Bible Commentaries

Verse 1

Thus saith the LORD, Go and get a potter's earthen bottle, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests;

A. M. 3397. B.C. 607. Go

10,11; 18:2-4; 32:14; Isaiah 30:14; *marg:; Lamentations 4:2; 2 Corinthians 4:7

the ancients of the people

26:17; Numbers 11:16; 1 Chronicles 24:4-6; Ezekiel 8:11,12; 9:6; Matthew 26:3; 27:1,41,42; Acts 4:5,6

Reciprocal: Judges 7:19 - brake; Isaiah 7:11 - a sign; Isaiah 20:2 - Go; Isaiah 30:29 - Ye shall; Jeremiah 13:1 - Go; Jeremiah 26:12 - The Lord; Jeremiah 27:2 - put; Jeremiah 43:9 - great; Ezekiel 4:1 - take; Ezekiel 12:3 - prepare; Hosea 12:10 - used

Verse 2

And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,

the valley

7:31,32; 32:35; Joshua 15:8; 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6

east-gate

Heb. sun-gate.

Nehemiah 3:29

and proclaim

1:7; 3:12; 7:2; 11:6; 26:2; Proverbs 1:20-22; Ezekiel 3:10,11; Jonah 3:2; Matthew 10:27; Acts 5:20; 20:27

Reciprocal: Joshua 18:16 - the valley of the son; 2 Chronicles 29:4 - east street; Nehemiah 11:30 - the valley; Isaiah 7:3 - Go forth; Jeremiah 2:2 - cry; Jeremiah 17:19 - General; Jeremiah 18:2 - and go; Jeremiah 19:6 - this; Jeremiah 19:14 - from; Jeremiah 20:3 - hath; Ezekiel 40:6 - unto

Verse 3

And say, Hear ye the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle.

Hear

13:18; 17:20; Psalms 2:10; 102:15; 110:5; Matthew 10:18; Revelation 2:29

his ears

1 Samuel 3:11; 4:16-18; 2 Kings 21:12,13; Isaiah 28:19

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 29:26 - they went; 2 Chronicles 18:18 - hear the word; 2 Chronicles 34:24 - I will bring; Isaiah 7:3 - Go forth; Jeremiah 2:4 - Hear ye; Jeremiah 7:2 - Hear; Jeremiah 11:11 - I will bring; Jeremiah 19:14 - from; Jeremiah 22:2 - Hear; Jeremiah 25:18 - Jerusalem; Jeremiah 44:3 - of their; Lamentations 4:11 - Lord; Hosea 2:2 - Plead with; Hosea 4:1 - Hear; Matthew 21:33 - Hear

Verse 4

Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

they have

2:13,17,19,34; 5:6; 15:6; 16:11; 17:13; Deuteronomy 28:20; 31:16-18; Deuteronomy 32:15-23; 2 Kings 22:16,17; Isaiah 65:11; Daniel 9:5-15

estranged

2 Kings 21:4,5,7; 23:11,12; 2 Chronicles 33:4-7

burned

7:9; 11:13; 18:15; 32:29-35; Deuteronomy 13:6,13; 28:36,64; 32:17

filled

2:30,34; 7:31,32; 22:17; 26:15,23; 2 Kings 21:6,16; 24:4; Isaiah 59:7; Lamentations 4:13; Matthew 23:34,35; Luke 11:50; Revelation 16:6

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 18:10 - maketh; Deuteronomy 32:27 - lest their; Jeremiah 1:16 - who have; Jeremiah 44:3 - of their; Jeremiah 51:5 - though; Ezekiel 8:17 - for

Verse 5

They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:

the high

Numbers 22:41

to burn

7:31; Deuteronomy 12:31; 2 Kings 17:17; 2 Chronicles 28:3; Psalms 106:37,38; Ezekiel 16:20,21; Ezekiel 20:26

which

7:31,32; 32:35; Leviticus 18:21

neither

Ezekiel 38:10; Daniel 2:29

Reciprocal: Genesis 22:12 - Lay; Leviticus 10:1 - which; Deuteronomy 17:3 - which; Jeremiah 11:13 - up altars; Jeremiah 18:15 - to walk; Ezekiel 20:31 - ye offer; Micah 6:7 - shall; Romans 11:4 - Baal

Verse 6

Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter.

this

2,11; 7:32,33; Joshua 15:8; Isaiah 30:33

Reciprocal: Joshua 18:16 - the valley of the son; 2 Kings 23:10 - Topheth; Nehemiah 11:30 - the valley; Jeremiah 7:31 - the high; Jeremiah 14:16 - be cast; Jeremiah 20:3 - hath; Jeremiah 32:35 - they built

Verse 7

And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

I will make

Job 5:12,13; Psalms 33:10,11; Proverbs 21:30; Isaiah 8:10; 28:17,18; 30:1-3; Lamentations 3:37; Romans 3:31; 4:14

I will cause

9:21; 15:2,9; 18:21; 22:25; 46:26; Leviticus 26:17; Deuteronomy 28:25

and their

7:33; 8:2; 9:22; 16:4; 22:19; 34:20; Deuteronomy 28:26; Psalms 79:2,3; Revelation 19:18-21

Reciprocal: Isaiah 3:25 - Thy men; Jeremiah 6:21 - fathers; Jeremiah 14:16 - be cast; Jeremiah 20:8 - I cried; Jeremiah 22:6 - surely; Jeremiah 24:10 - General; Jeremiah 32:28 - Behold; Jeremiah 35:17 - Behold

Verse 8

And I will make this city desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof.

9:9-11; 18:16; 25:18; 49:13; 50:13; Leviticus 26:32; 1 Kings 9:8; 2 Chronicles 7:20,21; Lamentations 2:15,16; Zephaniah 2:15

Reciprocal: Exodus 9:14 - send all; Deuteronomy 28:46 - a sign; 2 Chronicles 29:8 - to astonishment; Job 27:23 - hiss him; Jeremiah 12:11 - made it; Jeremiah 22:6 - surely; Jeremiah 24:9 - to be a; Jeremiah 29:18 - to be a curse; Jeremiah 51:37 - an hissing; Lamentations 3:11 - he hath made; Ezekiel 5:14 - I will; Ezekiel 27:36 - hiss; Micah 6:16 - that

Verse 9

And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them.

eat the

Leviticus 26:29; Deuteronomy 28:53-57; 2 Kings 6:26-29; Isaiah 9:20; Lamentations 2:20; 4:10; Ezekiel 5:10

Reciprocal: Isaiah 36:12 - that they may; Jeremiah 13:14 - I will dash; Jeremiah 52:6 - the famine; Lamentations 1:11 - seek; Lamentations 3:51 - the daughters; Lamentations 4:3 - the daughter; Zechariah 11:9 - and let; James 5:3 - and shall

Verse 10

Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee,

48:12; 51:63,64

Reciprocal: Isaiah 7:11 - a sign; Isaiah 30:14 - he shall break; Jeremiah 19:1 - Go; Jeremiah 25:34 - ye shall; Ezekiel 21:6 - before; Hosea 12:10 - used; Acts 21:11 - he took

Verse 11

And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury.

Even

13:14; Psalms 2:9; Isaiah 30:14; Lamentations 4:2; Revelation 2:27

made whole

Heb. healed. bury.

6; 7:31,32

Reciprocal: Joshua 18:16 - the valley of the son; 2 Kings 23:10 - Topheth; Proverbs 6:15 - he be; Isaiah 30:33 - Tophet; Jeremiah 19:1 - Go; Jeremiah 31:40 - the whole; Jeremiah 39:16 - Behold; Jeremiah 51:63 - thou shalt bind; Ezekiel 12:20 - General; Micah 6:9 - Lord's; Acts 21:11 - he took

Verse 12

Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet:

make

lit. give.

Jeremiah 10:13; 11:5

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 39:16 - Behold

Verse 13

And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.

defiled

2 Kings 23:10,12,14; Psalms 74:7; 79:1; Ezekiel 7:21,22

upon

32:29; 2 Kings 23:12; Zephaniah 1:5

have poured

7:18

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 4:19 - the host; Deuteronomy 22:8 - thy roof; 1 Samuel 9:25 - the top; 2 Samuel 11:2 - the roof of; 2 Chronicles 28:3 - the valley; 2 Chronicles 33:3 - the host; Nehemiah 8:16 - the roof; Isaiah 15:3 - on the; Isaiah 57:6 - to them; Jeremiah 7:32 - for; Jeremiah 8:2 - and all; Jeremiah 44:5 - burn; Jeremiah 44:17 - as we; Luke 5:19 - housetop; Acts 7:42 - the host

Verse 14

Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the LORD'S house; and said to all the people,

from

2,3

he stood

17:19; 26:2; 2 Chronicles 20:5; 24:20,21; Luke 21:37,38; Acts 5:20

Reciprocal: Joshua 15:8 - valley of the son; Jeremiah 7:2 - Stand; Jeremiah 20:2 - smote; Jeremiah 25:2 - General; Jeremiah 28:5 - the house; Jeremiah 36:6 - the words

Verse 15

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.

because

7:26; 17:23; 35:15-17; 2 Chronicles 36:16,17; Nehemiah 9:17,29; Zechariah 7:11-14; Acts 7:51,52

hardened

This is a metaphor taken from unruly and unbroken oxen, who resist the yoke, and break and run away with their gears.

that they

Psalms 58:2-5 Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 34:24 - I will bring; Nehemiah 9:16 - hardened; Isaiah 48:4 - obstinate; Jeremiah 11:11 - I will bring; Jeremiah 11:17 - pronounced; Jeremiah 20:2 - smote; Jeremiah 20:4 - I will give; Jeremiah 25:2 - General; Jeremiah 25:4 - ye; Jeremiah 36:7 - for; Jeremiah 36:31 - will bring; Daniel 5:20 - hardened; Acts 5:20 - stand; Acts 19:9 - divers