And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare.

JEREMIAH 13:22KJV
Know the Bible

Jeremiah 13:22 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 13:22 mean?

Jeremiah 13:22 describes God’s warning to Jerusalem that the people’s suffering and shame are the result of their own wrongdoing. The verse pictures their punishment as public exposure, saying their “skirts discovered” and “heels made bare” happen because of the greatness of their iniquity.

The prophet Jeremiah is speaking God’s message to the people of Judah, who are facing disaster because they have turned away from God. When they wonder why these troubles have come upon them, Jeremiah answers that their sins are the cause, using the image of public humiliation to show how serious their situation is.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 13:22

  • “Iniquity” (עָוֹן, ʿavon): This word means guilt or moral wrongdoing, not just a mistake. The verse stresses that the people’s own choices have brought about their shame.
  • “Skirts” (שׁוּלָיִם, shulayim) and “discovered” (גָּלָה, galah): These words together describe being exposed or uncovered, a symbol of deep disgrace in ancient times. The image is meant to be shocking, highlighting how complete their shame is.
  • “Heels” (עָקֵב, akev) and “bare” (חָפַשׂ, chafas): The phrase about bare heels suggests being forced to walk barefoot, another sign of humiliation and defeat, often associated with captives or slaves.

Why Jeremiah 13:22 matters

  • Jeremiah 13:22 makes it clear that the suffering of the people is not random or unfair, but directly connected to their own actions and choices.
  • The verse uses strong, visual language to communicate the seriousness of turning away from God, making the consequences vivid and memorable.
  • This verse fits into Jeremiah’s larger message, where he repeatedly calls the people to recognize the real reasons behind their troubles and to take responsibility for their actions.

Where else these words appear

“bare” Hebrew H2554 · used in 8 verses

  • Job 15:33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
  • Proverbs 8:36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
  • Lamentations 2:6 And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden: he hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the LORD hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest.

“skirts” Hebrew H7757 · used in 10 verses

  • Exodus 28:33 And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:
  • Exodus 39:25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
  • Jeremiah 13:26 Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear.

“heels” Hebrew H6119 · used in 13 verses

  • Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
  • Joshua 8:13 And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
  • Psalms 56:6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.

“come” Hebrew H7122 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 42:4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.
  • Leviticus 10:19 And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?
  • 2 Samuel 20:1 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.