Jeremiah 13:27
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This verse paints a stark picture of Jerusalem's deeply ingrained sinfulness, using imagery like "neighings" to highlight their unbridled, almost animalistic pursuit of idolatry, not just in secret but openly on the hills and fields. The prophetic question "When shall it once be?" isn't just a sigh of frustration, but a profound lament pointing to how morally impossible their cleansing appears, while still holding a sliver of desperate hope.
I have seen your abominations, your adulteries and neighings, your lewd whorings, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will it be before you are made clean?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
God, through Jeremiah, confronts Jerusalem directly with their deep-seated corruption, likening their idolatry to the shameless acts of adultery and the restless lust of horses. These sinful practices, described as "abominations," were openly carried out on hills and in fields, signifying their pervasive and brazen nature. The prophet then pronounces a "woe" upon the city, questioning, with a mix of despair and lingering hope, how long it will take for them to finally turn from their wicked ways and be cleansed.
Jeremiah uses shocking language to describe Jerusalem's relationship with God. What does 'adulteries' and 'neighings' really mean in this context?
Jeremiah doesn't hold back. He calls Jerusalem's actions 'adulteries,' 'neighings,' and 'lewd whorings.' This isn't just about physical affairs; it's about spiritual betrayal.
A Broken Covenant
God had chosen Israel as His own, like a husband to a wife. Their worship of other gods was a direct violation of this covenant, a spiritual infidelity that deeply angered God. The 'neighings,' like horses desperately seeking their mates, depict an unbridled, greedy pursuit of idols, far beyond simple curiosity.
Public Profanity
These acts weren't hidden away. They happened 'on the hills in the field' – open, public places. This highlights the shamelessness of their sin and the widespread nature of their idolatry. They openly flaunted their devotion to false gods, forgetting the one true God who had called them His own.
The prophet cries 'Woe to you, O Jerusalem!' followed by a question that echoes with desperation. What is the true weight of this 'woe' and what does the question imply?
The declaration 'Woe to you, O Jerusalem!' is not just a sigh of sadness; it's a prophetic pronouncement of impending judgment. It signals that the consequences of their persistent sin are unavoidable and severe.
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The Unanswered Question
But then comes the question: 'How long will it be before you are made clean?' This isn't a simple inquiry for a date on the calendar. It carries a deep weariness and a sense of moral impossibility. It questions Jerusalem's very will to change.
A Glimmer of Hope?
While it sounds bleak, some scholars see a fragile hope embedded here. It's like God is saying, 'When will you choose to turn? When will you seek cleansing?' The possibility of cleansing exists, but it hinges on Jerusalem's response. It’s a plea for them to finally break free from their destructive patterns, though the prophet deeply doubts they will.
Understand the original words
shiqquts · Hebrew Noun
A detestable or loathsome thing, specifically used in the Old Testament to describe idols, idolatrous practices, or acts that are morally repulsive to God and violate the covenant.
ni'uph · Hebrew Noun
Marital unfaithfulness; in a prophetic context, it represents Israel's spiritual infidelity by worshiping other gods and breaking their covenant relationship with Yahweh.
mitshalah · Hebrew Noun
A term denoting unrestrained sexual desire or lust, often used metaphorically in the prophets to describe the intense, frantic, and immoral pursuit of false gods by God’s people.
zimmah · Hebrew Noun
The state of being morally loose, shameless, or sexually promiscuous; biblically, it emphasizes the flagrant and open nature of spiritual apostasy and idolatry.
'oy · Hebrew Interjection
A cry of grief, distress, or impending judgment; it serves as a prophetic warning of the inevitable sorrow that follows persistent rejection of God's law.
Yerushalayim · Hebrew Proper Noun
The city of David and the dwelling place of the Temple; it serves as the symbolic center of God's covenant with His people, representing the nation's spiritual heart and responsibility.
taher · Hebrew Verb
Refers to ceremonial or moral purification, being set apart from sin or idolatry to be restored to a right, holy relationship with God.
Jeremiah's lament in this verse reflects the profound spiritual crisis of Judah, where widespread idolatry and "spiritual adultery" on hills and fields were deeply entrenched, ultimately leading to the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile.
c. 7th century BC
Rise of High Place Worship
During the time of Jeremiah, the worship of God on "high places" (hills) alongside or instead of proper Temple worship became widespread, viewed by prophets as syncretism and spiritual adultery with foreign gods.
c. 620 BC
Josiah's Reforms
King Josiah attempted to centralize worship in Jerusalem and purge idolatry, but his reforms were not fully embraced by all, and idolatrous practices persisted.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar's forces first captured Jerusalem, taking Jehoiakim as king and deporting some of the elite, including Daniel, setting a precedent for future exiles.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deported King Jehoiachin and a significant portion of Jerusalem's population, including the prophet Ezekiel. This intensified the sense of impending doom.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's final siege led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. The majority of the remaining population was exiled to Babylon, marking the end of Judah as an independent kingdom.
c. 586 BC - 538 BC
Babylonian Exile
The Judean people lived in exile in Babylon, grappling with their faith and national identity far from their homeland and the Temple. This period was characterized by deep sorrow and a re-evaluation of their covenant relationship with God.
This passage vividly portrays Jerusalem's spiritual adultery and harlotry with foreign powers, echoing Jeremiah's depiction of their idolatry as unfaithfulness.
Hosea 2:2-5Hosea also uses the metaphor of adultery to describe Israel's unfaithfulness to God through idolatry, showing the consistent theme of God's covenant love being broken.
Romans 1:21-25Paul describes how humanity, when rejecting God, becomes futile in their thinking and exchanges the truth of God for a lie, leading to corrupted worship and desires, similar to Jerusalem's 'neighing' after idols.
Isaiah 1:10-15Isaiah condemns similar outward religious practices that are filled with inward corruption and violence, highlighting God's weariness with meaningless worship, much like Jeremiah's indictment of Jerusalem's 'abominations'.
Jeremiah 3:1-3This earlier passage from Jeremiah also addresses Jerusalem's unfaithfulness with the imagery of adultery, questioning how long they will continue in their waywardness before returning to God.
barnesJeremiah 13:27: "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?"
And thine abominations - "Even thy abominations." The prophet sums up the three charges against Judah, namely, spiritual adultery, inordinate eagerness after idolatry (see the note at Jeremiah 5:7 note), and shameless participation in pagan orgies. In the fields - "in th…
pooleJeremiah 13:27: "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?"
Some think the prophet here reflects upon them for their corporal adulteries, and their madness upon them, which he compareth to the neighings of horses; but those words on the hills in the fields in the next clause seem to inform us that he means here only their idolatr…
This verse paints a stark picture of Jerusalem's deeply ingrained sinfulness, using imagery like "neighings" to highlight their unbridled, almost animalistic pursuit of idolatry, not just in secret but openly on the hills and fields. The prophetic question "When shall it once be?" isn't just a sigh of frustration, but a profound lament pointing to how morally impossible their cleansing appears, while still holding a sliver of desperate hope.
God, through Jeremiah, confronts Jerusalem directly with their deep-seated corruption, likening their idolatry to the shameless acts of adultery and the restless lust of horses. These sinful practices, described as "abominations," were openly carried out on hills and in fields, signifying their pervasive and brazen nature. The prophet then pronounces a "woe" upon the city, questioning, with a mix of despair and lingering hope, how long it will take for them to finally turn from their wicked ways and be cleansed.
God, through Jeremiah, confronts Jerusalem directly with their deep-seated corruption, likening their idolatry to the shameless acts of adultery and the restless lust of horses. These sinful practices, described as "abominations," were openly carried out on hills and in fields, signifying their pervasive and brazen nature. The prophet then pronounces a "woe" upon the city, questioning, with a mix of despair and lingering hope, how long it will take for them to finally turn from their wicked ways and be cleansed.
"I have seen your abominations, your adulteries and neighings, your lewd whorings, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will it be before you are made clean?”" — This verse paints a stark picture of Jerusalem's deeply ingrained sinfulness, using imagery like "neighings" to highlight their unbridled, almost animalistic pursuit of idolatry, not just in secret b…
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Last reviewed October 2026
