Jeremiah 13 5

Jeremiah 13:5 kjv

So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.

Jeremiah 13:5 nkjv

So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.

Jeremiah 13:5 niv

So I went and hid it at Perath, as the LORD told me.

Jeremiah 13:5 esv

So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.

Jeremiah 13:5 nlt

So I went and hid it by the Euphrates as the LORD had instructed me.

Jeremiah 13 verses

Jeremiah 13 5 Meaning

Jeremiah 13:5 details the prophet's immediate and obedient fulfillment of the Lord's instruction. He describes the physical act of traveling to the Euphrates River and concealing the linen sash there, emphasizing that this was done precisely as commanded by God. This simple statement of action and obedience serves as a critical link in the symbolic prophecy, demonstrating Jeremiah's submission to the divine word and setting the stage for the sash's deterioration, a powerful illustration of Judah's spiritual decay and impending exile.

Jeremiah 13 5 Context

Jeremiah 13 details a symbolic action commanded by the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah. The chapter opens with the instruction for Jeremiah to buy a linen sash, wear it, and then (as in verse 4) travel to the Euphrates River to hide it in a rock crevice. This elaborate, physically demanding, and initially mysterious act serves as a vivid prophecy against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. The clean, new sash represents the close, honorable relationship God intended to have with His chosen people, to be "for Him a people, a name, a praise, and a glory" (Jer 13:11). The journey to the distant Euphrates River to hide the sash, where it will rot (as revealed in subsequent verses), foreshadows Judah's spiritual defilement through idolatry and alliances with foreign nations (represented by the distant, pagan region of Babylon on the Euphrates), which would ultimately lead to their degradation and exile to that very land. Verse 5 is simply Jeremiah's report of his unhesitating obedience to the first phase of this divine command. Historically, this prophecy occurs during the final decades of Judah's existence before the Babylonian exile, a time of increasing apostasy and political intrigue, making the warning especially pertinent.

Jeremiah 13 5 Word analysis

• So I went: The Hebrew וָאֵלֵךְ (va'elekh) is a straightforward narrative transition, emphasizing Jeremiah's immediate, personal, and physical action. It implies a direct compliance without questioning or delay.
• and hid it: The Hebrew וָאֶטְמְנֵהוּ (va'etmenehu) means "and I concealed it" or "and I hid it away." This action implies removal from view and often, by extension, neglect or abandonment. The object of hiding is the linen sash from verse 1-4, which symbolizes Judah's pride and special relationship with God.
• by the Euphrates: The Hebrew עַל-פְּרָת ('al P'rath). The specific location is crucial. The Euphrates (Hebrew: פְּרָת, P'rath) was one of the major rivers of the ancient world, associated with the heartland of Mesopotamia and, critically for Judah at this time, the powerful Neo-Babylonian Empire which would soon conquer them. Its geographical distance from Jerusalem highlights the magnitude and foreignness of the coming judgment. It symbolizes not just a physical location of exile but a spiritual place of defilement from foreign influences. This also refers to the practical destination of the exiles themselves.
• as the LORD had commanded me: The Hebrew כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֹתִי (ka'asher tzivah Yahweh oti). This phrase explicitly grounds Jeremiah's action in divine authority. It stresses his role as a faithful servant and prophet of Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. It sets his obedience in stark contrast to the disobedience of the very people he is prophesying against. The word tzivah ("commanded") implies a clear, unambiguous, and authoritative instruction.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "So I went and hid it": This phrase details Jeremiah's complete personal involvement in the symbolic act. He doesn't delegate; he physically undertakes the difficult journey and the act of concealment, signifying the profound nature of the prophetic message. It shows a commitment to executing even inconvenient divine instructions.
• "by the Euphrates": This is more than just a geographic reference; it's a pointer to destiny and judgment. The Euphrates represents Babylon, the coming captor of Judah. The act of hiding the sash there prefigures Judah's going into exile in Babylon and being corrupted/rendered useless by that foreign environment. It symbolizes the spiritual barrenness and political impotence that will come upon the nation through their disloyalty.
• "as the LORD had commanded me": This climactic statement for the verse serves to validate the entire action. It underscores that this seemingly absurd act is not a human whim but a divine directive. It elevates the prophetic act to a divinely ordained lesson, leaving no doubt about the source of the message and the necessity of its execution. It implicitly challenges the nation's failure to heed the same Lord's commands.

Jeremiah 13 5 Bonus section

The physical effort involved in Jeremiah's journey to the Euphrates, twice, as suggested by the narrative flow of the entire passage (going to hide, then returning to retrieve), is not explicitly stated but is implicitly considerable. Such a journey would have been hundreds of miles, a difficult and dangerous undertaking in that era, highlighting the immense dedication and self-sacrifice of a true prophet in carrying out the Lord's commands. This grueling personal experience for Jeremiah itself becomes part of the message—God's word demanded more than mere proclamation; it required painful, embodied action. The Euphrates, more than just a river, also demarcated the northern and eastern reaches of the Israelite promise-land in various biblical passages (e.g., Deut 1:7; Josh 1:4). Its selection here by God indicates a judgment that extends beyond Israel's ideal borders, leading them out of their covenant inheritance, to a place of desolation and alien power, mirroring the thoroughness of their spiritual departure from Yahweh.

Jeremiah 13 5 Commentary

Jeremiah 13:5 presents the quiet, obedient fulfillment of a difficult prophetic instruction. The simple declarative statement, "So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD had commanded me," is profoundly significant. It portrays Jeremiah's steadfast loyalty to God amidst the overwhelming unfaithfulness of his nation. The act itself is highly symbolic: the distant journey to the Euphrates—a symbol of the foreign, pagan power of Babylon, soon to be Judah's captor—and the hiding of the sash. This journey was arduous, underscoring the severity of the coming judgment and the spiritual distance Judah had already placed between itself and God. Hiding the sash not only represented its eventual decay but also the shame, neglect, and apparent abandonment Judah would experience in exile. Jeremiah’s perfect compliance sharply contrasts with Judah's repeated failure to obey Yahweh's commands, thus serving as a powerful, unspoken indictment of their apostasy. The emphasis on "as the LORD had commanded me" establishes the divine origin and undeniable authority behind the subsequent revelation of the sash's rottenness, solidifying the message of inevitable national degradation and judgment due to disobedience.