# Is “Can a leopard change its spots” in the Bible?

> Yes. “Can a leopard change its spots” comes from the Bible, from Jeremiah 13:23.

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/can-a-leopard-change-its-spots
By Andrew Kittridge · November 9, 2026

God asks it through the prophet Jeremiah.

## The verse

> Can a Cushite change his skin, or a leopard its spots? Then you also can do good, you who are trained to do evil.
>
> — [Jeremiah 13:23](https://www.lumin.faith/read/jeremiah/13#23) (Lumin Translation)

The saying is not word for word. It shortens or reshapes the verse.

## What it means there

It is said to people so used to doing wrong that they could no more change by themselves than a leopard could change its coat.

## Common questions

### Is “Can a leopard change its spots” in the Bible?

Yes. “Can a leopard change its spots” comes from the Bible, from Jeremiah 13:23. The saying is not word for word. It shortens or reshapes the verse. God asks it through the prophet Jeremiah.

### Where in the Bible is “Can a leopard change its spots”?

In Jeremiah 13:23. In the Lumin Translation, Jeremiah 13:23 reads: “Can a Cushite change his skin, or a leopard its spots? Then you also can do good, you who are trained to do evil.”

### Who said “Can a leopard change its spots”?

God asks it through the prophet Jeremiah.

### What does “Can a leopard change its spots” mean in the Bible?

It is said to people so used to doing wrong that they could no more change by themselves than a leopard could change its coat.

## More

- [Is “Faith can move mountains” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/faith-can-move-mountains.md)
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- [Check any word or a whole song](https://www.lumin.faith/bible-verse-checker)