Jeremiah 13:4 kjv
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.
Jeremiah 13:4 nkjv
"Take the sash that you acquired, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole in the rock."
Jeremiah 13:4 niv
"Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks."
Jeremiah 13:4 esv
"Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a cleft of the rock."
Jeremiah 13:4 nlt
"Take the linen loincloth you are wearing, and go to the Euphrates River. Hide it there in a hole in the rocks."
Jeremiah 13 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 13:4 | Take the linen loincloth... and hide it there in the rock. | God's command to Jeremiah |
| Jeremiah 13:7 | Then I went to the Euphrates, and hid it in a hole in the rock. | Jeremiah obeys the command |
| Isaiah 64:6 | ...all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. | Human righteousness compared to uncleanness |
| Ezekiel 23:8 | ...she did not forget the promiscuities of her youth... her breasts were pressed. | Judah's sin compared to defilement |
| Lamentations 1:8 | Jerusalem has grievously sinned; therefore she has become a reproach. | Jerusalem's sin and its consequence |
| Romans 1:23 | ...they exchanged the truth about God for a lie... | Idolatry and its corrupting influence |
| Romans 3:23 | ...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. | Universal sinfulness |
| 1 Corinthians 6:18 | Flee from sexual immorality. ... The sexually immoral person sins against their own body. | Sexual immorality and impurity |
| Titus 1:15 | To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. | Purity and defilement |
| Jeremiah 17:2 | ...they write it on their hearts and on the horns of their altars. | Engrained sin in Judah |
| Jeremiah 7:30 | For the people of Judah have done evil in my sight... declares the LORD. | Judah's persistent evil |
| Psalm 51:2 | Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! | David's plea for cleansing |
| Hosea 9:10 | I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness... they came to Baal of Peor. | Israel's spiritual adultery |
| Hosea 5:3 | I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me. | God's knowledge of Israel's sin |
| Isaiah 47:3 | ...I will have no mercy; I will not let a ransom prevail. | God's judgment on Babylon |
| Revelation 17:4 | ...woman... arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. | Symbolism of corrupt grandeur |
| Revelation 18:17 | ...all the best sailors and all who travel by ship, sailors, and all who work on the sea. | Judgment on commercial power |
| Leviticus 15:4 | Anything that his [a man with a discharge] body touches shall be unclean. | Laws regarding uncleanness |
| Leviticus 15:12 | The hand of a leper ... the person shall be unclean. | Ceremonial uncleanness |
| Ezekiel 4:14 | But I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, my soul has not been defiled..." | Prophet's aversion to defilement |
Jeremiah 13 verses
Jeremiah 13 4 Meaning
The Lord instructs Jeremiah to take an unclean linen loincloth. This loincloth, intended to be clean and pure, becomes unfit for its intended purpose due to its direct contact with the earth. This act serves as a potent symbol of Israel's defilement and subsequent uselessness before God due to their sin and rebellion.
Jeremiah 13 4 Context
Jeremiah chapter 13 presents a series of symbolic actions commissioned by God to demonstrate the coming judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem for their unfaithfulness. Following the imagery of the scattered hair of kings and the parched land, verse 4 introduces another prophetic object lesson. This chapter is set against the backdrop of impending Babylonian conquest, a severe consequence of Judah's deep-seated sin, idolatry, and rebellion against God. The people, particularly their leaders, had turned away from the covenant, embracing foreign practices and disrespecting the divine statutes, leading to a spiritual and national "uncleanness."
Jeremiah 13 4 Word Analysis
- Take (Lakh) - A simple imperative verb meaning "to grasp," "to seize," or "to get." Here, it initiates the prophetic action.
- you (attah) - Refers to the prophet Jeremiah, the recipient of God's direct command.
- linen (buṣ) - Denotes fine, white linen fabric, often associated with purity and priestly garments. It signifies something inherently clean and suitable for a noble purpose.
- loincloth (ʾezor) - A girdle or band worn around the waist, an undergarment.
- which (asher) - A relative pronoun connecting the linen loincloth to its original intended state.
- is (huw) - States existence or being.
- yours (alekha) - Indicates possession, that the loincloth belongs to Jeremiah, but now set apart for a divine purpose.
- and (waw) - A conjunction linking clauses and actions.
- hide (kabbesem) - A verb meaning "to bury," "to conceal," or "to dig."
- it (otah) - Refers back to the linen loincloth.
- there (sham) - Indicates the specified location for concealment.
- in the cleft (bisaqîym) - Refers to a fissure, a crevice or crack in a rock, a secure yet exposed place.
- of (bet) - Preposition indicating belonging or location.
- the rock (ha-ṣelah) - Specifically identifies the place of hiding.
Words-Group Analysis
- "Take the linen loincloth... and hide it there in the cleft of the rock." This phrase establishes the prophetic action. The choice of a linen loincloth signifies original purity and closeness to God. Its deliberate burial in a cleft of the rock emphasizes its being hidden away and exposed to the elements, thus becoming corrupted and unusable, mirroring Israel's relationship with God after prolonged sin.
Jeremiah 13 4 Bonus Section
The location where Jeremiah hides the loincloth, "in the cleft of the rock," is often associated with places like the arid terrain around the Dead Sea or near Jericho. The specific mention of "the rock" without further definition allows the prophetic message to resonate broadly with the land where Israel dwelled. The stark contrast between the intended purity of linen and its ultimate defilement is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, often used to depict national apostasy and the severe consequences thereof, similar to prophecies found in Hosea and Ezekiel concerning the unfaithfulness of Israel and Judah. The concept of being "hidden" can also symbolize exile and the removal of God's favor and presence from His people due to their sin.
Jeremiah 13 4 Commentary
God commands Jeremiah to obtain a pure linen loincloth, a symbol of Israel's initial consecrated state. He is then to hide this pure garment in a crevice of a rock, allowing it to be exposed to the elements and become corrupted and unfit for use. This powerful object lesson vividly illustrates how Judah's persistent sin and disobedience have rendered them spiritually defiled and separated from God's fellowship. Just as the hidden linen becomes useless through its contact with the earth, so too will Judah, once set apart for God, become useless and subject to judgment due to their defilement. The rock crevice implies not a complete oblivion, but a period of being obscured and unusable.
- Practical Implication: This demonstrates that even things intended for purity can be rendered useless by continued exposure to sin and neglect of God's commands. Our choices to engage with the corrupting influences of the world, rather than seeking God's cleansing and obedience, have spiritual consequences that make us unfit for His service and witness.