---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Jeremiah 13"
description: "CHAPTER 13   :-. SYMBOLICAL
PROPHECY ( :-). Many of these figurative acts
being either not possible, or not probable, or decorous, seem to have
existed on"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/jeremiah/13"
---

CHAPTER 13

. SYMBOLICAL
PROPHECY ().
Many of these figurative acts
being either not possible, or not probable, or decorous, seem to have
existed only in the mind of the prophet as part of his inward vision.
[So CALVIN]. The world he
moved in was not the sensible, but the spiritual, world. Inward acts
were, however, when it was possible and proper, materialized by
outward performance, but not always, and necessarily so. The internal
act made a naked statement more impressive and presented the subject
when extending over long portions of space and time more
concentrated. The interruption of Jeremiah's official duty by a
journey of more than two hundred miles twice is not likely to have
*literally* taken place.

**1. put it upon thy loins,**
&c.—expressing the close intimacy wherewith Jehovah had joined
Israel and Judah to Him ().
**linen**—implying it was
the inner garment next the skin, not the outer one.
**put it not in
water**—signifying the moral filth of His people, like the
literal filth of a garment worn constantly next the skin, without
being washed ([Jeremiah 13:10](../../../kjv/jeremiah/13/10)).
GROTIUS understands a
garment not bleached, but left in its native roughness, just as Judah
had no beauty, but was adopted by the sole grace of God ([Jeremiah 13:10](../../../kjv/jeremiah/13/10)). "Neither wast thou washed in *water,*"
&c.

**4. Euphrates**—In order to
support the view that Jeremiah's act was outward, HENDERSON
considers that the *Hebrew Phrath* here is *Ephratha,* the
original name of Beth-lehem, six miles south of Jerusalem, a journey
easy to be made by Jeremiah. The non-addition of the word "river,"
which usually precedes *Phrath,* when meaning Euphrates, favors
this view. But I prefer *English Version.* The Euphrates is
specified as being near Babylon, the Jews future place of exile.
**hole**—typical of the
prisons in which the Jews were to be confined.
**the rock**—some
well-known rock. A sterile region, such as was that to which the Jews
were led away (compare [Isaiah 7:19](../../../kjv/isaiah/7/19))
[GROTIUS].

**6. after many days**—Time enough
was given for the girdle to become unfit for use. So, in course of
time, the Jews became corrupted by the heathen idolatries around, so
as to cease to be witnesses of Jehovah; they must, therefore, be cast
away as a "marred" or spoiled girdle.

**9.** ().

**10. imagination**—rather,
"obstinacy."

**11.** ([Jeremiah 33:9](../../../kjv/jeremiah/33/9);
[Exodus 19:5](../../../kjv/exodus/19/5)).
**glory**—an ornament to
glory in.

**12.** A new image.
**Do we not . . . know . . .
wine**—The "bottles" are those used in the East, made
of skins; our word "hogshead," originally "oxhide,"
alludes to the same custom. As they were used to hold water, milk,
and other liquids, what the prophet said (namely, that they should be
all filled with wine) was not, as the Jews' taunting reply implied, a
truism even *literally.* The figurative sense which is what
Jeremiah chiefly meant, they affected not to understand. As wine
intoxicates, so God's wrath and judgments shall reduce them to that
state of helpless distraction that they shall rush on to their own
ruin ([Jeremiah 25:15](../../../kjv/jeremiah/25/15); [Jeremiah 49:12](../../../kjv/jeremiah/49/12);
[Isaiah 51:17](../../../kjv/isaiah/51/17); [Isaiah 51:21](../../../kjv/isaiah/51/21);
[Isaiah 51:22](../../../kjv/isaiah/51/22); [Isaiah 63:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/6)).

**13. upon David's throne**—literally,
who sit *for David on his throne;* implying the succession of
the Davidic family ([Jeremiah 22:4](../../../kjv/jeremiah/22/4)).
**all**—indiscriminately of
every rank.

**14. dash**— (). As a potter's vessel ().

**15. be not proud**—Pride was the
cause of their contumacy, as humility is the first step to obedience
([Jeremiah 13:17](../../../kjv/jeremiah/13/17); [Psalms 10:4](../../../kjv/psalms/10/4)).

**16. Give glory,** c.—Show by
repentance and obedience to God, that you revere His majesty. So
Joshua exhorted Achan to "give glory to God" by confessing
his crime, thereby showing he revered the All-knowing God.
**stumble**—image from
travellers stumbling into a fatal abyss when overtaken by nightfall
([Isaiah 5:30](../../../kjv/isaiah/5/30) [Isaiah 59:9](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/9);
[Isaiah 59:10](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/10); [Amos 8:9](../../../kjv/amos/8/9)).
**dark mountains**—literally,
"mountains of twilight" or "gloom," which cast
such a gloomy shadow that the traveller stumbles against an opposing
rock before he sees it ([John 11:10](../../../kjv/john/11/10);
[John 12:35](../../../kjv/john/12/35)).
**shadow of death**—the
densest gloom; death shade ([John 12:35](../../../kjv/john/12/35)). *Light* and *darkness* are images of prosperity
and adversity.

**17. hear it**—my exhortation.
**in secret**—as one
mourning and humbling himself for their sin, not self-righteously
condemning them ([Philippians 3:18](../../../kjv/philippians/3/18)).
**pride**—(see on [Philippians 3:18](../../../kjv/philippians/3/18); [Job 33:17](../../../kjv/job/33/17)).
**flock**— ([Job 33:17](../../../kjv/job/33/17)), just as kings and leaders are called pastors.

**18. king**—Jehoiachin or
Jeconiah.
**queen**—the queen mother
who, as the king was not more than eighteen years old, held the chief
power. Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan, carried away captive with
Jehoiachin by Nebuchadnezzar ().
**Humble yourselves**—that
is, Ye shall be humbled, or brought low ([Jeremiah 22:26](../../../kjv/jeremiah/22/26);
[Jeremiah 28:2](../../../kjv/jeremiah/28/2)).
**your principalities**—rather,
"your *head ornament.*"

**19. cities of the south**—namely,
south of Judea; farthest off from the enemy, who advanced from the
north.
**shut up**—that is,
deserted ([Isaiah 24:10](../../../kjv/isaiah/24/10)); so that
none shall be left to open the gates to travellers and merchants
again [HENDERSON]. Rather,
*shut up so* closely by Nebuchadnezzar's forces, sent on before
([2 Kings 24:10](../../../kjv/2-kings/24/10); [2 Kings 24:11](../../../kjv/2-kings/24/11)),
that none shall be allowed by the enemy to get out (compare [2 Kings 24:11](../../../kjv/2-kings/24/11)).
**wholly**—literally,
"fully"; completely.

**20. from . . . north**—Nebuchadnezzar
and his hostile army ([Jeremiah 1:14](../../../kjv/jeremiah/1/14);
[Jeremiah 6:22](../../../kjv/jeremiah/6/22)).
**flock . . . given
thee**—Jeremiah, amazed at the depopulation caused by
Nebuchadnezzar's forces, addresses Jerusalem (a *noun of multitude,*
which accounts for the blending of *plural* and *singular,
Your* eyes . . . *thee* . . . *thy* flock), and asks
where is the population ([Jeremiah 6:22](../../../kjv/jeremiah/6/22), "flock") which God had given her?

**21. captains,*****and*****as chief**—literally, "princes as to headship"; or
"over thy head," namely, the Chaldeans. Rather, translate,
"What wilt thou say when God will set them (the enemies, ) above thee, seeing that thou thyself hast accustomed them
(to be) with thee as (thy) *lovers in the highest place*
(literally, 'at thy head')? Thou canst not say God does thee wrong,
seeing it was thou that gave occasion to His dealing so with thee, by
so eagerly courting their intimacy." Compare [Jeremiah 2:18](../../../kjv/jeremiah/2/18);
[Jeremiah 2:36](../../../kjv/jeremiah/2/36); [2 Kings 23:29](../../../kjv/2-kings/23/29),
as to the league of Judah with Babylon, which led Josiah to march
against Pharaoh-necho, when the latter was about to attack Babylon
[MAURER].
**sorrows**—pains, throes.

**22. if thou say**—connecting
this verse with "What wilt thou *say*" ()?
**skirts discovered**—that
is, are thrown up so as to expose the person ([Jeremiah 13:26](../../../kjv/jeremiah/13/26);
[Isaiah 3:17](../../../kjv/isaiah/3/17); [Nahum 3:5](../../../kjv/nahum/3/5)).
**heels made bare**—The
sandal was fastened by a thong above the heel to the instep. The
*Hebrew,* is, "are violently handled," or "torn
off"; that is, thou art exposed to ignominy. Image from an
adulteress.

**23. Ethiopian**—the Cushite of
Abyssinia. Habit is second nature; as therefore it is morally
impossible that the Jews can alter their inveterate habits of sin,
nothing remains but the infliction of the extremest punishment, their
expatriation ([Jeremiah 13:24](../../../kjv/jeremiah/13/24)).

**24.** ().
**by the wind**—*before*
the wind.
**of the wilderness**—where
the wind has full sweep, not being broken by any obstacle.

**25. portion of thy measures**—the
portion which I have measured out to thee ([Job 20:29](../../../kjv/job/20/29);
[Psalms 11:6](../../../kjv/psalms/11/6)).
**falsehood**— ([Psalms 11:6](../../../kjv/psalms/11/6)), false gods and alliances with foreign idolaters.

**26. discover . . . upon thy
face**—rather, "throw up thy skirts over thy face," or
head; done by way of ignominy to captive women and to prostitutes (). The Jews' punishment should answer to their crime. As their
sin had been perpetrated in the most public places, so God would
expose them to the contempt of other nations most openly ().

**27. neighings**— (), image from the lust of horses; the lust after idols
degrades to the level of the brute.
**hills**—where, as being
nearer heaven, sacrifices were thought most acceptable to the gods.
**wilt thou not . . . ?
when**—literally, "*thou wilt not be* made clean *after
how long a time yet.*" (So ). Jeremiah *denies* the moral possibility of one so
long hardened in sin becoming *soon* cleansed. But see [Jeremiah 32:17](../../../kjv/jeremiah/32/17);
[Luke 18:27](../../../kjv/luke/18/27).

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