Jeremiah 13 6

Jeremiah 13:6 kjv

And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there.

Jeremiah 13:6 nkjv

Now it came to pass after many days that the LORD said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the sash which I commanded you to hide there."

Jeremiah 13:6 niv

Many days later the LORD said to me, "Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there."

Jeremiah 13:6 esv

And after many days the LORD said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there."

Jeremiah 13:6 nlt

A long time afterward the LORD said to me, "Go back to the Euphrates and get the loincloth I told you to hide there."

Jeremiah 13 verses

Jeremiah 13 6 Meaning

Jeremiah 13:6 pronounces a comprehensive judgment by God upon the people of Judah, specifically detailing the leadership and all inhabitants. Through a symbolic act of "filling them with drunkenness," the verse signifies that God Himself will bring about a state of confusion, moral stupor, and utter helplessness upon them, leading to their inescapable downfall. This spiritual intoxication prevents sound judgment and will result in divine punishment affecting every stratum of society.

Jeremiah 13 6 Context

Jeremiah 13 is a chapter steeped in symbolic action and vivid imagery, designed to impress upon Judah the certainty and severity of God's impending judgment. The chapter begins with the analogy of a linen waistband (Jer 13:1-11), which God commanded Jeremiah to wear, then bury, and then retrieve. Just as the waistband, once clinging to Jeremiah's loins, became ruined and useless after being buried, so too Judah, once closely bound to God, had become spiritually corrupt and was destined for ruin through separation from Him. This destruction symbolizes their moral decay and the futility of their pride.

Jeremiah 13:6 follows another symbolic act described in 13:12-14: God will "fill with wine" every jug, a common vessel. Just as literally filling a jar with wine, leading to drunken confusion, God declares that He will metaphorically "fill with drunkenness" all the inhabitants of the land, specifically highlighting the kings, priests, prophets, and all people of Jerusalem. This is not about literal alcohol, but a spiritual state of confusion, bewilderment, and loss of proper judgment, a direct consequence of divine wrath. God Himself is the agent of this judgment. Historically, Judah was rapidly spiraling into apostasy, relying on foreign alliances, false gods, and corrupt leadership, all while ignoring Jeremiah's warnings. The verse encapsulates God's absolute decree of punishment, affecting every level of their society.

Jeremiah 13 6 Word analysis

• And I will also choose: (וְגַם־אֲנִי, vegam-ʼani) - This phrase highlights God's active, deliberate agency in bringing about this judgment. It signifies that this is not a random occurrence but a sovereign decision and action by Yahweh Himself. The "I" (אֲנִי, ani) is emphatic, underlining divine authority and personal involvement.
• to fill them: (מִלֵּאתִי־אֶתְהֶם, milleʼtiy-ʼet-hem) - From the Hebrew root מָלֵא (male'), meaning "to fill, be full." Here, it carries the strong connotation of "saturating" or "overwhelming" them. God intends to thoroughly immerse them in this state, leaving no part untouched or unaffected.
• with drunkenness: (שִׁכְּרוֹן, shikkaron) - Derived from the root שָׁכַר (shakhar), meaning "to be or become drunk." In this prophetic context, it's overwhelmingly symbolic. It denotes a spiritual stupor, moral disorientation, and intellectual confusion that leads to bad judgment and ultimately, destruction. It implies an incapacity to perceive danger or make sound decisions, rendering them helpless and vulnerable to the coming judgment. This is a state brought about by God as punishment, not by physical intoxication.
• even the kings sitting on the throne of David: (מְלָכִים הַיֹּשְׁבִים עַל־כִּסֵּא דָוִיד, mělāḵîm hayōšvîm ‘al-kissē’ dāwîḏ) - This phrase points specifically to the Davidic monarchy, signifying those who held royal authority and were meant to rule righteously according to God's covenant with David. Their inclusion shows that even their special status and heritage did not exempt them from divine judgment. It emphasizes the failure of a leadership meant to guide the nation.
• and the priests: (וְהַכֹּהֲנִים, veha-kohănîm) - The religious leaders responsible for teaching God's law, performing sacrifices, and mediating between God and the people. Their corruption or failure in their duties (often mentioned in prophetic books) meant that spiritual guidance had collapsed, and their position now guaranteed their share in the impending doom.
• and the prophets: (וְהַנְּבִיאִים, vehanneḇi'îm) - Including both true and, more often implied in Jeremiah, false prophets who spoke lies in the name of God, pacifying the people with deceptive messages of peace rather than confronting their sin. Their spiritual blindness contributed to the nation's downfall.
• and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: (וְכָל־יֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, vekol-yošvēy yerushālayim) - This generalizes the judgment to encompass the entire population, from the highest levels of power and authority down to the common people residing in the capital city, which was once considered sacred and inviolable. It emphasizes the comprehensive and inescapable nature of God's wrath, leaving no one untouched.

Words-group analysis:

• And I will also choose to fill them with drunkenness: This phrase emphasizes divine sovereignty and intentionality. God is not merely reacting but actively choosing and executing this judgment. "Drunkenness" here is a metaphor for a divinely imposed stupor, incapacitation, and a complete loss of their ability to perceive reality or escape impending doom. It implies an irreversible state of moral and spiritual bewilderment.
• kings sitting on the throne of David and the priests and the prophets: This specific enumeration of the leadership—political, religious, and prophetic—highlights the complete systemic failure within Judah. These were the very pillars of society, responsible for guiding the nation in righteousness, but all had become corrupt or inept. Their inclusion means no sector of society will be spared from the impending divine judgment.
• and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: By extending the judgment beyond the leadership to "all the inhabitants," the verse underscores the pervasive nature of Judah's sin and God's holistic punishment. It indicates that the entire society was implicated and would face the consequences. Jerusalem, as the capital and religious center, symbolizes the whole nation of Judah.

Jeremiah 13 6 Bonus section

The choice of "drunkenness" as a metaphor for judgment is potent in its cultural context. In ancient Near Eastern literature and the Bible, wine is often associated with joy and celebration, but over-indulgence or forced drinking becomes a symbol of humiliation, loss of control, and divine wrath, often leading to vulnerability and destruction (e.g., in a battle where an army is routed). God, as the divine winemaker, serves the cup of judgment, which brings about a profound state of spiritual paralysis rather than physical intoxication. This emphasizes not just the suffering, but the shame, confusion, and complete inability to resist or evade the coming calamity, reflecting Judah's state before the Babylonian exile. The fact that the judgment targets everyone from the kings "sitting on the throne of David" downwards indicates that no special covenant (like the Davidic covenant of an eternal dynasty, which was conditional on obedience) or religious office (priesthood, prophecy) insulated anyone from the divine reckoning when justice was perverted and idolatry became rampant.

Jeremiah 13 6 Commentary

Jeremiah 13:6 functions as a dire prophecy, elaborating on the previous imagery of "filling with wine" from verse 12. It declares God's determined intent to overwhelm Judah with a spiritual stupor, symbolizing judgment. This "drunkenness" is not literal but a divine incapacitation of judgment, leading to confusion, moral disarray, and utter helplessness in the face of destruction. The chosen targets—the kings, priests, prophets, and all Jerusalem's inhabitants—demonstrate the comprehensive scope of God's judgment. It shows that no segment of society, regardless of rank or presumed sanctity (like the Davidic throne or priestly office), would be exempt from the consequences of their widespread covenant disloyalty and deep-seated corruption. The phrase "I will also choose" emphatically states God's direct and sovereign involvement in initiating this punishment. The prophetic warning implies a complete societal breakdown and an unavoidable downfall orchestrated by God, allowing no room for escape. This verse is a stark reminder of the ultimate consequences of national apostasy and unrepentant sin, where even those closest to divine ordinances (the priesthood and monarchy) cannot avert judgment when they have strayed from their responsibilities.