1. a linen girdle] Linen, not woollen, garments were appointed for priestly wear. See e.g. Exodus 28:42. It was thus the fittest material for that which should symbolize the people of God.

put it not in water] He is not to soften it for greater comfort in wearing, or, with more direct bearing on the spiritual significance of the figure, he is to keep it at first separate from that which was to be the cause of its being marred, and so to symbolize Israel in its earlier independence and in the sunshine of Jehovah’s favour.

Ch. Jeremiah 13:1-11. The acted symbol of the linen girdle

This ch. consists of five sections, quite independent of one another. The first two are in poetic prose, and the remaining in Ḳinah metre. Three questions arise in respect to this first section: (i) Does it relate a real transaction or a vision? (ii) What is the application of the symbol? (iii) To what date may we refer it?

As regards (i) we may state that Du. rejects with scorn the passage, as non-Jeremianic, considering it as childish, and as a later insertion. Most commentators, however, refuse to accept this view. If we accept the view that the transaction was real, where was it carried out? Some think that the Heb. Pěrath, rendered elsewhere Euphrates (though generally “the river” is prefixed to it), may have here meant Parah (Joshua 18:23), now Wady Fara, a town in a rocky valley three miles N.E. of Anathoth, chosen by Jeremiah for this purpose because its name suggested that of the actual river. Gi. and Erbt, however, understand Euphrates, the latter making the prophet perform the double journey (one of 300 or 400 miles) with the aim of enforcing by act what he had failed to do by his words. But it is more natural to consider that the transaction was of a subjective character, taking place in the prophet’s mind only, and then announced by him as a picturesque method of illustrating the truth which he sought to bring home. As regards (ii), Judah shall be humiliated by exile. She has been in closest intimacy with her God, but, owing to her becoming corrupt in religion and morality, He has been compelled to cast her off. See on Jeremiah 13:9-11. As to (iii) we may place the date early in Jeremiah’s ministry, seeing that idolatrous corruption was already at that time in vigorous being. It is, however, by no means impossible that the date may fall within Jehoiakim’s reign.

The section may be subdivided as follows.

(i) Jeremiah 13:1-7. The prophet, in obedience to the Lord’s command, procures, in vision or reality, a linen waist-cloth, which has not yet been washed, and after wearing it a while, covers it up in a rocky cavity on the banks of Euphrates, and after a long interval, returns thither, digs it out, and finds that it is spoilt and useless. (ii) Jeremiah 13:8-11. The meaning of the symbol. The self-esteem of the nation shall be crushed, because of their idolatrous ways. As a waist-cloth clings to the person of the wearer, so had Jehovah given Israel the glorious position of close and constant attachment to Himself, but they had utterly slighted the honour.

4. hide it there] in such a way that moisture should have full access to it.

the rock] If an actual visit to the Euphrates is meant, the part referred to “cannot be anywhere near Babylon, where there are no ‘rocks,’ or rather ‘crags’—but in the upper part of its course, above Carchemish, or even above Samosata, where it still flows between rocky sides.” Dr.

8–11. See introd. summary to section.

9–11. These vv. have been thought (so Co.) to contain, as they stand, two explanations, mutually exclusive, of the symbol, Jeremiah 13:9 making the marring to denote exile, but Jeremiah 13:10-11 Judah’s disobedience and idolatry, and it has been concluded that the latter is the original application intended and that the supposed inconsistency has come about through the introduction of some modification of the text. Thus Co. omits the whole passage except from “as the girdle” to “house of Israel” (Jeremiah 13:11). The omission, however, seems scarcely warranted. We should notice that it is in consequence of the prophet’s action that the girdle is spoiled, and that Jeremiah, as wearing the girdle, represents Jehovah, the action by which the girdle’s beauty is destroyed corresponding thus to exile (to which the mention of Euphrates as the place of hiding further alludes), but not to apostasy. Accordingly it is the pride of Judah and Jerusalem that shall be humbled by transportation, and it is this humbling that the symbol represents, and not moral corruption, although it is of course the latter (Jeremiah 13:10) which is the cause of the humiliation.

10. stubbornness] See ch. Jeremiah 3:17.

shall even be] Heb. let it be.

11. The aptitude of the symbol is pointed out. Probably, according to an indication given by the Syr. Hex.’s rendering, the words “the whole house of Israel and” are a gloss.

12. bottle] rather, as mg. jar. As surely as bottles are used for wine, so surely will drunkenness in the above sense enter into the people.

Do we not know …] What need is there of telling us such a truism?

12–14. The spoken symbol of the bottles

12–14. A parable to indicate approaching overthrow. For intoxication as expressive of bewildered confusion and helplessness in the presence of calamity, cp. Jeremiah 25:15 f., Jeremiah 48:26; Psalm 60:3; Isaiah 51:17; Isaiah 51:21-23. Through Jehovah’s judicial action they are paralysed mentally, as with strong drink, and thus made to collide to their destruction. Cp. Psalm 2:9. The date is uncertain, but a connexion in point of time with Nebuchadnezzar’s victory at Carchemish (b.c. 605) is not improbable.

14. And I will dash them one against another] Seized with the giddiness which accompanies intoxication, they shall be a source of mutual destruction.

even the fathers and the sons together] The overthrow shall be of the most harrowing description.

15. be not proud] Do not refuse through self-sufficiency to listen.

15–17. Let Judah beware while there is time

The prophet bids them acknowledge Jehovah, by submission and obedience, before they are overtaken by the blackness of national overthrow. Otherwise (says Jeremiah) I will in silent grief witness your ruin.

16. The figure is that of mountain travellers overtaken by darkness. Unable to advance without danger of falling, they at first await hopefully the dawn, but instead of light there supervenes only deeper gloom.

Give glory] by confession of sin and obedience. Cp. for the expression Joshua 7:19; 1 Samuel 6:5; John 9:24.

he cause darkness] better, as mg. it grow dark.

dark mountains] Heb. mountains of twilight is at once more literal and poetical.

the shadow of death] better, as mg. deep darkness. See on Jeremiah 2:6.

17. the Lord’s flock] As the rulers are called elsewhere (Jeremiah 2:8 mg., Jeremiah 3:15, Jeremiah 6:3) shepherds (pastors), so the ruled are the flock. Cp. Psalm 80:1, and so Psalm 74:1; Psalm 77:20; Psalm 78:52; Psalm 79:13; also Zechariah 10:3.

18. your headtires] The word in MT. means the place of the head (and so the same consonants with rather different vocalisation in Genesis 28:11, 1 Samuel 19:16; 1 Samuel 26:7). We should therefore by a slight shortening of the word (so LXX) render for come down from your head is your beautiful crown (lit. crown of beauty).

Humble yourselves, sit down] better, as mg. Sit ye down low. Cp. Jeremiah 14:2.

18, 19. Address to the king and the queen-mother

The highest shall be brought low, and the land with its cities emptied by universal captivity.

Graf and Du. make the king to be Jehoiakim and thus the queen-mother Zebidah (2 Kings 23:36). Most however take the utterance as belonging to the three months’ reign of his successor, Jehoiachin, whose mother, Nehushta, is referred to in 2 Kings 24:8; 2 Kings 24:12; 2 Kings 24:15. The prominence attached to the queen-mother by Eastern custom would be in that case enhanced by the king’s youth. Cp. Jeremiah 22:26.

19. the South] Heb. the Negeb, a barren region in the S. of Judah (see Genesis 12:9 mg.), whose cities are named Joshua 15:21-32. The sense is: none shall escape, not even those most remote from the point at which the invader from the north (Jeremiah 13:20) enters the land.

it is wholly, etc.] We may make a very probable correction in MT., and so (with LXX) render an entire captivity.

20. Lift up your eyes, and behold] The verbs in MT. are fem. and sing., with a variant (Ḳ’ri) mas. and pl. The pronoun, probably by a slip, is pl. It is better to read with LXX, Lift up thine eyes, O Jerusalem.

the north] Cp. Jeremiah 4:6, Jeremiah 6:1; Jeremiah 6:22.

the flock] See on Jeremiah 13:17.

20–27. Lament for the calamities brought about by Jerusalem’s sin

See, O Jerusalem, the northern foe descends on thee. What has become of thy goodly nation? How wilt thou endure those who were erst thy friends, now become thy rulers? What shall be thy pangs? And dost thou ask, Wherefore? It is the penalty of thy sin. Evil, through inveterate custom, has become as immutable a thing with thee as is the Ethiopian’s skin or the leopard’s spotted hide. Scattered like the chaff that is whirled along by the desert wind, thou shalt have this for thy lot because of thy faithlessness. Shame and disgrace are the results of the lewd practices which thou hast openly carried on. Canst thou ever become clean again?

The date may well be that of the battle of Carchemish (b.c. 605), which exposed Judah defenceless to Nebuchadnezzar. The foe spoken of cannot be the Scythians (see on Jeremiah 1:13), as they never were “friends,” whereas for the attempt to be on friendly terms with the Eastern powers we may cp. Jeremiah 2:36, Jeremiah 4:30.

21. The construction and order in MT. are difficult, and the Hebrew words seem to have suffered some dislocation in the course of transmission. The general sense is: Those whom thou considerest to be thy friends (meaning Babylon, and perhaps the lesser neighbouring nations) are now to be thy harsh masters. This however is not clearly expressed in either text or mg. It is better, therefore, with Dr., to render “What wilt thou say, when he shall set over thee as head those whom thou hast thyself taught to be friends unto thee?” Cp. Ezekiel 23:22 ff., where the “lovers” are enumerated.

23. The v. need not mean that Judah’s sin was innate (see on Jeremiah 6:7), but that habits of evil preclude a return to righteousness.

the Ethiopian] Through the Jews’ intercourse with Egypt the Ethiopians were familiar to them. See Jeremiah 38:7. They were acquainted with the “merchandise of Ethiopia” (Isaiah 45:14), which consisted of gold, ebony, and elephants’ tusks (Herod. III. 97, 114), and jewels (Job 28:19).

the leopard] See ch. Jeremiah 5:6.

24. See on Jeremiah 4:11.

by the wina] better, with mg. unto the wind.

27. thou wilt not, etc.] rather, How long will it be, ere thou be made clean?