Bible Verse Lookup
Jer 13:23
Chapter 13
23
Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard his spots? And can you do good, you who are used to doing evil?
Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard his spots? And can you do good, you who are used to doing evil?
Commentaries
The Final Deadline.
The prophet describes the problematic situation that Judah is facing as a warning from the Lord, who still hopes his people will change their hearts. Jeremiah, who suffers internally because of the people’s stubbornness, attributes these attitudes to God himself; it is as if God is suffering and weeping over their resistance to recognizing and admitting their errors. Verses 18-21 contain a message directed to the king and queen mother, urging them to repent. This could refer to King Jehoiachin, who, along with his mother and other members of the aristocracy, was the first to be exiled to Babylon. Verses 23-27 deliver a message to all of Israel, calling for repentance while also acknowledging their inability to change their ways. Therefore, they are promised a necessary punishment, intended to teach them a lesson, bring them to their senses, and lead them to repentance.