Jeremias 13:22

22 And if thou shouldest say in thine heart, Wherefore have these things happened to me? Because of the abundance of thine iniquity have thy skirts been discovered, that thine heels might be exposed.

Jeremias 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.

Jeremias 13:22 In-Context

20 Lift up thine eyes, O Jerusalem, and behold them that come from the north; where is the flock that was given thee, the sheep of thy glory?

21 What wilt thou say when they shall visit thee, for thou didst teach them lessons for rule against thyself; shall not pangs seize thee as a woman in travail?

22 And if thou shouldest say in thine heart, Wherefore have these things happened to me? Because of the abundance of thine iniquity have thy skirts been discovered, that thine heels might be exposed.

23 If the Ethiopian shall change his skin, or the leopardess her spots, then shall ye be able to do good, having learnt evil.

24 So I scattered them as sticks carried by the wind into the wilderness.