Jeremiah 13 7

Jeremiah 13:7 kjv

Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

Jeremiah 13:7 nkjv

Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the sash from the place where I had hidden it; and there was the sash, ruined. It was profitable for nothing.

Jeremiah 13:7 niv

So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless.

Jeremiah 13:7 esv

Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing.

Jeremiah 13:7 nlt

So I went to the Euphrates and dug it out of the hole where I had hidden it. But now it was rotting and falling apart. The loincloth was good for nothing.

Jeremiah 13 verses

Jeremiah 13 7 Meaning

Jeremiah 13:7 depicts the tragic outcome of God's people, Judah, who were meant to be close to Him like a linen waistband. Through a vivid acted parable, the prophet returns to the Euphrates River, where he had hidden the waistband as commanded by God. Upon retrieval, it is found to be completely ruined, soiled, and utterly useless. This signifies Judah's spiritual and moral corruption due to pride and idolatry, rendering them spoiled and without purpose in the sight of God, thereby making them fit for exile and judgment.

Jeremiah 13 7 Context

Jeremiah chapter 13 focuses on a series of object lessons and pronouncements against the pride of Judah and Jerusalem, revealing the Lord’s intention to punish His disobedient people. The specific verse (13:7) is the conclusion of the first acted parable in the chapter (Jer 13:1-11), concerning a linen waistband. The Lord commanded Jeremiah to buy a linen waistband, wear it for a time, then travel a significant distance (likely around 300-400 miles/500-600 km) to the Euphrates River and hide it in a rock crevice. After "many days" (verse 6), Jeremiah was told to return and retrieve it. This specific verse describes the retrieval and the shocking discovery of its corrupted state. The parable, set against the backdrop of Judah's increasing idolatry and pursuit of foreign alliances (implicitly suggested by the "Euphrates" location, which led to Babylon), starkly warned of impending judgment and exile by Babylon.

Jeremiah 13 7 Word analysis

• Then I went (וָאֵלֵךְ - wa'elech): Marks the prophet's obedient action, a continuation of the divine command given in verse 4. The journey itself highlights the seriousness and the distance involved in God's judgment.
• to the Euphrates (עַל־פְּרָת - al-P'rat): "P'rat" (פְּרָת) is the Hebrew name for the Euphrates River. Its significance is immense; it's a major geographical artery of Mesopotamia, where powerful empires (like Babylon, who would soon exile Judah) were located. Symbolically, it represents the distant land of exile, far from the sacred soil of Judah, signifying a journey into foreign servitude and pagan influences.
• and took the girdle (וָאֶקַּח אֶת־הַחֲגוֹרָה - wa'eqach et-hachagorah): "Hagorah" (חֲגוֹרָה) is a girdle or waistband, often worn close to the body. This retrieval is part of God's pre-planned lesson, revealing the intended consequence of the initial act.
• from the place where I had hidden it (מִן־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־שָׁמָּה טְמַנְתִּיהָ - min-hamakom asher-shammah t'mantihah): This reiterates God's specific instruction from verse 4, showing a deliberate, calculated action and its inevitable outcome. The hiding place, likely a desolate crevice, foreshadows the desolate state of the exiled people.
• and behold (וְהִנֵּה - v'hinneh): A common Hebrew interjection to draw immediate attention, signifying a dramatic and important revelation, leading up to the shocking state of the girdle.
• the girdle was spoiled (הִנֵּה נִשְׁחֲתָה הַחֲגוֹרָה - hinneh nishchatah hachagorah): "Nishchatah" (נִשְׁחֲתָה) comes from the root "shachath" (שָׁחַת), meaning to corrupt, ruin, destroy, mar. It carries strong connotations of both physical decay and moral depravity in the broader biblical context. It means the girdle, once pristine, has become rotten, soiled, and disintegrates.
• good for nothing (לֹא תִצְלָח לַכֹּל - lo titslach lakol): "Titslach" (תִצְלָח) is from "tsalach" (צָלַח), meaning to prosper, be successful, to achieve its purpose. The negation "lo" emphasizes its absolute worthlessness. It can no longer fulfill its original function or any other purpose.

• "I went to the Euphrates, and took the girdle": This sequence describes the journey into a foreign, impure environment where Judah would be taken into exile. The retrieval of the girdle signifies God's demonstration of what had transpired during their time apart, a vivid illustration for the prophet to observe.
• "from the place where I had hidden it. And behold": This phrase emphasizes the pre-ordained nature of the consequence. The long waiting period (many days) and the significant journey signify the passage of time and the distance, underscoring that their corruption was not immediate but a festering decay under external influences.
• "the girdle was spoiled, good for nothing": This climactic declaration conveys the complete deterioration. What was once valuable, pure (linen often symbolizing purity, suitable for priestly wear), and intended to be intimately connected to God has become repugnant and useless, mirroring Judah's lost honor, defiled spirituality, and national impotency in exile due to their sin and refusal to obey God's word.

Jeremiah 13 7 Bonus section

The act of hiding the waistband in a "clift of the rock" (Jer 13:4 KJV) implies not just burial but exposure to elements—dampness, erosion, decay from the very earth and rock that were meant to conceal it. This emphasizes that even "hidden" disobedience or neglected faith will lead to deterioration over time, becoming evident eventually. The choice of linen specifically is significant; linen was associated with purity and often worn by priests (Ex 28). The defilement of linen, therefore, carried an extra layer of meaning, speaking to the defilement of a nation chosen for spiritual leadership. This parable also stood as an indirect polemic against Judah's false sense of security, which stemmed from their covenant status or the presence of the Temple. It implicitly countered their belief that God would never allow them to be "spoiled," asserting that even His chosen people could become useless if they forsook their covenant obligations.

Jeremiah 13 7 Commentary

Jeremiah 13:7 unveils the heartbreaking climax of God's acted parable. The meticulous obedience of Jeremiah in traveling to the distant Euphrates to retrieve the waistband, after an undisclosed but "many days" period, accentuates the divine purpose and the gravity of the message. The once-pristine linen girdle, symbolic of Judah's chosenness, intimacy with God, and role as His glory and honor, is found utterly decayed and ruined by the time and conditions of its "hiding place." This represents Judah's spiritual corruption through idolatry and disobedience, making them unfit for God's holy service and removing their unique position and glory among the nations. The journey to the Euphrates foreshadows the coming Babylonian exile, a time and place where Judah would indeed become "spoiled"—degraded and broken, rendered "good for nothing" by their unfaithfulness and its consequences. This verse serves as a stark warning: consistent rejection of God's ways leads to a loss of divine favor, purpose, and ultimately, usefulness.Practical application: Spiritual apathy and unchecked sin, like prolonged exposure, will erode one's usefulness for God's kingdom.