Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.

JEREMIAH 13:4KJV
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Jeremiah 13:4 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 13:4 mean?

Jeremiah 13:4 tells Jeremiah to take the linen belt he has been wearing and travel to the Euphrates River to hide it in a crevice in the rock. This action is a symbolic act, setting up a lesson God will teach through what happens to the belt.

God is speaking directly to Jeremiah, giving him a strange but specific instruction as part of a larger message for the people of Judah. The verse is part of a prophetic sign-act, where Jeremiah’s actions are meant to illustrate a spiritual truth about Israel’s relationship with God and what will happen because of their unfaithfulness.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 13:4

  • "Girdle" (אֵזוֹר, 'ezor): This word refers to a sash or belt, often made of linen, worn around the waist. In ancient Israel, such a garment was both practical and symbolic, sometimes representing readiness or closeness.
  • "Euphrates" (פְּרָת, P'rat): The Euphrates River is far from Jerusalem, so being told to go there emphasizes the seriousness and distance involved in the message. Some scholars note that this distance would make the act memorable and costly for Jeremiah.
  • "Hide" (טָמַן, taman): This verb means to conceal or bury something. Jeremiah is not just putting the belt aside but deliberately hiding it away, which hints at the coming loss or separation being illustrated.

Why Jeremiah 13:4 matters

  • The verse sets up a dramatic object lesson that will unfold in the following verses, helping the people understand God’s message through a physical example.
  • The instruction to go all the way to the Euphrates highlights the extent of Judah’s coming exile and separation from their land, making the symbolism more powerful.
  • Understanding the specific items and actions (like the linen belt and the act of hiding it) helps clarify the seriousness of God’s warning and the lengths to which Jeremiah must go to communicate it.

Where else these words appear

“hole” Hebrew H5357 · used in 3 verses

  • Isaiah 7:19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.
  • Jeremiah 16:16 Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

“girdle” Hebrew H232 · used in 12 verses

  • 2 Kings 1:8 And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
  • Isaiah 11:5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
  • Jeremiah 13:7 Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

“Euphrates” Hebrew H6578 · used in 19 verses

  • Genesis 2:14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
  • 2 Kings 23:29 In his days Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.
  • Jeremiah 13:6 And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there.

“hide” Hebrew H2934 · used in 29 verses

  • Genesis 35:4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
  • Job 20:26 All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.
  • Psalms 142:3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.