By the type of a linen girdle, hidden at the Euphrates, God prefigures the destruction of his people, 1-11. Under the parable of the bottles filled with wine he foretells their drunkenness in misery, 12-14. He exhorts to prevent their future judgments, 15-21. He shows their abominations are the cause thereof, 23-27.
1 Thus says the LORD to me: "Go and get for yourself a linen girdle and put it upon your loins, and do not put it in water." 2 So I procured a girdle according to the word of the LORD and put it on my loins. 3 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, 4 "Take the girdle that you have procured, which is upon your loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a hole of the rock." 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates as the LORD commanded me. 6 And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates and take the girdle from there which I commanded you to hide there." 7 Then I went to the Euphrates, dug, 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 to me, saying, 9 "Thus says the LORD: 'After this manner I will mar the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the imagination of their heart and walk after other gods to serve them and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. 11 For as the girdle cleaves to the loins of a man, so I have caused to cleave to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah,' says the LORD, 'so that they might be to me for a people, for a name, for a praise, and for a glory. But they would not hear.'
12 "Therefore, you shall speak to them this word: 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Every bottle shall be filled with wine."' And they shall say to you, 'Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?' 13 Then you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings who sit upon David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with drunkenness. 14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together," says the LORD. "I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them."'"
15 Hear, and give ear. Do not be proud./
For the LORD has spoken.
16 Give glory to the LORD your God/
before he causes darkness/
and before your feet stumble/
upon the dark mountains./
And while you look for light,/
he shall turn it into the shadow of death/
and make it gross darkness.
17 But if you will not hear it,/
my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride,/
and my eye shall weep bitterly and run down with tears,/
because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive.
18 Say to the king and to the queen,/
"Humble yourselves, sit down,/
for your principalities shall come down,/
even the crown of your glory."
19 The cities of the south shall be shut up,/
and no one shall open them./
Judah shall be carried away captive all of it./
It shall be wholly carried away captive.
20 "Lift up your eyes, and behold/
those who come from the north./
Where is the flock that was given to you,/
your beautiful flock?
21 What will you say when he punishes you?/
For you have taught them to be captains and as chief over you./
Shall sorrows not take you,/
as a woman in travail?
22 And if you say in your heart,/
'Why do these things come upon me?'/
it is for the greatness of your iniquity/
that your skirts are uncovered/
and your heels made bare.
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin,/
or the leopard his spots?/
Then you also may do good,/
who are accustomed to do evil.
24 Therefore, I will scatter them as the stubble that passes away/
by the wind of the wilderness.
25 This is your lot, the portion of your measures from me,"/
says the LORD,/
"because you have forgotten me/
and trusted in falsehood.
26 Therefore, I will uncover your skirts upon your face/
so that your shame may appear.
27 Your adulteries and your neighings,/
the enormity of your lewdness/
on the hills in the fields—/
I have seen your abominations./
Woe to you O Jerusalem!/
Will you not be made clean?/
When shall it yet be?"
Matthew Henry Commentary - Jeremiah, Chapter 13[➚]