1 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Go H1980 and get H7069 a potter's H3335 earthen H2789 bottle, H1228 and take of the ancients H2205 of the people, H5971 and of the ancients H2205 of the priests; H3548
Arise, H6965 and go down H3381 to the potter's H3335 house, H1004 and there I will cause thee to hear H8085 my words. H1697 Then I went down H3381 to the potter's H3335 house, H1004 and, behold, H2009 he wrought H6213 a work H4399 on the wheels. H70 And the vessel H3627 that he made H6213 of clay H2563 was marred H7843 in the hand H3027 of the potter: H3335 so he made H6213 it again H7725 another H312 vessel, H3627 as seemed H5869 good H3474 to the potter H3335 to make H6213 it.
And there stood H5975 before H6440 them seventy H7657 men H376 of the ancients H2205 of the house H1004 of Israel, H3478 and in the midst H8432 of them stood H5975 Jaazaniah H2970 the son H1121 of Shaphan, H8227 with every man H376 his censer H4730 in his hand; H3027 and a thick H6282 cloud H6051 of incense H7004 went up. H5927 Then said H559 he unto me, Son H1121 of man, H120 hast thou seen H7200 what the ancients H2205 of the house H1004 of Israel H3478 do H6213 in the dark, H2822 every man H376 in the chambers H2315 of his imagery? H4906 for they say, H559 The LORD H3068 seeth H7200 us not; the LORD H3068 hath forsaken H5800 the earth. H776
And there were more H7227 chief H7218 men H1397 found H4672 of the sons H1121 of Eleazar H499 than of the sons H1121 of Ithamar; H385 and thus were they divided. H2505 Among the sons H1121 of Eleazar H499 there were sixteen H8337 H6240 chief men H7218 of the house H1004 of their fathers, H1 and eight H8083 among the sons H1121 of Ithamar H385 according to the house H1004 of their fathers. H1 Thus were they divided H2505 by lot, H1486 one sort H428 with another; H428 for the governors H8269 of the sanctuary, H6944 and governors H8269 of the house of God, H430 were of the sons H1121 of Eleazar, H499 and of the sons H1121 of Ithamar. H385 And Shemaiah H8098 the son H1121 of Nethaneel H5417 the scribe, H5608 one of the Levites, H3881 wrote H3789 them before H6440 the king, H4428 and the princes, H8269 and Zadok H6659 the priest, H3548 and Ahimelech H288 the son H1121 of Abiathar, H54 and before the chief H7218 of the fathers H1 of the priests H3548 and Levites: H3881 one H259 principal H1 household H1004 being taken H270 for Eleazar, H499 and one taken H270 for Ithamar. H385
Then shalt thou break H7665 the bottle H1228 in the sight H5869 of the men H582 that go H1980 with thee, And shalt say H559 unto them, Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts; H6635 Even so H3602 will I break H7665 this people H5971 and this city, H5892 as one breaketh H7665 a potter's H3335 vessel, H3627 that cannot H3201 be made whole again: H7495 and they shall bury H6912 them in Tophet, H8612 till there be no place H4725 to bury. H6912
G1161 Likewise G3668 also G2532 the chief priests G749 mocking G1702 him, with G3326 the scribes G1122 and G2532 elders, G4245 said, G3004 He saved G4982 others; G243 himself G1438 he cannot G3756 G1410 save. G4982 If G1487 he be G2076 the King G935 of Israel, G2474 let him G2597 now G3568 come down G2597 from G575 the cross, G4716 and G2532 we will believe G4100 him. G846
And G1161 it came to pass G1096 on G1909 the morrow, G839 that their G846 rulers, G758 and G2532 elders, G4245 and G2532 scribes, G1122 And G2532 Annas G452 the high priest, G749 and G2532 Caiaphas, G2533 and G2532 John, G2491 and G2532 Alexander, G223 and G2532 as many as G3745 were G2258 of G1537 the kindred G1085 of the high priest, G748 were gathered together G4863 at G1519 Jerusalem. G2419
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Jeremiah 19
Commentary on Jeremiah 19 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 19
Jer 19:1-15. The Desolation of the Jews for Their Sins Foretold in the Valley of Hinnom; the Symbol of Breaking a Bottle.
Referred by Maurer, &c., to the beginning of Zedekiah's reign.
1. bottle—Hebrew, bakuk, so called from the gurgling sound which it makes when being emptied.
ancients—elders. As witnesses of the symbolic action (Jer 19:10; Isa 8:1, 2), that the Jews might not afterwards plead ignorance of the prophecy. The seventy-two elders, composing the Sanhedrim, or Great Council, were taken partly from "the priests," partly from the other tribes, that is, "the people," the former presiding over spiritual matters, the latter over civil; the seventy-two represented the whole people.
2. valley of the son of Hinnom—or Tophet, south of Jerusalem, where human victims were offered, and children made to pass through the fire, in honor of Molech.
east gate—Margin, "sun gate," sunrise being in the east. Maurer translates, the "potter's gate." Through it lay the road to the valley of Hinnom (Jos 15:8). The potters there formed vessels for the use of the temple, which was close by (compare Jer 19:10, 14; Jer 18:2; Zec 11:13). The same as "the water gate toward the east" (Ne 3:26; 12:37); so called from the brook Kedron. Calvin translates, as English Version and Margin. "It was monstrous perversity to tread the law under foot in so conspicuous a place, over which the sun daily rising reminded them of the light of God's law."
3. The scene of their guilt is chosen as the scene of the denunciation against them.
kings—the king and queen (Jer 13:18); or including the king's counsellors and governors under him.
tingle—as if struck by a thunder peal (1Sa 3:11; 2Ki 21:12).
4. (Isa 65:11).
estranged this place—devoted it to the worship of strange gods: alienating a portion of the sacred city from God, the rightful Lord of the temple, city, and whole land.
nor their fathers—namely, the godly among them; their ungodly fathers God makes no account of.
blood of innocents—slain in honor of Molech (Jer 7:31; Ps 106:37).
5. commanded not—nay, more, I commanded the opposite (Le 18:21; see Jer 7:31, 32).
6. no more … Tophet—from Hebrew, toph, "drum"; for in sacrificing children to Molech drums were beaten to drown their cries. Thus the name indicated the joy of the people at the fancied propitiation of the god by this sacrifice; in antithesis to its joyless name subsequently.
valley of slaughter—It should be the scene of slaughter, no longer of children, but of men; not of "innocents" (Jer 19:4), but of those who richly deserved their fate. The city could not be assailed without first occupying the valley of Hinnom, in which was the only fountain: hence arose the violent battle there.
7. make void the counsel—defeat their plans for repelling the enemy (2Ch 32:1-4; Isa 19:3; 22:9, 11). Or their schemes of getting help by having recourse to idols [Calvin].
in this place—The valley of Hinnom was to be the place of the Chaldean encampment; the very place where they looked for help from idols was to be the scene of their own slaughter.
8. (See on Jer 18:16).
9. (De 28:53; La 4:10).
10. break … bottle—a symbolical action, explained in Jer 19:11.
the men—the elders of the people and of the priests (Jer 19:1; compare Jer 51:63, 64).
11. as one breaketh a potter's vessel—expressing God's absolute sovereignty (Jer 18:6; Ps 2:9; Isa 30:14, Margin; La 4:2; Ro 9:20, 21).
cannot be made whole again—A broken potter's vessel cannot be restored, but a new one may be made of the same material. So God raised a new Jewish seed, not identical with the destroyed rebels, but by substituting another generation in their stead [Grotius].
no place to bury—(Jer 7:32).
12. make this city as Tophet—that is, as defiled with dead bodies as Tophet.
13. shall be defiled—with dead bodies (Jer 19:12; 2Ki 23:10).
because of all the houses—Rather, (explanatory of the previous "the houses … and … houses"), "even all the houses," &c. [Calvin].
roofs—being flat, they were used as high places for sacrifices to the sun and planets (Jer 32:29; 2Ki 23:11, 12; Zep 1:5). The Nabateans, south and east of the Dead Sea, a nation most friendly to the Jews, according to Strabo, had the same usage.
14. court of the Lord's house—near Tophet; the largest court, under the open air, where was the greatest crowd (2Ch 20:5).
15. her towns—the suburban villages and towns near Jerusalem, such as Bethany.