Jeremiah 13:23
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”Read in Context
Modern Meaning
What Does “Leopard cannot change its spots” Mean?
People cannot change their fundamental nature.
Biblical Origin
Where Does This Phrase Come From?
Jeremiah used this rhetorical question to argue that Judah was so entrenched in sin that reformation was impossible without God's intervention. The leopard image survived as one of English's most enduring statements about the difficulty of changing ingrained behavior.
The phrase appears in Jeremiah 13:23 in the King James Version of the Bible, first published in 1611.
Usage Today
How Is It Used Today?
Used when someone doubts another person can truly change. "He promises to reform, but a leopard can't change its spots."
The KJV Verse
Jeremiah 13:23
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”
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