Yirmeyah 13:22

22 And if thou say in thine lev, Why come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine avon (iniquity) are thy skirts uncovered, and thy heels violated.

Yirmeyah 13:22 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 13:22

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 siege of the enemy, famine, sword, captivity: the answer returned is, for the greatness of thine iniquity;
the enormous crimes the Jews were guilty of, such as idolatry, blasphemy which were attended with aggravated circumstances: or, "for the multitude of thine iniquity" {h}; their sins being so many, as well as great: are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare;
being obliged to walk naked and barefoot, their buttocks uncovered, and their legs and feet naked, without stockings or shoes, as captives used to be led, to their great shame and disgrace; see ( Isaiah 20:2-4 ) . The phrases are expressive of captivity, and the manner of it; the cause of which was the greatness and multitude of their sins. The Targum is,

``because thy sins are multiplied, thy confusion is revealed, thy shame is seen.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 (Knwe brb) "propter multitudinem iniquitatis tuae", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Schmidt.

Yirmeyah 13:22 In-Context

20 Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the tzafon (north). Where is the eder (flock) that was given thee, thy tzon tiferet?

21 What wilt thou say when He appoints over thy leaders those whom thou thyself has taught, to be thy rosh? Shall not chavalim (pangs) seize thee, as a woman in travail?

22 And if thou say in thine lev, Why come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine avon (iniquity) are thy skirts uncovered, and thy heels violated.

23 Can the Kushi (Ethiopian) change his ohr (skin), or the namer (leopard) his spots? Then may ye also do tov, that are accustomed to do rah.

24 Therefore will I scatter them as the chaff driven by the ruach of the midbar.