Jeremiah 13

Scholars debate what Jeremiah wore. The Hebrew word has been translated as loincloth, undershorts, shorts, girdle, and waistcloth. Perhaps it’s the fabric, linen, that’s most important. Linen was the fabric of priests and of rich people. It might have symbolized power, prestige, and pride. That would fit well with the rest of the story about the waistband, as we call it. For the people of power become slaves. On the other hand walking around in loincloth underwear would convey the idea of a slave, too.

The Hebrew word for the Euphrates River is pᵉrāt, the same word translated “Perath” or “Parah.” Many scholars say Parah was likely a village called Ain Farah, about four miles (6 km) north of Jeremiah’s hometown of Anathoth. The Euphrates River was about 350 miles (560 km) north of Anathoth.

Some scholars say Jeremiah may have been using a familiar proverb to make his point.

This is a guess. It’s unclear what the drunkenness represents. Some scholars say God is going to fill the people with the wine of his wrath and break up the nation. But the effect of drunkenness is confusion and a stupor. That’s also the effect of an overwhelming force of invaders.

The idea seems more graphic—as in stark naked. It’s a bit like, “I’ll lift your dress and drop your drawers.” Jeremiah may have intended it as a metaphor but it worked literally as well.

The metaphor is about spiritual unfaithfulness, at least. But it might be more than that. Some religions apparently involved sex with temple priests and prostitutes. “You have sex on the hilltops. Then you finish with a sacrifice” (Isaiah 57:7). That’s likely a euphemistic way of talking about fertility rituals that try to invoke Canaanite gods to provide fertility in family, fields, and flocks. Throughout the early centuries, Jews were constantly tempted to think of the LORD as the god of war with local Canaanite gods in charge of other aspects of life, such as farming and baby-making.