1Jahve ke mně promluvil takto: „Jdi si koupit lněný pás a vlož si ho na bedra. Ale nenamáčej ho do vody.“ 2Podle Jahvova příkazu jsem si koupil pás a vložil si ho na bedra. 3Jahvovo slovo se mi ozvalo podruhé: 4„Vezmi pás, který sis koupil a který nosíš na bedrech. Vstaň, jdi k Eufratu a uschovej ho do štěrbiny ve skále.“ 5Šel jsem ho tedy uschovat k Eufratu, jak mi Jahve přikázal. 6Uběhlo mnoho dní a potom mi Jahve řekl: „Vstaň, jdi k Eufratu a vezmi si tam ten pás, který jsem ti tam přikázal schovat.“ 7Šel jsem k Eufratu, hledal jsem a vytáhl jsem ten pás z místa, kam jsem jej předtím schoval. A hle, byl poničený, k ničemu se nehodil. 8Tu se mi takto ozvalo Jahvovo slovo: 9„Takto mluví Jahve. Právě takhle zničím Judovu pýchu, nezměrnou pýchu Jeruzaléma. 10S tímto zlým lidem, s těmito muži, kteří odmítají poslouchat má slova, kteří chodí za svým zatvrzelým srdcem a běhají za jinými bohy, slouží jim a klaní se před nimi, s tímto lidem to bude jako s tím pásem, nebudou se hodit k ničemu. 11Vždyť jako se pás uvazuje na mužova bedra, tak jsem si uvázal celý Izraelův dům, celý Judův dům - Jahvův výrok -, aby byly mým lidem, mým věhlasem, mou ctí a mým leskem. Ale ony neposlechly.“ 12Řekneš jim také toto slovo: Takto mluví Jahve, Bůh Izraele. „Každý džbán se dá naplnit vínem!“ A jestliže ti odpovědí: „Cožpak nevíme, že se každý džbán dá naplnit vínem?“ 13Řekneš jim: „Takto mluví Jahve. Hle, naplním opilostí všechny obyvatele této země, krále, kteří sedí na Davidově trůně, kněze a proroky a všechny obyvatele Jeruzaléma. 14Potom je rozbiji jednoho o druhého, otce i syny hlava nehlava - Jahvův výrok. Bez slitování, bez milosti, bez soucitu je zničím.“ 15Poslouchejte, nastavte ucho, nebuďte už pyšní: mluví Jahve! 16Vzdejte chválu Jahvovi, svému Bohu, než přijdou temnoty, než vaše nohy narazí na potemnělé hory. Počítáte se světlem, ale on je obrátí ve tmu, promění je v hustý stín. 17Neuposlechnete-li tohoto varování, budu potají plakat nad vaší pýchou; mé oči budou prolévat slzy, potečou z nich slzy, neboť Jahvovo stádo odchází do zajetí. 18Řekni králi a královně matce: Posaďte se pěkně dolů, neboť vám spadla z hlavy vaše nádherná koruna! 19Města Negebu jsou uzavřena: nikdo je neotevírá! Celý Juda je odvlečen, úplně celý odvlečen. 20Pozvedni oči a pohleď na ty, kdo přicházejí od severu. Kde je stádo, jež ti bylo svěřeno, ovce, jež bývaly tvým leskem? 21Co řekneš, až tě přijdou potrestat, tebe, kterýs je vychoval? V čele těch, kdo na tebe přijdou, budou důvěrní přátelé; což tě potom nezachvátí bolesti jako ženu pracující k porodu? 22A řekneš-li si v srdci: Proč mě potkávají taková neštěstí? Pro nesmírnost tvého provinění ti vyhrnuli šaty a znásilnili tě. 23Může si Etiopan změnit kůži, pardál srst? A můžete jednat dobře vy, kteří jste navyklí zlu? 24Jako slámu, jež nic neváží, vás tedy rozpráším větrem z pouště. 25To je tvůj úděl, podíl, jenž ti byl vyměřen. Pochází to ode mne - Jahvův výrok -, protože právě na mne jsi zapomněl, ve svém spoléhání na Lež. 26Já sám ti vykasám šaty až k obličeji, aby byla vidět tvá hanba. 27Ach! Tvá cizoložství a tvé výkřiky rozkoše, tvé hanebné smilstvo! Na pahorcích i v polích jsem viděl tvé ohyzdy. Běda tobě, Jeruzaléme, zůstáváš nečistý! Jak dlouho ještě?
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 SYMBOLICAL PROPHECY (
Jer 13:1-
Jer 13:7). (Jer. 13:1-27)
put it upon thy loins, &c.--expressing the close intimacy wherewith Jehovah had joined Israel and Judah to Him (
Jer 13:11).
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 (
Jer 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 (
Ezek 16:4-
Ezek 16:6). "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
Isa 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 (
Lev 26:19).
10 imagination--rather, "obstinacy."
11 (
Jer 33:9;
Exod 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 (
Jer 25:15;
Jer 49:12;
Isa 51:17,
Isa 51:21-
Isa 51:22;
Isa 63:6).
13 upon David's throne--literally, who sit for David on his throne; implying the succession of the Davidic family (
Jer 22:4).
all--indiscriminately of every rank.
14 dash-- (
Ps 2:9). As a potter's vessel (
Rev 2:27).
15 be not proud--Pride was the cause of their contumacy, as humility is the first step to obedience (
Jer 13:17;
Ps 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 (
Isa 5:30;
Isa 59:9-
Isa 59:10;
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;
John 12:35).
shadow of death--the densest gloom; death shade (
Ps 44:19). 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 (
Phil 3:18).
pride--(see on
Jer 13:15;
Job 33:17).
flock-- (
Jer 13:20), 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 (
2Kgs 24:8-15).
Humble yourselves--that is, Ye shall be humbled, or brought low (
Jer 22:26;
Jer 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 (
Isa 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 (
2Kgs 24:10-11), that none shall be allowed by the enemy to get out (compare
Jer 13:20).
wholly--literally, "fully"; completely.
20 from . . . north--Nebuchadnezzar and his hostile army (
Jer 1:14;
Jer 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 (
Jer 13:17, "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,
Jer 13:20) 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
Jer 2:18,
Jer 2:36;
2Kgs 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" (
Jer 13:21)?
skirts discovered--that is, are thrown up so as to expose the person (
Jer 13:26;
Isa 3:17;
Nah 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 (
Jer 13:24).
24 (
Ps 1:4).
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;
Ps 11:6).
falsehood-- (
Jer 13:27), 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 (
Nah 3:5). 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 (
Lam 1:8).
27 neighings-- (
Jer 5:8), 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
Jer 13:23). Jeremiah denies the moral possibility of one so long hardened in sin becoming soon cleansed. But see
Jer 32:17;
Luke 18:27.
