In this chapter, under the similes of a girdle and bottles of wine, the destruction of the Jews is set forth. Some exhortations are given them to repent and humble themselves, even men of all ranks and degrees among them; and their sins, the source of their calamities, are pointed out to them.

Thus saith the Lord unto me In a vision, and by the spirit of prophecy: when this was said is not certain, very likely in the reign of Jehoiakim; the prophet gives an account of what had been done, the present tense is put for the past.

So I got a girdle Or, bought [[12]] a linen one, as directed: according to the word of the Lord; his express order and command; the prophet was not disobedient to the heavenly vision: and I put it on my loins; without washing it before or after, and wore it publicly for some time.

And the word of the Lord The Targum is, “the word of prophecy from before the Lord:” came unto me the second time, saying; what distance of time there was between this order and the former is not known.

Take the girdle which thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, &c.] Either he is bid to take it off his loins, on which it was; or to go with it on them; seeing the taking it off does not seem absolutely necessary; and go with it to the place directed to in the following words: and arise, go to…

So I went and hid it by Euphrates Or, “in” [[13]] it; in a hole of the rock, upon the banks of it: as the Lord commanded me: all this seems to be done not really, but visionally; it can hardly be thought that Jeremy should be sent on two such long journeys, on such an account, which would take up a…

And it came to pass after many days When the girdle had lain long in the hole, by the side of Euphrates; this denotes the length of the Babylonish captivity, which was seventy years: that the Lord said unto me, arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide…

Then I went to Euphrates In a vision; this is the second journey, of which (See Gill on Jer. 13:5), and digged; the hole, in process of time, being stopped up with soil or sand, that were thrown up over it; this digging was in a visionary way; see : and took the girdle from the place where I had…

Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying. ] Or the word of prophecy from before the Lord, as the Targum; and now follows the application of this sign to the thing signified, and the whole intention of it is opened.

Thus saith the Lord, after this manner As this girdle has been hid in Euphrates, and has been marred and rendered useless; so in like manner, and by such like means, will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem; or their glory, or excellency [[18]]; that which they gloried in,…

This evil people, which refuse to hear my words Sent by the prophets, to whom they turned a deaf ear; and though they pressed them, and importunately desired them to give them a hearing, they refused it; and this showed them to be a bad people, very degenerate and wicked; and which further appears…

For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man Being girt tight unto him: so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel, and the whole house of Judah; whom he chose above all people, and caused to approach unto him, and dwell in his courts; whom he favoured with his presence, and…

Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word The following parable: thus saith the Lord God of Israel; what was to be said is prefaced with these words, to show that it was not a trifling matter, but of moment and importance, and not to be slighted and despised as it was: every bottle shall be…

Then shall thou say unto them Explaining the above words: thus saith the Lord, behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land; this is the application of the parable, and shows that by every bottle is meant every inhabitant of Judea: even the kings that sit upon David’s throne; or, “that sit…

And I will dash them one against another As drunken men fall foul on one another, and quarrel and fight; or in allusion to bottles and earthen vessels they are before compared to; and may denote the internal broils and contentions among themselves, that instead of assisting each other in their…

Hear ye, and give ear Both to what goes before, and what follows after. The words doubled denote the closest and strictest attention: be not proud; haughty, scornful, as above all instruction, and needing no advice and counsel, self-conceited, despising the word of God, and his messages by his…

Give glory to the Lord your God By confessing sin unto him; by humiliation for it before him; by believing what he says, hearkening to his word, and obeying his commands, and living to his honour and glory; see , especially by believing in Christ, the true God, and true Messiah, embracing his…

But if ye will not hear it The advice and exhortation now given, to repent of sin, be humble before God, and glorify him: my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; he would no more act in a public character; but, laying aside his office as a prophet and public instructor, would retire to…

Say unto the king, and to the queen Jehoiachin, and his mother Nehushta, as it is generally interpreted by the Jewish commentators, and others; who, with many princes and officers, were carried captive into Babylon, or rather Zedekiah and his wife; since the captivity after threatened is a perfect…

The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them Meaning the cities of Judah, which lay in the southern part of the land of Israel, and to the south of Babylon; which might be said to be shut up, and not in the power of any to open, when besieged by the Chaldean army; or rather…

Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north, &c.] There are a Keri and a Cetib of the words “lift up” and “behold”; they are written in the singular number, and may be considered as directed to the king, as the words following are; and they are read in the plural number, the state…

What will thou say when he shall punish thee? &c.] Or, “visit upon thee” [[5]]; that is, either when God shall punish thee for thy sins, thou canst bring no charge of injustice against him, or murmur and repine at the punishment inflicted on thee; so Jarchi; to which agrees the Targum, “when he…

And if thou say in thine heart Not daring to express it with the mouth; and which, notwithstanding, God, that knows the heart, was privy to, and could discern all the secret workings of it; putting such a question as this: wherefore come these things upon me? all these calamities, the invasion and…

Can the Ethiopian change his skin? &c.] Or, “the Cushite”; either, as the Arabic version, the “Abyssine”, the inhabitant of the eastern Ethiopia; properly an Ethiopian, as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it; or, the “Chusean Arabian”; the inhabitant of Arabia Chusea, which was…

Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away Because of their many sins, and continuance in them, their habits and custom of sinning, they are threatened with being carried captive into other nations, where they should be dispersed and separated one from another, which would make…

This is thy lot Meaning not the king’s, or the queen’s only, but the lot of the whole Jewish state: the portion of thy measures from me, saith the Lord; which were divided and distributed, and measured out to them by the Lord, who appointed these calamities to befall them, and brought them upon…

Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face Turn them up, or throw them over the head or face; that is, expose to public shame and disgrace; which was done when their city and temple were burnt, and they were carried captive; hence it follows: that thy shame may appear; that their sins might…

I have seen thine adulteries Not literally such, though they were greatly guilty of that sin; but figuratively, their idolatries: thy neighings; expressive of their strong desires after other gods, like that of adulterers and adulteresses after one another; and both which are like the neighing of…