Jeremiah 13:1-11

Jeremiah 13:1-11

[1] Thus saith  the LORD  unto me, Go  and get  thee a linen  girdle,  and put  it upon thy loins,  and put  it not in water.  [2] So I got  a girdle  according to the word  of the LORD,  and put  it on my loins.  [3] And the word  of the LORD  came unto me the second time,  saying,  [4] Take  the girdle  that thou hast got,  which is upon thy loins,  and arise,  to Euphrates,  and hide  it there in a hole  of the rock.  [5] and hid  it by Euphrates,  as the LORD  commanded  [6] And it came to pass after  many  days,  that the LORD  said  unto me, Arise,  to Euphrates,  and take  the girdle  from thence, which I commanded  thee to hide  [7] to Euphrates,  and digged,  and took  the girdle  from the place  where I had hid  it: and, behold, the girdle  was marred,  it was profitable  for nothing. [8] Then the word  of the LORD  came unto me, saying,  [9] Thus saith  the LORD,  After this manner will I mar  the pride  of Judah,  and the great  pride  of Jerusalem.  [10] This evil  people,  which refuse  to hear  my words,  which walk  in the imagination  of their heart,  after  other  gods,  to serve  them, and to worship  them, shall even be as this girdle,  which is good  [11] For as the girdle  cleaveth  to the loins  of a man,  so have I caused to cleave  unto me the whole house  of Israel  and the whole house  of Judah,  saith  the LORD;  that they might be unto me for a people,  and for a name,  and for a praise,  and for a glory:  but they would not hear. 

What does Jeremiah 13:1-11 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

This is the first of several symbolic acts that Jeremiah performed to communicate divine messages (cf. Jeremiah 16:1-4; Jeremiah 18:1-12; Jeremiah 19:1-2; Jeremiah 19:10-11; Jeremiah 27:1 to Jeremiah 28:17; Jeremiah 32:1-15; Jeremiah 43:8-13; Jeremiah 51:59-64). Other prophets did the same thing (cf. Isaiah 20:2-6; Ezekiel 4:1-13; Ezekiel 5:1-4). This acted sermon confronted the Judahites with the polluting effect of their associations and the consequences.