Focused Passage

Jeremiah 13:1-7

The Ruined Belt and the Shame of Judah’s Pride

The chapter moves from the symbolic ruined linen belt, to the wine jars filled with drunken judgment, to a call to humble oneself before darkness falls, to royal humiliation and exile, to the exposure of Judah's shame, and finally to the devastating question of whether those habituated to evil can change themselves.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 This is what the LORD said to me: “Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water.”

2 So I bought a loincloth in accordance with the word of the LORD, and I put it around my waist.

3 Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time:

4 “Take the loincloth that you bought and are wearing, and go at once to Perath and hide it there in a crevice of the rocks.”

5 So I went and hid it at Perath, as the LORD had commanded me.

6 Many days later the LORD said to me, “Arise, go to Perath, and get the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.”

7 So I went to Perath and dug up the loincloth, and I took it from the place where I had hidden it. But now it was ruined—of no use at all.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Cross-references

Acts 21:11 Classic cross-references Hebrews 1:1 Classic cross-references Hosea 1:2 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 13:11 Classic cross-references

Original words

This is what כֹּֽה־ H3541 Adverb the LORD יְהוָ֜ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular said אָמַ֨ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to me אֵלַ֗י H413 Preposition | first person common singular Go הָל֞וֹךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute and buy וְקָנִ֤יתָ H7069 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular yourself לְּךָ֙ Preposition | second person masculine singular a linen פִּשְׁתִּ֔ים H6593 Noun - feminine plural loincloth אֵז֣וֹר H232 Noun - masculine singular construct and put וְשַׂמְתּ֖וֹ H7760 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular it around עַל־ H5921 Preposition your waist מָתְנֶ֑יךָ H4975 Noun - masculine dual construct | second person masculine singular but do not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle let it touch תְבִאֵֽהוּ׃ H935 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular water וּבַמַּ֖יִם H4325 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural

Verse 2

Cross-references

Ezekiel 2:8 Classic cross-references Genesis 30:6 Classic cross-references Isaiah 20:2 Classic cross-references John 15:14 Classic cross-references Proverbs 3:5 Classic cross-references

Original words

So I bought וָאֶקְנֶ֥ה H7069 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker a loincloth הָאֵז֖וֹר H232 Article | Noun - masculine singular in accordance with the word כִּדְבַ֣ר H1697 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֑ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular and I put וָאָשִׂ֖ם H7760 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular it around עַל־ H5921 Preposition my waist מָתְנָֽי׃ס H4975 Noun - masculine dual construct | first person common singular

Verse 3

Original words

Then the word דְבַר־ H1697 Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֛ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular came וַיְהִ֧י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to me אֵלַ֖י H413 Preposition | first person common singular a second time שֵׁנִ֥ית H8145 Number - ordinal feminine singular . . . לֵאמֹֽר׃ H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Verse 4

Original words

Take קַ֧ח H3947 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the loincloth הָאֵז֛וֹר H232 Article | Noun - masculine singular that אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative you bought קָנִ֖יתָ H7069 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative and are wearing עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . מָתְנֶ֑יךָ H4975 Noun - masculine dual construct | second person masculine singular and go לֵ֣ךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular at once וְקוּם֙ H6965 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular to Perath פְּרָ֔תָה H6578 Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular and hide וְטָמְנֵ֥הוּ H2934 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person masculine singular it there שָׁ֖ם H8033 Adverb in a crevice בִּנְקִ֥יק H5357 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of the rocks הַסָּֽלַע׃ H5553 Article | Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

Or possibly to the Euphrates; similarly in verses 5–7

Verse 5

Cross-references

Exodus 40:16 Classic cross-references Exodus 39:42 Classic cross-references

Original words

So I went וָאֵלֵ֕ךְ H1980 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular and hid it וָאֶטְמְנֵ֖הוּ H2934 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular at Perath בִּפְרָ֑ת H6578 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular as כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר H834 Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular - אוֹתִֽי׃ H853 Direct object marker | first person common singular had commanded me צִוָּ֥ה H6680 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular

Verse 6

Original words

- וַיְהִ֕י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Many רַבִּ֑ים H7227 Adjective - masculine plural days יָמִ֣ים H3117 Noun - masculine plural later מִקֵּ֖ץ H7093 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָ֜ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular said וַיֹּ֨אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to me אֵלַ֗י H413 Preposition | first person common singular Arise ק֚וּם H6965 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular go לֵ֣ךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular to Perath פְּרָ֔תָה H6578 Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular and get וְקַ֤ח H3947 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular מִשָּׁם֙ מִשָּׁם֙ H8033 Preposition-m | Adverb - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the loincloth הָ֣אֵז֔וֹר H232 Article | Noun - masculine singular that אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative I commanded צִוִּיתִ֖יךָ H6680 Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular you to hide לְטָמְנוֹ־ H2934 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular there שָֽׁם׃ H8033 Adverb

Verse 7

Cross-references

Isaiah 64:6 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 13:10 Classic cross-references Romans 3:12 Classic cross-references

Original words

So I went וָאֵלֵ֣ךְ H1980 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular to Perath פְּרָ֔תָה H6578 Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular and dug up וָאֶחְפֹּ֗ר H2658 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular the loincloth הָ֣אֵז֔וֹר H232 Article | Noun - masculine singular and I took וָֽאֶקַּח֙ H3947 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker it from מִן־ H4480 Preposition the place הַמָּק֖וֹם H4725 Article | Noun - masculine singular where אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative I had hidden it טְמַנְתִּ֣יו H2934 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular . . . שָׁ֑מָּה H8033 Adverb | third person feminine singular But now וְהִנֵּה֙ H2009 Conjunctive waw | Interjection [it] הָאֵז֔וֹר H232 Article | Noun - masculine singular was ruined נִשְׁחַ֣ת H7843 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular of no לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle use יִצְלַ֖ח H6743 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular at all לַכֹּֽל׃פ H3605 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular

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