Focused Passage

Jeremiah 13:23-27

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

23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Neither are you able to do good—you who are accustomed to doing evil.

24 “I will scatter you like chaff driven by the desert wind.

25 This is your lot, the portion I have measured to you,” declares the LORD, “because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood.

26 So I will pull your skirts up over your face, that your shame may be seen.

27 Your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution on the hills and in the fields—I have seen your detestable acts. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 23

Cross-references

Jeremiah 2:22 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 9:5 Classic cross-references Matthew 19:24 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 17:9 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 4:22 Classic cross-references

Original words

Can the Ethiopian כּוּשִׁי֙ H3569 Noun - proper - masculine singular change הֲיַהֲפֹ֤ךְ H2015 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular his skin עוֹר֔וֹ H5785 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular or the leopard וְנָמֵ֖ר H5246 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular his spots חֲבַרְבֻּרֹתָ֑יו H2272 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular Neither גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction are you אַתֶּם֙ H859 Pronoun - second person masculine plural able תּוּכְל֣וּ H3201 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural to do good לְהֵיטִ֔יב H3190 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct you who are accustomed לִמֻּדֵ֖י H3928 Adjective - masculine plural construct to doing evil הָרֵֽעַ׃ H7489 Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct

BSB notes

Hebrew that Cushite; that is, probably a person from the upper Nile region

Verse 24

Cross-references

Jeremiah 18:17 Classic cross-references Psalms 1:4 Classic cross-references Leviticus 26:33 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 5:12 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 5:2 Classic cross-references

Original words

I will scatter you וַאֲפִיצֵ֖ם H6327 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural like chaff כְּקַשׁ־ H7179 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular driven עוֹבֵ֑ר H5674 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular by the desert מִדְבָּֽר׃ H4057 Noun - masculine singular wind לְר֖וּחַ H7307 Preposition-l | Noun - common singular construct

Verse 25

Cross-references

Romans 1:25 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 2:32 Classic cross-references Job 20:29 Classic cross-references Psalms 9:17 Classic cross-references Isaiah 65:7 Classic cross-references

Original words

This זֶ֣ה H2088 Pronoun - masculine singular is your lot גוֹרָלֵ֧ךְ H1486 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular the portion מְנָת־ H4521 Noun - feminine singular construct I have מֵֽאִתִּ֖י H854 Preposition-m | Direct object marker | first person common singular measured to you מִדַּ֛יִךְ H4055 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָ֑ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular because אֲשֶׁר֙ H834 Pronoun - relative you have forgotten Me שָׁכַ֣חַתְּ H7911 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singular - אוֹתִ֔י H853 Direct object marker | first person common singular and trusted וַֽתִּבְטְחִ֖י H982 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person feminine singular in falsehood בַּשָּֽׁקֶר׃ H8267 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular

Verse 26

Cross-references

Nahum 3:5 Classic cross-references Hosea 2:10 Classic cross-references Lamentations 1:8 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 16:37 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 23:29 Classic cross-references

Original words

So וְגַם־ H1571 Conjunction I אֲנִ֛י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular will pull your skirts שׁוּלַ֖יִךְ H7757 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular up חָשַׂ֥פְתִּי H2834 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular over עַל־ H5921 Preposition your face פָּנָ֑יִךְ H6440 Noun - common plural construct | second person feminine singular that your shame קְלוֹנֵֽךְ׃ H7036 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular may be seen וְנִרְאָ֖ה H7200 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular

Verse 27

Cross-references

Psalms 51:10 Classic cross-references 2 Corinthians 7:1 Classic cross-references Hosea 8:5 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 24:13 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 6:13 Classic cross-references

Original words

Your adulteries נִֽאֻפַ֤יִךְ H5004 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular and lustful neighings וּמִצְהֲלוֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ H4684 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | second person feminine singular your shameless זִמַּ֣ת H2154 Noun - feminine singular construct prostitution זְנוּתֵ֔ךְ H2184 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular on עַל־ H5921 Preposition the hills גְּבָעוֹת֙ H1389 Noun - feminine plural [and] in the fields בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה H7704 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular I have seen רָאִ֖יתִי H7200 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular your detestable acts שִׁקּוּצָ֑יִךְ H8251 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular Woe א֥וֹי H188 Interjection to you לָךְ֙ Preposition | second person feminine singular O Jerusalem יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם H3389 Noun - proper - feminine singular How long אַחֲרֵ֥י H310 Preposition . . . מָתַ֖י H4970 Interrogative . . . עֹֽד׃פ H5750 Adverb will you remain תִטְהֲרִ֔י H2891 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular unclean לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle

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