Jeremiah 18 13

Jeremiah 18:13 kjv

Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.

Jeremiah 18:13 nkjv

Therefore thus says the LORD: "Ask now among the Gentiles, Who has heard such things? The virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

Jeremiah 18:13 niv

Therefore this is what the LORD says: "Inquire among the nations: Who has ever heard anything like this? A most horrible thing has been done by Virgin Israel.

Jeremiah 18:13 esv

"Therefore thus says the LORD: Ask among the nations, Who has heard the like of this? The virgin Israel has done a very horrible thing.

Jeremiah 18:13 nlt

So this is what the LORD says: "Has anyone ever heard of such a thing,
even among the pagan nations?
My virgin daughter Israel
has done something terrible!

Jeremiah 18 verses

Jeremiah 18 13 Meaning

Jeremiah 18:13 declares God's profound astonishment and grief over Israel's unprecedented apostasy. It implies that Israel's rejection of the Lord and embrace of idolatry is so perverse and irrational that it would shock even pagan nations, who, despite their false worship, typically remain devoted to their own gods. The "virgin of Israel," a title signifying their consecrated purity and special covenant relationship with God, has committed an act of spiritual defilement so egregious that it is termed "a most horrible thing," something truly ghastly and shudder-inducing.

Jeremiah 18 13 Context

Jeremiah chapter 18 opens with the famous imagery of the potter and the clay, where God demonstrates His sovereign right and power to shape or reshape a nation, either for blessing or judgment, based on their response. God's message through Jeremiah highlights His conditional covenant: if a nation turns from evil, He will relent from promised judgment; conversely, if they turn to evil, He will reverse promised blessing. Verses 11-12 apply this principle directly to Judah, calling them to repent from their wicked ways. However, the people stubbornly refuse, declaring their intent to "follow our own plans" and "do whatever we want." Jeremiah 18:13 immediately follows this defiant refusal, becoming God's astonished and aggrieved response to their unwavering resolve for apostasy. It highlights the profound depth of Judah's spiritual betrayal, which is not only rebellious against God's direct word but also utterly irrational, surpassing the expected norms even among non-covenant nations. The historical context is Judah facing imminent destruction by Babylon, yet steadfastly clinging to idols and corrupt practices, ignoring all warnings from the prophets like Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 18 13 Word analysis

• Therefore thus says the LORD:
  • Therefore: (Hebrew: לָכֵן, lakhen) Introduces a conclusion or consequence derived from the preceding statements, in this case, Judah's defiant rejection in Jer 18:12.
  • thus says the LORD: (Hebrew: כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה, koh-amar Yahweh) A solemn, authoritative prophetic formula indicating that the words directly originate from Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, not Jeremiah. It emphasizes divine authority and certainty.
• 'Ask among the nations, Who has heard such things?:
  • Ask: (Hebrew: שְׁאֵלוּ, sha'alu) An imperative command, inviting inquiry or investigation. Here, it is rhetorical, a challenge for anyone to find an equivalent situation.
  • among the nations: (Hebrew: בַגּוֹיִם, bāgoyim) Refers to the Gentile peoples, often considered pagan or those outside the covenant of Israel. Ironically, God appeals to them as a point of reference, highlighting the unparalleled nature of Israel's offense. Even non-Yahweh worshipers wouldn't typically forsake their ancestral gods without extreme cause.
  • Who has heard such things?: A rhetorical question designed to elicit the answer "No one." It underscores the uniqueness and astonishing character of Israel's betrayal, implying it's a cosmic scandal.
• The virgin of Israel:
  • The virgin: (Hebrew: בְּתוּלַת, betulat) Lit. "the virgin." A tender, intimate, and often poignant term used for a nation, signifying purity, undefiled status, youth, beauty, and initial faithfulness in a covenant relationship (e.g., God as husband, Israel as bride).
  • of Israel: (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל, Yisrael) The chosen people, who inherited the covenant promises made to Jacob. This phrase, "virgin of Israel," creates a stark and shocking contrast between Israel's divinely appointed, pure identity and their utterly defiled actions. It intensifies the gravity of their betrayal as a spurned covenant spouse.
• has done: (Hebrew: עָשְׂתָה, ʿashetah) Simple past tense verb, "she has done," pointing to Israel's direct and active agency in this horrific act.
• a most horrible thing.:
  • a most horrible thing: (Hebrew: שַׁעֲרוּרִיָּה, shaʿaruriyyah) A strong, emotive word meaning something causing the hair to stand on end, a shuddering horror, a ghastly, dreadful, or revolting act. It's not merely "bad" but morally repugnant and deeply shocking, an act of spiritual monstrosity and defilement that transcends typical human evil. It expresses God's extreme disgust and despair at their actions.

Words-group analysis:

• 'Ask among the nations, Who has heard such things?: This phrase functions as a divine lament and challenge. God implicitly dares anyone—even pagan nations with their varying beliefs and moral codes—to identify a precedent for such extreme spiritual infidelity. It implies that what Israel has done is not just wrong by divine standards but fundamentally unnatural and unprecedented in any religious or cultural context. The rhetoric suggests an anomaly so profound it defies logic and expectation across all of humanity.
• The virgin of Israel has done a most horrible thing: This juxtaposition is powerfully ironic and tragic. The title "virgin of Israel" evokes purity, innocence, and faithfulness in her special relationship with Yahweh. Her "most horrible thing" then stands as the ultimate act of defilement, spiritual prostitution, and covenant betrayal. It highlights the vast chasm between her intended identity and her actual behavior, rendering her offense far more heinous than the idolatry of other nations who never had such a relationship or privilege. It underscores the profound disappointment and heartbreak felt by God over His chosen one.

Jeremiah 18 13 Bonus section

The specific choice of the word shaʿaruriyyah for "horrible thing" is particularly significant. It appears sparingly in the Old Testament (e.g., Jer 2:12; 5:30; 23:14; Hos 6:10), always describing a profound moral or spiritual shock that causes a "shudder" or "horror." This term elevates Israel's sin from mere disobedience to a ghastly, repugnant abomination, emphasizing the visceral disgust God feels at their actions. The invitation to "ask among the nations" serves not only as a rhetorical device but also underscores the universal principles of reason and basic religious fidelity. Even pagan societies, operating under natural law and communal loyalty, understood some concept of fidelity to their deities, however misguided. Israel, with direct divine revelation and intimate covenant, showed less fidelity than nations devoid of such privilege, thereby rendering their sin doubly inexcusable and truly astonishing.

Jeremiah 18 13 Commentary

Jeremiah 18:13 is a searing expression of God's utter astonishment and profound heartbreak at Judah's relentless apostasy. It highlights a unique depth of betrayal, arguing that Israel's rejection of their covenant God in favor of pagan idols is worse than anything known even among the Gentiles. The very people uniquely chosen, delivered, and nurtured by the Lord have committed an act of spiritual defilement—a "horrible thing" (shaʿaruriyyah)—that would cause universal shock. The term "virgin of Israel" here functions ironically, underscoring the preciousness of her initial, undefiled relationship with God, and thereby intensifying the tragedy and ugliness of her betrayal. Unlike pagan nations, who, while worshipping false gods, typically remain loyal to their traditions, Israel consciously abandoned the living God, the source of true life, for dead idols. This act is not merely disobedience; it is a perverse inversion of covenant loyalty, demonstrating a hardened heart and a corrupted will, leading to an unheard-of spiritual abomination. This serves as a warning against spiritual complacency, where special favor or knowledge of God can paradoxically lead to deeper offense if trust is broken.

• Practical Usage Example 1: A Christian community, once vibrant in faith, slowly abandons biblical principles for cultural approval, adopting worldly ethics. A secular observer, though not believing, might point out the hypocrisy as worse than overt unbelief, echoing God's astonishment that His own people have done a "horrible thing."
• Practical Usage Example 2: An individual raised in a strong Christian home deliberately turns to a life of blatant sin and openly rejects the faith they were taught. This specific defilement is more heartbreaking and perplexing to their believing family and to God than the sin of someone who never knew God, because they consciously spurned truth for broken cisterns.