19)

[GROTIUS].

6. after many days--Time enough was given for the girdle to become

unfit for use. So, in course of time, the Jews became corrupted by the

heathen idolatries around, so as to cease to be witnesses of Jehovah;

they must, therefore, be cast away as a "marred" or spoiled girdle.

9.

(Le 26:19).

10. imagination--rather, "obstinacy."

11.

(Jer 33:9;

Ex 19:5).

glory--an ornament to glory in.

12. A new image.

Do we not . . . know . . . wine--The "bottles" are those used in the

East, made of skins; our word "hogshead," originally "oxhide," alludes

to the same custom. As they were used to hold water, milk, and other

liquids, what the prophet said (namely, that they should be all filled

with wine) was not, as the Jews' taunting reply implied, a truism even

literally. The figurative sense which is what Jeremiah chiefly

meant, they affected not to understand. As wine intoxicates, so God's

wrath and judgments shall reduce them to that state of helpless

distraction that they shall rush on to their own ruin

(Jer 25:15; 49:12;

Isa 51:17, 21, 22; 63:6).

13. upon David's throne--literally, who sit

for David on his throne; implying the succession of the Davidic

family

(Jer 22:4).

all--indiscriminately of every rank.

14. dash--

(Ps 2:9).

As a potter's vessel

(Re 2:27).

15. be not proud--Pride was the cause of their contumacy, as humility

is the first step to obedience

(Jer 13:17;

Ps 10:4).

16. Give glory, &c.--Show by repentance and obedience to God, that

you revere His majesty. So Joshua exhorted Achan to "give glory to God"

stumble--image from travellers stumbling into a fatal abyss when

overtaken by nightfall

(Isa 5:30; 59:9, 10;

Am 8:9).

dark mountains--literally, "mountains of twilight" or "gloom," which

cast such a gloomy shadow that the traveller stumbles against an

opposing rock before he sees it

(Joh 11:10; 12:35).

shadow of death--the densest gloom; death shade

(Ps 44:19).

Light and darkness are images of prosperity and adversity.

17. hear it--my exhortation.

in secret--as one mourning and humbling himself for their sin, not

self-righteously condemning them

(Php 3:18).

pride--(see on

Jer 13:15;

Job 33:17).

flock--

(Jer 13:20),

just as kings and leaders are called pastors.

18. king--Jehoiachin or Jeconiah.

queen--the queen mother who, as the king was not more than eighteen

years old, held the chief power. Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan, carried

away captive with Jehoiachin by Nebuchadnezzar

(2Ki 24:8-15).

Humble yourselves--that is, Ye shall be humbled, or brought low

(Jer 22:26; 28:2).

your principalities--rather, "your head ornament."

19. cities of the south--namely, south of Judea; farthest off from

the enemy, who advanced from the north.

shut up--that is, deserted

(Isa 24:10);

so that none shall be left to open the gates to travellers and

merchants again [HENDERSON]. Rather, shut up

so closely by Nebuchadnezzar's forces, sent on before

(2Ki 24:10, 11),

that none shall be allowed by the enemy to get out (compare

Jer 13:20).

wholly--literally, "fully"; completely.

20. from . . . north--Nebuchadnezzar and his hostile army

(Jer 1:14; 6:22).

flock . . . given thee--Jeremiah, amazed at the depopulation caused

eyes . . . thee . . . thy flock), and asks where is the population

(Jer 13:17,

"flock") which God had given her?

21. captains, and as chief--literally, "princes as to headship";

or "over thy head," namely, the Chaldeans. Rather, translate, "What wilt

thou say when God will set them (the enemies,

Jer 13:20)

above thee, seeing that thou thyself hast accustomed them (to be) with

thee as (thy) lovers in the highest place (literally, 'at thy

head')? Thou canst not say God does thee wrong, seeing it was thou that

gave occasion to His dealing so with thee, by so eagerly courting their

intimacy." Compare

Jer 2:18, 36;

2Ki 23:29,

as to the league of Judah with Babylon, which led Josiah to march

against Pharaoh-necho, when the latter was about to attack Babylon

[MAURER].

sorrows--pains, throes.

22. if thou say--connecting this verse with "What wilt thou

say"

(Jer 13:21)?

skirts discovered--that is, are thrown up so as to expose the person

(Jer 13:26;

Isa 3:17;

Na 3:5).

heels made bare--The sandal was fastened by a thong above the heel

to the instep. The Hebrew, is, "are violently handled," or "torn

off"; that is, thou art exposed to ignominy. Image from an adulteress.

23. Ethiopian--the Cushite of Abyssinia. Habit is second nature; as

therefore it is morally impossible that the Jews can alter their

inveterate habits of sin, nothing remains but the infliction of the

extremest punishment, their expatriation

(Jer 13:24).

24.

(Ps 1:4).

of the wilderness--where the wind has full sweep, not being broken

25. portion of thy measures--the portion which I have measured out

to thee

(Job 20:29;

Ps 11:6).

falsehood--

(Jer 13:27),

false gods and alliances with foreign idolaters.

26. discover . . . upon thy face--rather, "throw up thy skirts over

thy face," or head; done by way of ignominy to captive women and to

prostitutes

(Na 3:5).

The Jews' punishment should answer to their crime. As their sin had

been perpetrated in the most public places, so God would expose them to

the contempt of other nations most openly

(La 1:8).

27. neighings--

(Jer 5:8),

image from the lust of horses; the lust after idols degrades to the

level of the brute.

hills--where, as being nearer heaven, sacrifices were thought most

acceptable to the gods.

wilt thou not . . . ? when--literally, "thou wilt not be made

clean after how long a time yet." (So

Jer 13:23).

Jeremiah denies the moral possibility of one so long hardened in

sin becoming soon cleansed. But see

Jer 32:17;

Lu 18:27.