Chapter 13
Allegory of the girdle
Lecture 1
Jeremiah’s girdle
13:1 Thus says the Lord to me: go and acquire for yourself a linen girdle, and put it upon your loins, and you shall not put it in water.
13:2 And I acquired a girdle according to the word of the Lord , and I put it upon my loins.
13:3 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying:
13:4 take the girdle which you have acquired, which is around your loins, and rising, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in the cleft of the rock.
13:5 And I went and hid it in the Euphrates, as the Lord had commanded me.
13:6 And it happened after many days that the Lord said to me: arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the girdle, which I commanded you to hide there.
13:7 And I went to the Euphrates, and I dug and took the girdle from the place where I had hidden it; and behold, the girdle was corrupted, such that it was fit for no purpose.
86 . Here, he shows the dignity of the people from their connection to God.
And it is divided into two parts.
In the first, he gives an analogy;
in the second, the application of the analogy, at and the word of the Lord came to me (Jer 13:8).
Concerning the first point, there are three things.
First, the reception of the people into divine familiarity is signified when he speaks of the Lord’s command: go —more exactly, go to the place where such things are sold—because God himself had first come to the people. Not as though we had loved God, but because he first loved us (1 John 4:10).
Acquire , from me, so that you may possess it with proper right, as a proprietor his inheritance. Moreover, my inheritance is Israel (Isa 19:25). For yourself , for your own use, as the people for the glory of God. I have formed this people for myself; they will tell forth my praise (Isa 43:21). A girdle , which cleaves to the loins, in which resides the concupiscence of love; in like manner the people are received into the divine love. With the cords of Adam I will draw them, with the cords of love (Hos 11:4). Linen , which is taken from the earth unwrought and beautified by human labor; in like manner, the people are beautified by divine labor. But passing by you, I saw you trampled in your own blood (Ezek 16:6).
And you shall not put it in water . Gird your loins like a man; I will inquire of you, answer me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? (Job 38:3).
And because divine things are mystically expressed through the deeds of the prophet, and not only through his words—for this reason, it is said, I have been represented in the hands of the prophets (Hos 12:10)—he gives further the fulfillment of the command: I acquired , by which is noted the prophet’s obedience. Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations; he walked with God (Gen 6:9).
Second, the rejection of the people is signified: and the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying :
take —from yourself; in the same manner I will cast the people away from me: go to the Euphrates —by which is signified the power of the Assyrians and Chaldeans, through whom the people were led captive. The Lord will bring upon them the waters of the river, many and mighty, the king of the Assyrians, and all his glory. And it will rise above all its channels, and overflow all its banks, and will go as a flood through Judah, and passing by, it shall come to the neck (Isa 8:7–8). Hide —like the people, hidden by the waters, as it were: he swallowed me; like a dragon he filled his belly with my tender meats, and he has cast me out (Jer 51:34)— in the cleft , lest it flow away with the water, by which is signified that there would be a future remnant of the people, and that they would not entirely perish. But I will not make an end (Jer 4:27).
Third, the restoration of the people is signified:
when the restoration itself is first signified— and it happened after many days —to signify that they will be many years in captivity. When seventy years shall be fulfilled in Babylon, I shall visit you, and stir up my good word upon you, and lead you back to this place (Jer 29:10). Take from there —in just this manner I will bring the people back. I shall certainly take you from among the nations, and I will gather you from every land, and lead you to your land (Ezek 36:24).
Second is signified the character of the people: and behold, the girdle was corrupted —in the same way, the power and beauty of the people had been consumed. Shall it be useful for any work? Even when it was whole it was not fit for work, how much more when fire has consumed it, and burned it. Shall any work be done with it? (Ezek 15:5).
Lecture 2
The allegory’s application
13:8 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
13:9 thus says the Lord : thus shall I make the pride of Judah to rot, and the great pride of Jerusalem.
13:10 This wicked people, who refuse to hear my words, and walk in the depravity of their own hearts, and have gone after strange gods, that they might serve them and worship them: and they shall be like this girdle, which is fit for no purpose.
13:11 For as a girdle cleaves to the loins of a man, so have I closely fitted the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to myself, says the Lord, that they should be to me a people, in name, and praise and glory; but they did not hear.
13:12 You shall speak, therefore, this word to them: thus says the Lord God of Israel: every small jar shall be filled with wine. And they will say to you, ‘Do we not know that every small jar shall be filled with wine?’
13:13 And you shall say to them: thus says the Lord : behold, I shall fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings from the line of David, who sit upon his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.
13:14 And I will scatter them, a man from his brother, both fathers and sons alike, says the Lord . I shall not spare, and I will not yield, nor will I have mercy, that I should not scatter them.
13:15 Hear, and perceive with your ears; do not be lifted up, for the Lord has spoken.
13:16 Give glory to the Lord our God before it grows dark, and before you strike your feet against the dark mountains; you shall await the light, and he shall turn it into the shadow of death and into darkness.
13:17 But if you will not hear this, your soul shall weep in secret for your pride. Weeping, it shall surely weep, and my eye shall stream tears, for the flock of the Lord has been taken captive.
13:18 Say to the king and to the queen: humble yourselves; sit on the earth, for the crown of your glory has come down from your head.
13:19 The cities of the south are shut up, and there is none who may open them. All Judah is taken away captive, with an entire captivity.
13:20 Lift your eyes and see, you who come from the north: where is the flock that was given to you, your beautiful cattle?
13:21 What will you say when he visits you? For you have taught them against yourself, and instructed them against your own head. Will pain not take hold of you, as a woman in labor?
13:22 And if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things come to me?’ For the multitude of your iniquities has your nakedness been revealed, and the soles of your feet are defiled.
13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots, and will you be able to do well when you have learned evil?
13:24 And I will scatter them like chaff which is caught by the wind in the desert.
13:25 This is your lot, your portion and measure from me, says the Lord , because you have forgotten me, and have trusted in a lie.
13:26 Therefore, I have also bared your leg against your face, and your shame has become apparent.
13:27 Your adultery, and your neighing, the wickedness of your fornication; I saw your abominations upon the hills of the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! Will you not be made clean after me; how long yet?
87 . Here, he gives the application of the allegory, and concerning this, he makes two points.
First, he applies the allegory to the punishment: thus shall I make to rot , that all their vigor and beauty should pass away. The beasts shall rot in their own dung (Joel 1:17).
And with regard to the cause of the punishment: disobedience— this wicked people . The Lord said to Moses: speak to the sons of Israel: you are a stiff-necked people (Exod 33:5). And they shall be like this girdle . He shall be broken small, as a clay jar is broken with a mighty destruction (Isa 30:14).
And with regard to the grace of divine familiarity: for as a girdle cleaves to the loins of a man, so have I closely fitted the whole house of Israel . . . to myself . Behold, the heavens belong to the Lord your God, and the heaven of heavens, the earth, and all that is in it; yet he was closely joined to your fathers, and loved them, and has chosen their seed after them; that is you, from among all the nations, as has been proven this day (Deut 10:14–15).
Second, he attends particularly to the order of the punishment: you shall speak, therefore . And concerning this are two things.
First, he shows the imminent danger, and he gives an example: every small jar , that is, any one of the people, shall be filled with wine , of tribulation. You shall thresh the mountains and break them small, and take them up like dust (Isa 41:15). He shows their contempt for the example: and they will say . For who does not know the things which you know (Job 12:3).
And he gives an explanation thereof: and you shall say to them .
With regard to the blindness of their heart: drunkenness , as not knowing what they are doing. Waver to and fro, and stagger, be drunk, and not from wine (Isa 29:9).
And with regard to the captivity: and I will scatter them , lest they be consoled by one another. Consolation is hidden from my eyes, because he shall make a separation between brothers (Hos 13:14–15).
With regard to the severity of the sentence: I shall not spare, and I will not yield , to moving them, as it were, because they are stubborn; alternatively, to proving them incontestably guilty, because they are manifestly wicked. The jealousy, and fury of a husband will not spare in the day of vengeance, nor will he yield to the prayers of any man, nor accept very many gifts for satisfaction (Prov 6:34–35).
Second, he gives them useful counsel for escaping, namely, that they should humble themselves: hear .
First, he speaks to the whole people when he advises them to avoid the fault of pride: do not be lifted up , by pride. The Lord has spoken , this counsel or the punishments which I have predicted: do not raise your horn on high, or speak wickedness against God (Ps 74:5) and against the commandment of God, because these things are the beginnings of all sin.
Give glory to the Lord our God . Ascribe greatness to our God. The works of God are perfect, and all his ways judgment (Deut 32:3–4). Taking up once more the imminent danger of blindness of the heart, before it grows dark , that is, before tribulations overtake you, in which you will not know what to do. Walk while you have the light, that the darkness may not overtake you (John 12:35). Of the captivity: before you strike , while being led into captivity, against the dark mountains , of Babylon, so called because of their height, or from the lack of visibility, or from the multitude of vapors. Raise the standard upon the dark mountain, shout (Isa 13:2). And of the severity of the sentence: you shall await the light , that is, divine consolation, and you will not have it. We waited for peace, and there was no good; a time of healing, and behold, fear (Jer 8:15).
And when he marks out the punishment for their contempt of this counsel, he speaks of the prophet’s compassion: but if you will not hear this, your soul shall weep in secret so that the victors may not be offended. Withdraw from me, I will weep bitterly. Do not try to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people (Isa 22:4). Do not lament, or weep, but languish in your iniquities (Ezek 24:23). And the reason for his compassion: weeping, it shall surely weep, and my eye shall stream tears, for the flock of the Lord has been taken captive . Below: my people have been a lost flock; their shepherds led them astray, and have made them wander in the mountains (Jer 50:6).
Second, he gives the same counsel to the king, inviting him to humility: say to the king , Jekoniah, and to the queen , his mother—because he gave himself over to Nebuchadnezzar with his mother (2 Kgs 24:12–15)— sit on the earth , as a sign of humility. Come down, sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground (Isa 47:1). And he gives the reason from the loss of the kingdom: for the crown . . . has come down from your head . The crown has fallen from our head (Lam 5:16).
As a result of the siege of the cities: the cities of the south , because the lot of Judah was towards the south (Josh 15:1–12), who may open , breaking the siege, namely, the Egyptian siege. And, as a consequence of the captivity of the people, is taken away . Judah has gone away because of her affliction, and the greatness of her bondage; she has dwelt among the nations, but has found no rest (Lam 1:3).
Third, he gives the same counsel to the royal city:
first, he urges them to humility;
second, he wonders at their stubbornness, at woe to you, Jerusalem (Jer 13:27).
He urges them to humility for four reasons.
First, the power of the enemy, when he sets forth the power of the enemy: lift , by way of consideration; you who come from the north , against the strong. Behold, a people are coming from the land of the north, and a great nation shall arise from the ends of the earth (Jer 6:22). And he excludes confidence in their subjects: where is the flock , the multitude of people who were subject to you? It is as though he were saying, “The royal and priestly city will not be able to help you.” Behold, I, even I am against the shepherds. I will require my flock from their hand, and I will make them to cease, that they may no longer pasture my flock, nor will the shepherds pasture themselves; and I will free my flock from their mouth, and they will be prey for them no more (Ezek 34:10).
And when he gives the reason why it is being delivered into the hands of the enemy, he takes away their excuse: what will you say to excuse yourself? If he wished to contend with him, he would not be able to answer him (Job 9:3). And he gives the reason: for you have taught —while calling them to come to your aid, you made them know your works. Moreover you have taught malice to be your ways (Jer 2:33). Alternatively, he touches on Hezekiah’s showing of the treasury to the messengers of the king of Babylon (Isa 39:2).
Second, by the infliction of pain, he threatens pain: will pain not take hold of you? Above: for I heard the voice as of a woman giving birth, the pains as of a woman in labor (Jer 4:31).
He gives the reason as arising from the multitude of their sins: and if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things come to me?’ as a punishment. Your nakedness , the most shameful sins; the soles , the affections. Because of your great wickedness, and your endless iniquities (Job 22:5). Alternatively, he is here speaking of the fact that they were led into captivity on foot, and that while crossing rivers they had to uncover their shameful members, and bare feet; and, therefore, their soles were soiled with mud and dust. Uncover your shame, bare your shoulders, unveil your legs, cross the rivers, and your ignominy will be revealed, and your shame seen (Isa 47:2).
And from the stubbornness of their sins: can the Ethiopian change ; it is as though he were saying, “You are able to change with difficulty”; the Ethiopian , because of the natural staining of sin; the leopard , because of their deceitfulness, or the diversity of their sins; when you have learned , by use. It is a proverb: a young man according to his way, and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Prov 22:6).
Third, he urges them to humility by reason of the future captivity, when he threatens the dispersion of captivity: and I will scatter . My God, make them like a wheel, and like chaff before the face of the wind (Ps 82:13). Scatter them in your strength (Ps 58:11).
And he gives the reason: this is your lot —what is due to you because of your sins— in a lie . In measure for measure when she has been cast down, he will judge her (Isa 27:8).
Fourth, by reason of the revelation of their sins.
First, he speaks of the threat: I also have bared , the shame of your sins, against your face , that you might recognize yourself. And your shame has become apparent , even to others. I will bare your ignominy before them, and they will see all your shame (Ezek 16:37).
And then he gives the cause: I saw your abominations upon the hills of the field ; it is as though he were saying, “Because you have publicly sinned, you will be publicly punished.” On every high hill, and under every leafy tree you have lain as a harlot (Jer 2:20).
Finally, he wonders at their obstinacy: woe to you . How long yet after me , are you coming, or do you boast that you walk after me? Sons of men, how long will your hearts be heavy, why do you love vanity, and you seek after a lie? (Ps 4:2).
Collations
Note that mystically sometimes wine (Jer 13:12) is good, and sometimes bad. For there is the good wine of the wisdom of contemplation: drink the wine which I have mixed for you (Prov 9:5). Of divine love: I will give you a drink of spiced wine, and the juice of my pomegranates (Song 8:2). Of compunction: you have given us to drink of the wine of compunction (Ps 59:3). There is the bad wine of fraudulent deception: their wine is the bile of dragons, the incurable venom of asps (Deut 32:33). Of carnal delight: all nations have drunk from the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have fornicated with her (Rev 18:3). Of divine indignation: if anyone shall have worshiped the beast, and his image, and received his mark on his forehead, or on his hand, he shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed with pure wine in the cup of his wrath (Rev 14:10).
It is also to be noted that the Holy Spirit is called south (Jer 13:19) because of his heat: are your clothes not hot, when the south wind has blown through them (Job 37:17); because of his splendor: God will come from the south, and the holy one from mount Paran. He has covered the heavens with his glory (Hab 3:3); because of the height of his flight: does not the hawk grow feathers through your wisdom, stretching his wings to the south (Job 39:26); because of the multiplication of the rains: turn, O Lord, our captivity, as the torrent in the south (Ps 125:4); because of the fruiting of trees: come, south wind, blow upon my garden, and its fragrances will spread abroad (Song 4:16).