Jeremiah · Chapter 19

Verse 1. Go and get a potter’s earthen bottle] This discourse was also delivered some time in the reign of Jehoiakim. Under the type of breaking a potter’s earthen bottle or jug, Jeremiah shows his enemies that the word of the Lord should stand, that Jerusalem should be taken and sacked, and they all carried into captivity.

Ancients of the priests] The chiefs of the twenty-four classes which David had established. See 1 Chronicles 24:4.

Verses 1, 2. Go and get a potter’s earthen bottle — The meaning of this emblem is fully explained in the subsequent verses; and indeed the whole chapter requires little more comment than a reference to the passages in the margin. And take of the ancients of the people — Or, take with thee some of the ancients, &c. By these, men of reputation and eminence are meant, probably such as were members of the Sanhedrim. And of the ancients of the priests — The heads of the four and twenty courses: see 1 Chronicles 24:4. Such were the most proper to be witnesses of those things which the prophet was about to say and do. And go unto the valley of the son of Hinnom — A most noted valley, to the east of Jerusalem; which is by the entry of the east gate — By which men entered into the temple; from whence they had a prospect of the valley of Hinnom, which lay south-east of the temple, Joshua 15:8. The Hebrew is tysrjh r[v, the gate Harsith, which some interpret, the dung gate, mentioned Nehemiah 2:13; others, the potters’ gate; the potters’ field being near the temple: see Zechariah 11:13.

Verse 1. Take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests, that aged men might have weight in reforming the bloody worship of the idolaters.

THE BROKEN PITCHER AND ITS LESSON, 1-13.

1. Potter — Literally, shaper of earthenware. Bottle — A jar with a narrow neck, whose Hebrew name — bakkuk — comes from the noise made by liquids in flowing out. Get — Literally, buy. By a bold construction, not unusual in Hebrew, the word is carried over upon the incongruous nouns people and priests. The Septuagint and Syriac versions, as well as our own, insert the verb take. Ancients — Rather, elders, representing the commonwealth in both its civil and ecclesiastical aspects, and, as it would seem, those most ready to hear the word of God.

Verses 1, 2. Go and get a potter’s earthen bottle — The meaning of this emblem is fully explained in the subsequent verses; and indeed the whole chapter requires little more comment than a reference to the passages in the margin. And take of the ancients of the people — Or, take with thee some of the ancients, &c. By these, men of reputation and eminence are meant, probably such as were members of the Sanhedrim. And of the ancients of the priests — The heads of the four and twenty courses: see 1 Chronicles 24:4. Such were the most proper to be witnesses of those things which the prophet was about to say and do. And go unto the valley of the son of Hinnom — A most noted valley, to the east of Jerusalem; which is by the entry of the east gate — By which men entered into the temple; from whence they had a prospect of the valley of Hinnom, which lay south-east of the temple, Joshua 15:8. The Hebrew is tysrjh r[v, the gate Harsith, which some interpret, the dung gate, mentioned Nehemiah 2:13; others, the potters’ gate; the potters’ field being near the temple: see Zechariah 11:13.

Ver. 2. The valley of the son of Hinnom. See Isaiah 30:33. The prophet stood in the very place where the infants were murdered, as in ver. 4, the seat of their idolatry.

2. Valley of the son of Hinnom — See on Jeremiah 7:31. This designation of locality is the same with that of the previous chapter, but more specific. East gate — Margin, sun gate. Both renderings are wrong. It should be sherd gate, an appellation which probably came from the broken fragments of earthenware scattered there. It is uncertain which of the two gates leading from the city into the valley of Hinnom is here meant — the Fountain gate, at the southwest corner, or the Dung gate, at the southeast corner, of Zion.

Verses 3-5. Say, Hear, &c., O kings of Judah — See note on Jeremiah 17:20. Behold, I will bring evil upon this place — That is, upon Judah and Jerusalem, so surprising and so dreadful that whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle — The very report of it shall astonish the hearers. Because they have estranged this place — From me, should be supplied to make the sense clearer; the meaning, it seems, being that, by their worshipping other gods, and committing all sorts of crimes, they had caused God not to look any longer upon their city and country as his, but quite foreign from him. Or, as some interpret the expression, They had strangely abused, and alienated from their intended purposes both Jerusalem, the holy city, and the temple, God’s holy house, which were designed for his honour and the support of his kingdom among men. And have filled this place with the blood of innocents — Of the children sacrificed to Moloch: see note on Jeremiah 2:34; and Isaiah 30:33. They have built also, rather, they have even built the high places of Baal — For the same sin is here expressed which was mentioned in the latter part of the foregoing verse, and the copulative particle, vau, is sometimes used by way of explication; to burn their sons with fire unto Baal — From this, as well as from some other places, it is plain that they slew and burned human victims to Baal as well as to Moloch, if these two names were not promiscuously given, as some suppose they were, to one and the same idol. Which I commanded not, &c. — It seems from this that there were not wanting some who maintained that human sacrifices were pleasing to God.

3. Kings of Judah — The plural is used, because the message of the prophet referred to more than the reigning king. Ears… tingle — See 2 Kings 21:12; 1 Samuel 3:21.

V. 4. This place-Either this city, or this valley, which they had turned to an use quite contrary to the end for which God gave it them.

Verse 4. Estranged this place] Ye have devoted my temple to a widely different purpose from that for which it was erected.

Verses 3-5. Say, Hear, &c., O kings of Judah — See note on Jeremiah 17:20. Behold, I will bring evil upon this place — That is, upon Judah and Jerusalem, so surprising and so dreadful that whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle — The very report of it shall astonish the hearers. Because they have estranged this place — From me, should be supplied to make the sense clearer; the meaning, it seems, being that, by their worshipping other gods, and committing all sorts of crimes, they had caused God not to look any longer upon their city and country as his, but quite foreign from him. Or, as some interpret the expression, They had strangely abused, and alienated from their intended purposes both Jerusalem, the holy city, and the temple, God’s holy house, which were designed for his honour and the support of his kingdom among men. And have filled this place with the blood of innocents — Of the children sacrificed to Moloch: see note on Jeremiah 2:34; and Isaiah 30:33. They have built also, rather, they have even built the high places of Baal — For the same sin is here expressed which was mentioned in the latter part of the foregoing verse, and the copulative particle, vau, is sometimes used by way of explication; to burn their sons with fire unto Baal — From this, as well as from some other places, it is plain that they slew and burned human victims to Baal as well as to Moloch, if these two names were not promiscuously given, as some suppose they were, to one and the same idol. Which I commanded not, &c. — It seems from this that there were not wanting some who maintained that human sacrifices were pleasing to God.

4. Estranged this place — Rather, disowned this place. The same verb occurs in Job 21:29. The meaning is, they have treated it as a strange place, perhaps by worshipping strange gods. Neither they nor, etc. — The exact construction of the original is: Other gods which they knew not: they and their fathers and the kings of Judah; these nouns being subjects, not of have known, but of the verbs of the principal clause. Innocents — Not, as some have hastily concluded, children slain to Moloch, but guiltless persons who were victims of persecution and judicial murder. See 2 Kings 21:16, and Jeremiah 7:6; 22:3, 17.

V. 5. To burn-This and the following verse, contain another great sin of this people, with the punishment which God proportions to it. The sin in the general was idolatry, but a most barbarous species of it, mentioned also Jeremiah 7:31 32:35, where it is said, they made their sons and their daughters pass thro’ the fire to Molech; the place where they did it is called Tophet, ver. 19:6, of which also mention is made, Isaiah 30:33. Baal and Molech, signify the same thing; Baal signifies a Lord, Molech a King. Both Baal and Molech seem common names to all idols.

Verse 5. Offerings unto Baal] A general name for all the popular idols; Baal, Moloch, Ashtaroth, &c.

Verses 3-5. Say, Hear, &c., O kings of Judah — See note on Jeremiah 17:20. Behold, I will bring evil upon this place — That is, upon Judah and Jerusalem, so surprising and so dreadful that whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle — The very report of it shall astonish the hearers. Because they have estranged this place — From me, should be supplied to make the sense clearer; the meaning, it seems, being that, by their worshipping other gods, and committing all sorts of crimes, they had caused God not to look any longer upon their city and country as his, but quite foreign from him. Or, as some interpret the expression, They had strangely abused, and alienated from their intended purposes both Jerusalem, the holy city, and the temple, God’s holy house, which were designed for his honour and the support of his kingdom among men. And have filled this place with the blood of innocents — Of the children sacrificed to Moloch: see note on Jeremiah 2:34; and Isaiah 30:33. They have built also, rather, they have even built the high places of Baal — For the same sin is here expressed which was mentioned in the latter part of the foregoing verse, and the copulative particle, vau, is sometimes used by way of explication; to burn their sons with fire unto Baal — From this, as well as from some other places, it is plain that they slew and burned human victims to Baal as well as to Moloch, if these two names were not promiscuously given, as some suppose they were, to one and the same idol. Which I commanded not, &c. — It seems from this that there were not wanting some who maintained that human sacrifices were pleasing to God.

5, 6. Compare Jeremiah 7:31, 32.

Verses 6-9. Therefore, behold, the days come — And are at no great distance; that this place shall no more be called Tophet, &c. — In Joshua’s time it was called The valley of the son of Hinnom; in after ages, it had the name of Tophet, from the noise of drums and tabrets sounding there while children were burning. Here it is foretold that it should have a new name and be called, The valley of Slaughter. See note on Jeremiah 7:32, 33. I will make void the counsel, &c., in this place — They shed innocent blood in this place, and in this place God would discomfit them, and cause their blood to be shed by the hands of the Chaldeans. And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and daughters — A terrible judgment threatened by Moses, Deuteronomy 28:53; and actually fulfilled in the siege of Jerusalem. See Lamentations 4:10.

5, 6. Compare Jeremiah 7:31, 32.

V. 7. In this place-In this place, among others, I will make void all the counsels that the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, have taken to escape my righteous judgments.

Verse 7. I will make void the counsel of Judah] Probably this refers to some determination made to proclaim themselves independent, and pay no more tribute to the Chaldeans.

To be meat for the fowls] See Clarke on “Jeremiah 7:33”.

Verses 6-9. Therefore, behold, the days come — And are at no great distance; that this place shall no more be called Tophet, &c. — In Joshua’s time it was called The valley of the son of Hinnom; in after ages, it had the name of Tophet, from the noise of drums and tabrets sounding there while children were burning. Here it is foretold that it should have a new name and be called, The valley of Slaughter. See note on Jeremiah 7:32, 33. I will make void the counsel, &c., in this place — They shed innocent blood in this place, and in this place God would discomfit them, and cause their blood to be shed by the hands of the Chaldeans. And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and daughters — A terrible judgment threatened by Moses, Deuteronomy 28:53; and actually fulfilled in the siege of Jerusalem. See Lamentations 4:10.

7. Make void — The root of this word is the same with that of the word for “bottle.” It would be better to translate, I will pour out; that is, bring to nothing.

Verses 6-9. Therefore, behold, the days come — And are at no great distance; that this place shall no more be called Tophet, &c. — In Joshua’s time it was called The valley of the son of Hinnom; in after ages, it had the name of Tophet, from the noise of drums and tabrets sounding there while children were burning. Here it is foretold that it should have a new name and be called, The valley of Slaughter. See note on Jeremiah 7:32, 33. I will make void the counsel, &c., in this place — They shed innocent blood in this place, and in this place God would discomfit them, and cause their blood to be shed by the hands of the Chaldeans. And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and daughters — A terrible judgment threatened by Moses, Deuteronomy 28:53; and actually fulfilled in the siege of Jerusalem. See Lamentations 4:10.

THE BROKEN PITCHER AND ITS LESSON, 1-13.

1. Potter — Literally, shaper of earthenware. Bottle — A jar with a narrow neck, whose Hebrew name — bakkuk — comes from the noise made by liquids in flowing out. Get — Literally, buy. By a bold construction, not unusual in Hebrew, the word is carried over upon the incongruous nouns people and priests. The Septuagint and Syriac versions, as well as our own, insert the verb take. Ancients — Rather, elders, representing the commonwealth in both its civil and ecclesiastical aspects, and, as it would seem, those most ready to hear the word of God.

Verse 9. I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons] This was literally fulfilled when Jerusalem was besieged by the Romans. This also the prophet might have had in view.

Verses 6-9. Therefore, behold, the days come — And are at no great distance; that this place shall no more be called Tophet, &c. — In Joshua’s time it was called The valley of the son of Hinnom; in after ages, it had the name of Tophet, from the noise of drums and tabrets sounding there while children were burning. Here it is foretold that it should have a new name and be called, The valley of Slaughter. See note on Jeremiah 7:32, 33. I will make void the counsel, &c., in this place — They shed innocent blood in this place, and in this place God would discomfit them, and cause their blood to be shed by the hands of the Chaldeans. And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and daughters — A terrible judgment threatened by Moses, Deuteronomy 28:53; and actually fulfilled in the siege of Jerusalem. See Lamentations 4:10.

Ver. 9. I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons. In ancient war, the citizens being soldiers, those who resisted the assailant, and refused his terms, were all put to the sword. The Romans often did this. In all such cases therefore, the defenders would hold out to the last extremity, as was foretold would be the case with the apostate Jews. Leviticus 26:29. Deuteronomy 28:53. And indeed it was so in Samaria, 2 Kings 6; and in Jerusalem, when they resisted the Chaldeans. Lamentations 4:10. It was the same also when they resisted the Romans, as is stated by Josephus, in his wars of the Jews: 7:8.

9. Eat the flesh, etc. — Mainly from Deuteronomy 28:53, and Leviticus 26:29. Famine is added to complete the terrible picture. For the fulfilment, see Lamentations 2:20; 4:10.

Verses 10-13. Then shalt thou break the bottle, &c. — This was intended to be a symbolical representation of the ruin threatened against them, used in order to strike the beholders more powerfully than mere words could do. Of such symbolical actions as these there are several instances in the Scriptures. Thus saith the Lord, Even so will I break this people — That is, as Jeremiah breaketh the bottle: That cannot be made whole again — That is, the ruin of Jerusalem shall be an utter ruin: no hand can repair it but his that broke it; and if they return to him, though he has torn, he will heal. In fact, Jerusalem was so utterly destroyed by the Chaldeans that there was little left standing of it. So that after their captivity they were obliged to build a new city in the place of the former. And they shall bury them in Tophet — These words are omitted by the LXX.; till there be no place to bury — Till there is no room to bury more; for the meaning is, that the whole valley of Tophet should be so filled with dead bodies, that there should be no room to lay any more there; by which is expressed the greatness of the slaughter. And even make this city as Tophet — A place of slaughter. And the houses of Jerusalem shall be defiled as Tophet — Namely, polluted with dead bodies. Because of the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense — The houses of the Jews were built with flat roofs, Deuteronomy 22:8, and there they dedicated altars to the host of heaven, where they could have a full view of them.

Ver. 10. Then shalt thou break the bottle, with anathemas, that Jerusalem shalt be so broken up by the army of the Chaldeans and reduced to ashes, that it must entirely be rebuilt and made a new city. Perhaps he saw as it were through the flames, what the Romans also would do in the final visitation.

10. Then shall thou break the bottle — The coming calamity is set forth by this vivid symbol. Jeremiah does this in the sight of the elders, in order to arrest their attention and open their ears to his words.

Verse 11. Even so will I break this people and this city] The breaking of the bottle was the symbolical representation of the destruction of the city and of the state.

That cannot be made whole again] This seems to refer rather to the final destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, than to what was done by the Chaldeans. Jerusalem was healed after 70 years: but nearly 1800 years have elapsed since Jerusalem was taken and destroyed by the Romans; and it was then so broken, that it could not be made whole again.

Verses 10-13. Then shalt thou break the bottle, &c. — This was intended to be a symbolical representation of the ruin threatened against them, used in order to strike the beholders more powerfully than mere words could do. Of such symbolical actions as these there are several instances in the Scriptures. Thus saith the Lord, Even so will I break this people — That is, as Jeremiah breaketh the bottle: That cannot be made whole again — That is, the ruin of Jerusalem shall be an utter ruin: no hand can repair it but his that broke it; and if they return to him, though he has torn, he will heal. In fact, Jerusalem was so utterly destroyed by the Chaldeans that there was little left standing of it. So that after their captivity they were obliged to build a new city in the place of the former. And they shall bury them in Tophet — These words are omitted by the LXX.; till there be no place to bury — Till there is no room to bury more; for the meaning is, that the whole valley of Tophet should be so filled with dead bodies, that there should be no room to lay any more there; by which is expressed the greatness of the slaughter. And even make this city as Tophet — A place of slaughter. And the houses of Jerusalem shall be defiled as Tophet — Namely, polluted with dead bodies. Because of the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense — The houses of the Jews were built with flat roofs, Deuteronomy 22:8, and there they dedicated altars to the host of heaven, where they could have a full view of them.

11. Cannot be made whole again — In this it differed from the symbol of the preceding chapter. That set forth the one unfailing, invincible purpose of God in crushing the vessel for its more perfect moulding, and so bringing a fuller victory out of apparent defeat; here we have the judgment of God dashing into fragments a worthless vessel. The innumerable fragments fitly represent the countless slain.

V. 12. As Tophet-That is, a place of slaughter and burials.

Verse 12. And even make this city as Tophet] A place of slaughter and destruction.

Verses 10-13. Then shalt thou break the bottle, &c. — This was intended to be a symbolical representation of the ruin threatened against them, used in order to strike the beholders more powerfully than mere words could do. Of such symbolical actions as these there are several instances in the Scriptures. Thus saith the Lord, Even so will I break this people — That is, as Jeremiah breaketh the bottle: That cannot be made whole again — That is, the ruin of Jerusalem shall be an utter ruin: no hand can repair it but his that broke it; and if they return to him, though he has torn, he will heal. In fact, Jerusalem was so utterly destroyed by the Chaldeans that there was little left standing of it. So that after their captivity they were obliged to build a new city in the place of the former. And they shall bury them in Tophet — These words are omitted by the LXX.; till there be no place to bury — Till there is no room to bury more; for the meaning is, that the whole valley of Tophet should be so filled with dead bodies, that there should be no room to lay any more there; by which is expressed the greatness of the slaughter. And even make this city as Tophet — A place of slaughter. And the houses of Jerusalem shall be defiled as Tophet — Namely, polluted with dead bodies. Because of the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense — The houses of the Jews were built with flat roofs, Deuteronomy 22:8, and there they dedicated altars to the host of heaven, where they could have a full view of them.

12. As Tophet — See 2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 7:31.

Verses 10-13. Then shalt thou break the bottle, &c. — This was intended to be a symbolical representation of the ruin threatened against them, used in order to strike the beholders more powerfully than mere words could do. Of such symbolical actions as these there are several instances in the Scriptures. Thus saith the Lord, Even so will I break this people — That is, as Jeremiah breaketh the bottle: That cannot be made whole again — That is, the ruin of Jerusalem shall be an utter ruin: no hand can repair it but his that broke it; and if they return to him, though he has torn, he will heal. In fact, Jerusalem was so utterly destroyed by the Chaldeans that there was little left standing of it. So that after their captivity they were obliged to build a new city in the place of the former. And they shall bury them in Tophet — These words are omitted by the LXX.; till there be no place to bury — Till there is no room to bury more; for the meaning is, that the whole valley of Tophet should be so filled with dead bodies, that there should be no room to lay any more there; by which is expressed the greatness of the slaughter. And even make this city as Tophet — A place of slaughter. And the houses of Jerusalem shall be defiled as Tophet — Namely, polluted with dead bodies. Because of the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense — The houses of the Jews were built with flat roofs, Deuteronomy 22:8, and there they dedicated altars to the host of heaven, where they could have a full view of them.

13. Defiled, etc. — Literally, as Tophet the defiled. The article, with the word “defiled,” seems to fix this construction, though “defiled” is plural, while Tophet, its subject, is singular. This is to be explained as a case of attraction to the leading subject, houses. Upon whose roofs, etc. — On the worship of the stars from the housetops, see Zephaniah 1:5; 2 Kings 21:3; 2 Kings 23:12.

V. 14. Then-Jeremiah had now dispatched the errand upon which God had sent him to Tophet, coming back by God’s direction, he stands in the court, which was common to all people, where the most might hear.

Verse 14. Then came Jeremiah from Tophet] He had probably gone to the valley of Hinnom, and there repeated the discourse which he had a little before delivered to the chief priests and elders.

Verses 14, 15. He stood in the court of the Lord’s house — The great court, called the outer court, Ezekiel 46:21, supposed to be the same with the new court, mentioned 2 Chronicles 20:5, as having been built since Solomon’s time. And said to all the people — Confirming, and probably repeating to them, who had not heard it, what he had said to the ancients in the valley of Tophet. Thus saith the Lord of hosts — Who is well able to make his words good, I will bring upon this city, and upon all her towns — All the cities of Judah and Benjamin are meant which acknowledged Jerusalem for their metropolis, and were subordinate to her. All the evil that I have pronounced against it — As if he had said, Flatter not yourselves with a conceit that God will be better to you than his word. Whatever you may suppose to the contrary, the execution of the divine threatening will fully answer the prediction, and the former will be found, by experience, to be as terrible as the latter represents it to be; because they have hardened their necks — And would not bend them to the yoke of God’s commands; and would not hear his words — Would not heed and yield obedience to them.

JEREMIAH’S MESSAGE IN THE TEMPLE, 14, 15. 14, 15. These verses belong with the following chapter.

Verse 15. Because they have hardened their necks] A metaphor taken from unruly and unbroken oxen, who resist the yoke, break and run away with their gears. So this people had broken and destroyed the yoke of the law.

JEREMIAH

Verses 14, 15. He stood in the court of the Lord’s house — The great court, called the outer court, Ezekiel 46:21, supposed to be the same with the new court, mentioned 2 Chronicles 20:5, as having been built since Solomon’s time. And said to all the people — Confirming, and probably repeating to them, who had not heard it, what he had said to the ancients in the valley of Tophet. Thus saith the Lord of hosts — Who is well able to make his words good, I will bring upon this city, and upon all her towns — All the cities of Judah and Benjamin are meant which acknowledged Jerusalem for their metropolis, and were subordinate to her. All the evil that I have pronounced against it — As if he had said, Flatter not yourselves with a conceit that God will be better to you than his word. Whatever you may suppose to the contrary, the execution of the divine threatening will fully answer the prediction, and the former will be found, by experience, to be as terrible as the latter represents it to be; because they have hardened their necks — And would not bend them to the yoke of God’s commands; and would not hear his words — Would not heed and yield obedience to them.

JEREMIAH’S MESSAGE IN THE TEMPLE, 14, 15. 14, 15. These verses belong with the following chapter.