Jeremiah 13:27 · Bible study
Jeremiah 13:27 Commentary: Hardened Sin and a Lament for Cleansing
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Jeremiah 13:27: God’s lament over Jerusalem’s spiritual adultery, the meaning of ‘neighing,’ and whether repentance remains possible.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God sees Jerusalem's persistent idolatry as spiritual adultery and laments its seemingly irreversible state, yet the closing question keeps hope for cleansing alive.
- Key words: 'neighings' (H4684), unrestrained lust after idols; 'lewdness' (H2154), wicked plotting; 'abominations' (H8251), detestable idols; 'clean' (H2891), moral purification.
- Main debate: Is 'you will not be made clean' an absolute decree of judgment, or a moral impossibility that can be overcome by grace? Commentators differ.
- Theological theme: The paradox of human depravity and divine mercy, God's judgment is real, but His lament reveals a heart that longs to restore.
- Best use: Lent, repentance services, sermons on the persistence of sin and the depth of God's love.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution on the hills and in the fields— I have seen your detestable acts. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?”
WEB World English Bible 2000
I have seen your abominations, even your adulteries and your neighing, the lewdness of your prostitution, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! You will not be made clean. How long will it yet be?”
KJV King James Version 1769
I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
I have seen thine abominations, even thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, on the hills in the field. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! thou wilt not be made clean; how long shall it yet be?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Thine adulteries, and thy neighings, The wickedness of thy whoredom, on heights in a field, I have seen thine abominations. Woe to thee, O Jerusalem, Thou art not cleansed, after when is it again?
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy fornication, on the hills, in the fields, — thine abominations, have I seen. Woe unto thee, Jerusalem! Wilt thou not be made clean? after how long a time yet?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
I have seen thy adulteries, and thy neighing, the wickedness of thy fornication: and thy abominations, upon the hills in the field. Woe to thee, Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean after me: how long yet?
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Tus adulterios, tus relinchos, la maldad de tu fornicación sobre los collados: en el mismo campo vi tus abominaciones. ¡ Ay de ti, Jerusalem! ¿ No serás al cabo limpia? ¿hasta cuándo todavía?
Eu vi as tuas abominações: teus adultérios, teus relinchos, a maldade de tua prostituição sobre os morros no campo. Ai de ti, Jerusalém! Até quando continuarás sem te purificares?
J’ ai vu tes adultères et tes hennissements,
Denn ich habe gesehen deine Ehebrecherei, dein Geilheit, deine freche Hurerei, ja, deine Greuel auf Hügeln und auf Äckern. Weh dir, Jerusalem! Wann wirst du doch endlich rein werden?
Uw overspelen en uw hunkeringen, de schandelijkheid uws hoerdoms, op heuvelen, in het veld; Ik heb uw verfoeiselen gezien; wee u, Jeruzalem! zult gij niet rein worden? Hoe lang nog na dezen?
Io ho visto le tue abominazioni, i tuoi adulteri, i tuoi nitriti, l’infamia della tua prostituzione sulle colline e per i campi. Guai a te, o Gerusalemme! Quando avverrà mai che tu ti purifichi?”
Widziałem cudzołóstwa twoje i poryzanie twoje, sprosność wszeteczeństwa twego na pagórkach, i na polu; widziałem, mówię, obrzydliwości twoje. Biada tobie, Jeruzalemie! i pókiż się nie oczyścisz? kiedyż to wżdy będzie?
Видел Я прелюбодейство твое и неистовые похотения твои, твои непотребства и твои мерзости на холмах в поле. Горе тебе, Иерусалим! ты и после сего не очистишься. Доколе же?
你那些可憎惡之事─就是在田野 的 山 上行姦淫，發嘶聲，做淫亂 的事─我都看見了。耶路撒冷啊，你 有禍了！你不肯 潔淨，還 要到 幾時呢？
I have seen your disgusting acts, even your false behaviour and your cries of desire and your loose ways on the hills in the field. Unhappy are you, O Jerusalem, you have no desire to be made clean; how long will you be in turning back to me?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 13:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The verse is God's final indictment of Jerusalem's persistent idolatry, using graphic sexual imagery. Commentators agree that 'neighings' (H4684, from Jer 5:8) depicts unrestrained lust for idols, like horses in heat (Gill, Calvin, Barnes). The terms 'adulteries,' 'lewdness of your prostitution,' and 'abominations' accumulate to show the depth of sin, all forms of spiritual unfaithfulness. The key phrase 'You will not be made clean' (from H2891, Qal imperfect with negative) is read differently. Adam Clarke argues it was not impossible but that the people obstinately refused grace. Barnes and Keil see a moral impossibility for the present generation, yet point to eventual cleansing after exile. Calvin highlights the people's obstinate persistence. The concluding question 'How long yet?' (H4970 + H5750) expresses both judgment and a lingering hope, a lament rather than a cold decree.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Present moral impossibility: Jer 13:23 (leopard spots) and the phrase 'you will not be made clean' – the people are so hardened that change is impossible without extraordinary grace.
- Eventual cleansing after exile: Barnes and Keil note that later restoration (e.g., after Babylon) fulfills the hope implied by 'How long?'
- Open invitation through grace: Clarke argues the impossibility is only from human refusal; God stands ready to cleanse if the people turn to Him.
What is clear: God sees and judges the sin, and His lament shows that judgment is not His final word – the question 'How long?' leaves space for repentance.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'neighings' | All commentators agree the term depicts intense, animal-like lust after idols, drawing from Jeremiah 5:8. | Some (Gill, Calvin) stress the brute-like degradation; others (Clarke) focus on the intensity of desire. |
| Can Judah be cleansed? | All agree that humanly, with inveterate sin, cleansing is morally impossible (cf. v.23). | Clarke insists it is not absolute, grace is still available; Keil and Barnes see a future cleansing after exile; Gill leans toward present impossibility. |
| The 'hills in the field' | These are public worship sites for idolatrous rituals. | Calvin emphasises the publicity adds shame; Keil notes the addition 'in the field' highlights open brazenness. |
| Tone of the closing question | The question expresses divine lament, not cold indifference. | Is it rhetorical (God knows the answer) or an open invitation? Matthew Henry sees it as a pleading call; Calvin stresses the people's obstinacy. |
| Connection to Jeremiah 13:23 | Both verses assert the deep-rooted nature of sin. | Does v.27 soften v.23? Keil says v.23 refers to the present generation and does not exclude future reform; others see a consistent hopelessness. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah prophesied during Judah's final decades (roughly 627, 586 BC). The battle of Carchemish (605 BC) exposed Judah to Babylonian invasion, as the Cambridge Bible notes. Idolatry was openly practiced on 'high hills' (cf. Jer 2:20; Isa 57:7) and in 'the field', public sites where Baal worship often included ritual prostitution (Barnes). The word 'neighing' (H4684) appears only here and Jer 5:8, linking to the image of a wild donkey in heat (Jer 2:24). The covenant metaphor of marriage (cf. Jer 3:1) frames the sin as adultery. Cultural background: Near Eastern religions regularly involved sacred sexual rites; Judah's adoption of these practices was a direct violation of the first two commandments. The 'hills' were considered closer to the divine, and 'the field' suggests open, brazen sin (Keil). The surrounding verses (13:23, 26) warn that such deep-rooted evil makes reformation humanly impossible, yet Yahweh still speaks with grief, 'Woe to you, Jerusalem!' This is not detached judgment but the pain of a covenant partner betrayed.
The date of the prophecy likely falls just after the collapse of Assyria, when Judah wavered between Egypt and Babylon. The call to 'be made clean' (H2891) echoes priestly purification rites (Leviticus), now applied to the moral and spiritual realm. The question 'How long yet?' parallels wisdom literature (Prov 1:22), a plea for awakening.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Jeremiah 13:27. The Hebrew text is stable across major manuscripts, with minor variations in spelling (e.g., 'neighings' singular vs. plural in some early editions) that do not affect meaning.
Reception History
Early Jewish interpretation (e.g., Targum Jonathan) linked the verse to temple prostitution and the pollution of the land. In the Reformation era, Calvin used it to illustrate total depravity and God's just judgment. Wesleyan tradition, through Adam Clarke, emphasised the offer of grace and the danger of refusal. Matthew Henry saw in it a compassionate warning, applying it to both the nation and the individual. Modern evangelical preaching often pairs it with Jer 13:23 to confront complacency while pointing to the gospel's cleansing power. The verse has also been read during Lent as a call to examine hidden sin.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The nature of sin: Idolatry is not a mistake but a passionate betrayal, spiritual adultery that degrades. God sees it all.
- The severity of sin: Graphic language ('neighings,' 'lewdness') shows how offensive it is to God. It is not excused or minimised.
- The lament of God: The 'Woe' and the question 'How long?' reveal a God who is wounded by sin, not coldly angry. Judgment flows from broken love.
Five-point outline
- God sees: 'I have seen', nothing is hidden from His gaze (H7200, Qal perfect).
- Sin described: Accumulating terms, adulteries, neighings, lewdness, abominations, expose the full extent of rebellion.
- Judgment is sure: The immediate context (v.23, 26) threatens scattering and shame.
- Cleansing questioned: 'You will not be made clean', a stark diagnosis of habitual sin.
- Hope lingers: The question 'How long yet?' (H4970 + H5750) keeps the door ajar for repentance and divine mercy.
Illustration hooks
- A spouse who has repeatedly betrayed trust and wonders if the marriage can ever be restored, God's question echoes that longing.
- An addiction that feels impossible to break, the 'leopard's spots' (v.23) describe a cycle that only God's power can undo.
- A public scandal where shame is exposed for everyone to see, the 'hills in the field' suggest sin has become visible and brazen.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God really see everything I do in secret?
- If I have been sinning for years, is there any hope that I can change?
- When God says 'you will not be made clean,' does that mean He has given up on me?
Leading a Discussion
This verse confronts us with the reality of sin as betrayal and God's longing for restoration. Read Jeremiah 13:27 together (the verse is displayed above). Then walk through these questions, moving from observation to interpretation to application.
Discussion questions
- What does the verse reveal about the kind of sin God sees in Jerusalem? List the specific words used.
- Why do you think the imagery of 'adultery' and 'prostitution' is chosen? What does it suggest about the relationship between God and His people?
- The word 'neighings' (H4684) appears only here and in Jeremiah 5:8. What does this animal-like description add to the picture of idolatry?
- The phrase 'you will not be made clean' (H2891, Qal imperfect with 'not') is debated. Based on the surrounding passage (esp. v.23), do you think it means final judgment or a present impossibility that can change? Why?
- The verse ends with 'How long yet?' (H4970, H5750). Why might God ask this question after stating the people will not be cleansed? What does it tell you about His heart?
- How does the hope of the gospel answer the lament of this verse? Where do we see God's power to make the unclean clean?
- In what areas of your own life (or our church community) might this verse expose a need for repentance? How can we respond today?
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)
| Psalms 94:4 | They pour out arrogant words. All the evildoers boast. |
| Psalms 94:8 | Consider, you senseless among the people; you fools, when will you be wise? |
| Proverbs 1:22 | “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge? |
| Isaiah 57:7 | On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed. You also went up there to offer sacrifice. |
| Isaiah 65:7 | your own iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together”, says Yahweh, “who have burned incense on the mountains, and blasphemed me on the hills. Therefore I will first measure their work into their bosom.” |
| Jeremiah 2:20 | “For long ago I broke off your yoke, and burst your bonds. You said, ‘I will not serve;’ for on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed yourself, playing the prostitute. |
| Jeremiah 2:24 | a wild donkey used to the wilderness, that sniffs the wind in her craving. When she is in heat, who can turn her away? All those who seek her will not weary themselves. In her month, they will find her. |
| Jeremiah 3:1 | “They say, ‘If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and becomes another man’s, should he return to her again?’ Wouldn’t that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me,” says Yahweh. |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes sees the prophet leveling three specific charges against Judah: spiritual adultery, desperate craving for idols, and shameless participation in pagan rites. He explains that repentance had become a moral impossibility at that point, yet after exile the nation would be cleansed and return penitent and forgiven.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes that the prophet uses the word "neighings" deliberately, comparing the Jews' passion for idolatry to the fierce, shameless lust of horses. He argues this exposes their sin as far worse than ordinary adultery, because they pursued false worship with unrestrained animal appetite. Calvin also notes "the thought of thy whoredom" strips away their excuse of intending to honor God.
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
I haue seene thine adulteries, and thy neiings, the filthinesse of thy whoredome on the hils in the fieldes, and thine abominations. Wo vnto thee, O Ierusalem: wilt thou not bee made cleane? when shall it once be?
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill sees God's denunciation of Jerusalem's idolatries as mingled with tender compassion, evident in the plea "wilt thou not be made clean?" He emphasizes that this cleansing will not be fully accomplished until the latter day, when Israel seeks the Lord and turns to Christ for salvation.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB compares Israel's idolatry to a horse's lustful neighing, showing how the worship of false gods degrades people to the level of animals. He sees the rhetorical question about cleansing as a denial that someone hardened in sin for so long could be made clean quickly. But he acknowledges that God's power can overcome even this impossibility.
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.