Jeremiah 13:25 · Bible study
Jeremiah 13:25 Commentary: Your Lot, Measured from Me
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does it mean that God measures out a 'lot' for His people? This study explores judgment for forgetting God and trusting falsehood.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God declares that the judgment of exile is a measured portion assigned to His people because they have forgotten Him and trusted in falsehood.
- Key words: Goral (lot), menat (portion), middim (measures), sheqer (falsehood), each reinforces the certainty and precision of divine retribution.
- Main debate: Whether middim refers to a garment (the lap used to carry) or to measurements (a measured portion). Keil argues for the latter; Hitzig prefers the former.
- Theological theme: Covenantal reciprocity, forgetting God leads to being forgotten by God; trusting falsehood leads to receiving the fruit of that deception.
- Best use: As a sobering call to examine where we place ultimate trust; also as a backdrop for understanding Christ as the One who took the measured portion of judgment on our behalf.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
This is your lot, the portion I have measured to you,” declares the LORD, “because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood.
WEB World English Bible 2000
This is your lot, the portion measured to you from me,” says Yahweh, “because you have forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.”
KJV King James Version 1769
This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the Lord; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
This is thy lot, the portion measured unto thee from me, saith Jehovah; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from Me--an affirmation of Jehovah, Because thou hast forgotten me, And dost trust in falsehood.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
This shall be thy lot, thy measured portion from me, saith Jehovah; because thou hast forgotten me, and confided in falsehood.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
This is thy lot, and the portion of thy measure from me, saith the Lord, because thou hast forgotten me, and hast trusted in falsehood.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Esta es tu suerte, la porción de tus medidas de parte mía, dice Jehová; porque te olvidaste de mí, y confiaste en la mentira.
Isto é o que terás, a porção de tuas medidas que te reservo, diz o SENHOR; pois tu te esqueceste de mim, e confiaste na mentira.
Voilà ton sort, la part que je te mesure,
Das soll dein Lohn sein und dein Teil, den ich dir zugemessen habe, spricht der HERR. Darum daß du mein vergessen hast und verlässest dich auf Lügen,
Dit zal uw lot, het deel uwer maten zijn van Mij, spreekt de HEERE; gij, die Mij hebt vergeten, en op leugen vertrouwt.
E’ questa la tua sorte, la parte ch’io ti misuro, dice l’Eterno, perché tu m’hai dimenticato, e hai riposto la tua fiducia nella menzogna.
Tenci będzie los twój, i dział odmierzony tobie odemnie, mówi Pan, przeto, żeś mię zapomniała, a ufałaś w kłamstwie.
Вот жребий твой, отмеренная тебе от Меня часть, говорит Господь, потому что ты забыла Меня и надеялась на ложь.
耶和華 說：這是 你所當得的，是我 量 給你的分；因為 你忘記 我，倚靠 虛假（或譯：偶像）。
This is your fate, the part measured out to you by me, says the Lord, because you have put me out of your memory and put your faith in what is false.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 13:25
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across the supplied sources agree on the core meaning: God declares that the coming judgment on Judah is a measured portion, a lot assigned by Him. Calvin emphasizes that the people had boasted of God as their heritage; now God strips away that vain confidence. Barnes notes the Hebrew can mean either a measured portion or the portion of a garment (a lap used to carry items), but in either case the image is of something apportioned by God. Gill sees a righteous reciprocity: because they forgot God, He forgot them; because they trusted in falsehood, they received a false security that ends in exile. Keil and Delitzsch specify that falsehood includes both delusive promises from false prophets and reliance on "beingless gods." Clarke says the falsehood is idols and lying prophets. All agree this verse connects forgetting Yahweh directly with the judgment measured out.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God judges His people for forgetting Him and trusting in falsehood, and the judgment is portrayed as a measured portion assigned by Him.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of "lot" in judgment | All sources agree the lot refers to the punishment of exile and disgrace that God assigns to His people. | Some emphasize the continuity with the original lot of the promised land (Calvin), while others simply see it as the appointed disaster (Gill, Barnes). |
| Interpretation of "measures" (middim) | Commentators agree the term indicates something apportioned by God with precision. | Barnes notes the possibility of "portion of the lap" (a garment used to hold items). Keil defends "measured portion" as more likely, citing the root meaning of measure. The lexical ambiguity does not affect the main thrust. |
| Nature of "falsehood" (sheqer) | All agree falsehood includes idols, lying prophets, and deceptive alliances, anything that substitutes for trust in God. | Clarke specifically names idols and lying prophets; Keil includes both "delusive promises" and "beingless gods." There is no disagreement on the breadth of the term. |
| The cause of judgment: forgetting God | Forgetting is understood as willful neglect of God's law, worship, and past acts of deliverance. | No significant debate; the gravamen is the same across sources. Some note that forgetting is active, not passive (Gill, Calvin). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 13:25 belongs to a series of oracles delivered in the late seventh and early sixth centuries BC, as Babylonian power rose under Nebuchadnezzar. The Cambridge Bible suggests the date may be soon after the battle of Carchemish (605 BC), which left Judah exposed. The nation had a long history of covenants with God, but the people repeatedly turned to foreign alliances and the gods of surrounding nations. In the verses just before this one, Jeremiah asks whether an Ethiopian can change his skin or a leopard his spots; he means Israel's ingrained evil is as fixed as nature itself (v.23). The judgment of scattering like stubble (v.24) matches the exile that followed.
In Hebrew, the key terms carry heavy theological weight. Goral (lot) originally referred to the pebbles cast to determine a person's portion, whether of land or of punishment. Middim (measures) is debated: some see it as a garment's folds (Barnes notes a parallel in Ruth 3:15), others as measurements (Keil defends the usual rendering "measured portion"). Either way, God is the one who assigns the outcome. The phrase "trusted in falsehood" uses sheqer, a word for deception, fraud, or vain testimony. This included trusting in idols (Deuteronomy 32:18, 37, 38) and in the false prophets who promised peace when war was coming (Jeremiah 6:14). Jeremiah's contemporaries believed God's land was their permanent guarantee. The prophet insists that the covenant has conditions, and those conditions have been broken.
Textual Notes
The supplied translations (WEB, KJV, ASV, BSB, YLT, Darby, Douay) show no significant textual variants. The Hebrew manuscript tradition is stable for Jeremiah 13:25, with no major differences in the consonantal text among the versions consulted.
Reception History
This verse has been read across Christian and Jewish traditions as a stern warning against covenant unfaithfulness. Early Protestant commentators such as Calvin and Gill used it to illustrate the principle of divine retribution measured precisely to the offense. The language of a "measured portion" echoes earlier Old Testament passages (Job 20:29; Psalm 11:6) and has been used in homiletical contexts to contrast God's judgment with His grace. In the history of interpretation, the verse serves as a caution against presuming upon God's promises while living in disobedience. Its pairing of forgetting God and trusting falsehood has been applied broadly to cover both formal idolatry and more subtle forms of misplaced confidence.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God appoints a measured portion of judgment. The lot is not chance; Yahweh expressly says it comes "from me." The image of measuring suggests precise, proportionate justice.
- The root cause is forgetting God. Not a memory lapse but a willful neglect of the relationship, of His law, His worship, His past deliverance (see Psalm 106:21; Deuteronomy 32:18).
- The alternative trust is in falsehood. Idols, lying prophets, foreign alliances, anything that takes the place of trust in Yahweh. That trust always fails.
Five-point outline
- Judgment as a divine appointment: God defines the lot, not human circumstances.
- The portrayal of judgment as a measured quantity: no excess, no shortfall, exactly what sin deserves in divine scale.
- The twofold accusation: forgetting God (neglect) and trusting falsehood (active misplacement of faith).
- The contrast with God's original lot for Israel: the land of promise, a heritage of blessing; now forfeited.
- The purpose of the measured lot: to strip away false security and bring the people to recognition of their betrayal.
Illustration hooks
- A trusted investment that turns worthless; the money is gone and you realize you put confidence in a lie. That feeling of being measured against the truth, the passage uses that.
- The way a parent assigns a consequence for a child who has broken trust: the consequence is measured, specific, directly linked to the offense. God's measured lot works that way here.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does the Bible use the language of "lot" and "measure" for judgment? Does that mean everything is predetermined?
- What does it mean practically to "forget God"? Isn't forgetting just a mental lapse?
- How can we identify the "falsehood" we might be trusting in today?
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts us with the seriousness of misplaced trust. God's people had all the right vocabulary, they spoke of God as their heritage, but their hearts trusted elsewhere. The discussion questions aim to help your group examine where they place their own confidence.
Discussion questions
- Read Jeremiah 13:25 along with verse 24. What image does God use for the scattering of the people? How does that prepare for the idea of a "lot" or measured portion?
- The word for "lot" (goral) appears elsewhere for the division of the promised land. How does using the same word for judgment change the meaning?
- Calvin says the Jews boasted of God as their heritage even while rebelling. In what ways do Christians today claim God's promises while living as if they don't trust Him?
- What does trusting in "falsehood" look like in everyday life? Start with idols, move to deceptive self-reliance, and consider false security from worldly systems.
- Why does God emphasize that the lot is "from me"? What does that say about his role in both blessing and judgment?
- How does the cross of Christ relate to this picture of measured judgment? Does the New Testament offer a different kind of lot?
- What is one step you could take this week to ensure you are not "forgetting God" in a practical area of your life?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 32:16 | They moved him to jealousy with strange gods. They provoked him to anger with abominations. |
| Deuteronomy 32:18 | Of the Rock who became your father, you are unmindful, and have forgotten God who gave you birth. |
| Deuteronomy 32:37 | He will say, “Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, |
| Deuteronomy 32:38 | which ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you! Let them be your protection. |
| Job 20:29 | This is the portion of a wicked man from God, the heritage appointed to him by God.” |
| Psalms 9:17 | The wicked shall be turned back to Sheol, even all the nations that forget God. |
| Psalms 11:6 | On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. |
| Psalms 106:21 | They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Trusted in falsehood - In idols, and in lying prophets.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes explains that the phrase "portion of thy measures" likely refers to a measured allotment or to a lap full, drawing on similar usage in Job and Ruth. He identifies "falsehood" in the passage as a direct reference to idols, not mere dishonesty.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin draws a sharp contrast between what the Jews claimed and what God actually assigned them. They boasted that God was their heritage and they were God's lot, but their wickedness made those claims empty. The lot they now receive is not blessing but judgment, the scattering God measures out to them.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary emphasizes that Judah's sin has become as unchangeable as an Ethiopian's skin or a leopard's spots, a fixed habit that cannot be cleansed. The foe is Babylon, not the Scythians, because Judah had once sought friendship with these eastern powers. This judgment came after Carchemish (605 BC), leaving Judah defenseless against Nebuchadnezzar.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes stress that the punishment described is the exact portion God measures out to those who have forgotten Him. The cause is clear: they abandoned their trust in God and relied on deceptive falsehoods. Therefore their suffering comes directly from the Lord as a just consequence.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill interprets this as God's measured judgment against the entire Jewish nation, a righteous measure-for-measure punishment. Because they forgot Him and trusted in falsehoods, God gave them Babylon as their portion instead of Canaan and hid His face from them.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
portion of thy measures —the portion which I have measured out to thee ( Job 20:29 ; Psa 11:6 ). falsehood — ( Jer 13:27 ), false gods and alliances with foreign idolaters.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch defend the traditional rendering "portion of your measure" over "portion of your garment," arguing the Hebrew allows both meanings. They see the threat as reciprocal justice: because Jerusalem forgot God, God will expose her to disgrace like a harlot, as in Nahum. The closing statement about not becoming clean for a long time does not contradict the people's hardened state; it allows for future purification through severe judgments.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws attention to the fitting nature of the punishment: since Jerusalem made its pride visible, God will make its shame visible. The exposure and stripping they suffer as captives is the direct consequence of their sin, and if one judgment fails to reform them, another will follow.