Jeremiah 13 3

Jeremiah 13:3 kjv

And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying,

Jeremiah 13:3 nkjv

And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying,

Jeremiah 13:3 niv

Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time:

Jeremiah 13:3 esv

And the word of the LORD came to me a second time,

Jeremiah 13:3 nlt

Then the LORD gave me another message:

Jeremiah 13 verses

Jeremiah 13 3 Meaning

Jeremiah 13:3 describes the second divine instruction to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the symbolic linen sash. Following the initial command to buy and wear the sash (Jer 13:1-2), this verse details the next phase of the prophetic action: Jeremiah is to take the sash, journey to the distant Euphrates River, and hide it in a crevice of the rock. This act prefigures Judah's impending exile and degradation, symbolizing how the nation, once closely bound to God and meant for His glory, would become utterly defiled, cast off, and hidden in a foreign land. The reiteration and escalation of the command emphasize the certainty and severity of God's coming judgment.

Jeremiah 13 3 Context

Jeremiah chapter 13 focuses on a series of symbolic actions and prophetic pronouncements illustrating the spiritual decay and impending judgment upon Judah. The immediate context of verse 3 begins with the LORD's initial command to Jeremiah to buy a linen sash and wear it (Jer 13:1-2). This verse then introduces the second, more difficult stage of the object lesson. Historically, Judah was a nation steeped in idolatry, making political alliances instead of trusting God, and refusing to heed repeated warnings from prophets like Jeremiah. The kingdom was approaching the climactic Babylonian invasions and exile (starting c. 605 BCE), which this symbolic act vividly foretells. The metaphor of the sash speaks to Judah's special, close relationship with God (being "on his loins"), its calling to be a pure and glorious people, and its subsequent defilement and utter uselessness through spiritual unfaithfulness. The journey to the Euphrates signifies the geographical destination of exile.

Jeremiah 13 3 Word analysis

• Then: Connects this verse directly to the preceding command (Jer 13:1-2), indicating a sequential and further development of the prophetic action.
• the word of the LORD: (Hebrew: dabar Yahweh - דבר יהוה) - Emphasizes the divine origin and authoritative nature of the instruction, not Jeremiah's own idea. It signifies a direct, spoken revelation from God.
• came to me: Highlights the personal, specific nature of the revelation to Jeremiah, affirming his role as a prophet.
• a second time: Stresses the importance and divine insistence of the message. This is not a repetition, but a distinct new phase of the command regarding the same object, building on the initial instruction.
• saying: Introduces the direct divine speech, giving the specific commands.
• 'Take': A direct, imperative command, demanding action from Jeremiah.
• the sash: (Hebrew: 'ezor - אֵזוֹר) - A belt or girdle, specifically mentioned as linen (Jer 13:1), suggesting purity. It was worn close to the body, symbolizing Judah's intended intimate relationship with God, similar to a garment's closeness. It also denotes strength and readiness.
• that you have bought: Reminds Jeremiah that this is his sash, underscoring his personal involvement and obedience to the first command, which parallels Judah's identity and connection to God through covenant.
• which is on your loins: Reiterates its position. The "loins" are the seat of strength, vitality, and often readiness for action. For Judah, it implied closeness, honor, and a ready servant of the LORD. Its presence here after an unspecified time wearing it emphasizes its existing function as a symbol of a ready people.
• and arise: An imperative commanding action, suggesting moving from a state of rest or inaction to one of purposeful movement.
• go: Another imperative, initiating the journey.
• to the Euphrates: (Hebrew: P'rat - פְּרָת) - A major river in Mesopotamia. This specifies the exact, distant location of Judah's future exile. It implies a long, arduous journey, symbolizing the distance from their homeland and from God's temple. It clearly points to Babylon as the place of judgment and foreign influence.
• and hide it there: An imperative suggesting deliberate concealment, disgrace, and burial, but not in a place of honor. It's a symbolic burial of the nation's dignity.
• in a crevice of the rock': A dark, obscure, and defiling place. It denotes utter degradation and oblivion for the sash (and by extension, Judah). It signifies abandonment and corruption, hidden away from view and remembrance, far from its original purpose and purity.

Words-group analysis

• "Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time": Emphasizes the persistent and layered nature of divine revelation and the unchangeable purpose of God. This indicates that God's plan is not a single, abrupt event but a process revealed in stages, demanding continuous prophetic obedience.
• "Take the sash that you have bought, which is on your loins": Connects the new command to the prophet's prior act of obedience and the existing symbol. It underlines that what was once a sign of intimacy and honor (on the loins, pristine linen) is now destined for degradation, mirroring Judah's trajectory from covenant partner to defiled nation.
• "and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there": Details a journey of immense symbolic weight. The arising and going portray the compulsory nature of exile. The Euphrates names the foreign land of captivity (Babylon). The act of hiding indicates that Judah's glory would be stripped away and concealed in ignominy, not glorified.
• "in a crevice of the rock": Specifies the depth of humiliation. Not a visible place, but a dark, unclean, and inaccessible hiding spot, emphasizing complete decay, abandonment, and corruption of the once pure relationship Judah had with God.

Jeremiah 13 3 Bonus section

• Prophetic Pedagogy: This enacted prophecy, a form of street theater, served as a vivid object lesson to a largely illiterate or indifferent audience in Judah. It was designed to shock and imprint God's message more effectively than mere words. The action demanded effort and discomfort from Jeremiah, personally embodying the harsh reality awaiting Judah.
• Linen Purity: In the Old Testament, linen was often associated with purity and was the material for priestly garments worn in the tabernacle/temple service (Ex 28:4, Lev 16:4). Judah, chosen to be a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex 19:6), was meant to represent God with purity. The defilement of the linen sash thus symbolized the nation's failure to maintain spiritual purity and holiness in its service to God.
• Polemics against Reliance on Foreign Powers: The Euphrates, signifying Babylon, inherently carries a polemic against Judah's historical tendency to make alliances with powerful foreign nations (like Egypt or Assyria, and eventually being subjugated by Babylon) rather than solely relying on the LORD. This journey to the source of foreign power symbolized not triumph but subservience and spiritual degradation.

Jeremiah 13 3 Commentary

Jeremiah 13:3 provides the critical second stage of God's enacted prophecy of the linen sash, signifying the severe judgment awaiting Judah. The command to hide the sash by the Euphrates elevates the message from a local wearing of a symbolic garment to a profound and graphic illustration of exile. The linen sash, initially clean and worn close to Jeremiah’s loins (Jer 13:1), symbolized Judah's intended close, honorable, and pure relationship with the LORD. The journey to the distant Euphrates clearly points to Babylon, the place of impending captivity. The act of hiding the sash in a rocky crevice symbolizes Judah's spiritual decay, its defilement through idolatry, and the resulting utter loss of its glory and close relationship with God. It indicates that the nation would become spiritually corrupted, abandoned, and hidden in obscurity far from God’s presence in Jerusalem, becoming as useless and defiled as the rotten sash. The reiteration of the divine word and the challenging nature of the task (a long journey to bury an item) underscores the certainty and severity of the judgment for Judah's persistent sin and pride.