INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 19 In this chapter is foreshadowed, represented, and confirmed, the destruction of Jerusalem, by the breaking of a potter's vessel the prophet had in his hand; and by the place where he was bid to do this, and did it. The order for it, and the witnesses of it, and the place... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD, GO AND GET A POTTER'S EARTHEN BOTTLE,.... From the potter's house, where he had lately been; and where he had been shown, in an emblematic way, what God would do in a short time with the Jews; and which is here further illustrated by this emblem: or, "go and get", or "buy, a bot... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GO FORTH INTO THE VALLEY OF THE SON OF HINNOM,.... To whom it formerly belonged, and so it was called as early as Joshua's time, Joshua 15:8; from the faith and abomination of the place, and the shocking torments here exercised, "hell", from hence, in the New Testament, is called "Gehenna": her... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAY, HEAR YE THE WORD OF THE LORD, O KINGS OF JUDAH,.... The king and his queen; or the king and his sons; or the king and his princes, and nobles; for there was but one king reigning at a time in Judah, and the present king was Zedekiah; see Jeremiah 21:1; AND INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM; the eld... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE THEY HAVE FORSAKEN ME,.... My worship, as the Targum; they had apostatized from God, relinquished his service, neglected and despised his word and ordinances, and left the religion they had been brought up in, and was agreeable to the will of God. This, with what follows, contain reasons of... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY HAVE ALSO BUILT THE HIGH PLACES OF BAAL,.... Or, they have even built, c. and so the words explain what is before suggested of their idolatry these were the temples in which they placed his image, and the altars on which they sacrificed to him; as follows: TO BURN THEIR SONS WITH FIRE, [FOR] B... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE, BEHOLD, THE DAYS COME, SAITH THE LORD,.... Or, "are coming" o; a little while and it will come to pass, what follows; to which a "behold" is prefixed, as calling for attention and admiration, as well as to assure of the certain performance of it: THAT THIS PLACE SHALL NO MORE BE CALLED T... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL MAKE VOID THE COUNSEL OF JUDAH AND JERUSALEM IN THIS PLACE,.... The counsel which they took in this place and agreed to, in offering their sons and daughters to idols; and which they took with these idols and their priests, from whom they expected assistance and relief; and all their sche... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL MAKE THIS CITY DESOLATE, AND AN HISSING,.... An hissing to its enemies; an hissing because desolate; when its walls should be broken down, its houses burnt with fire, and its inhabitants put to the sword, or carried captive: EVERYONE THAT PASSETH THEREBY SHALL BE ASTONISHED, AND HISS; su... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL CAUSE THEM TO EAT THE FLESH OF THEIR SONS, AND THE FLESH OF THEIR DAUGHTERS,.... For want of food; the famine should be so great and pressing. Jeremiah, that foretells this, was a witness of it, and has left it on record, Lamentations 4:10; AND THEY SHALL EAT EVERYONE THE FLESH OF HIS FR... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL THOU BREAK THE BOTTLE IN THE SIGHT OF THE MEN THAT GO WITH THEE. The earthen bottle he was bid to get of the potter, Jeremiah 19:1; this he is ordered to break in pieces before the eyes of the ancients of and of the priests that went with him out Jerusalem to Tophet, as an emblem of the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHALT SAY UNTO THEM, THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS,.... Of armies above and below; and so able to execute what he here threatens: EVEN SO WILL I BREAK THIS PEOPLE AND THIS CITY: the people, the inhabitants of this city, and that itself, by the sword, famine, burning, and captivity: AS [ONE] BRE... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS WILL I DO UNTO THIS PLACE, SAITH THE LORD, AND TO THE INHABITANTS THEREOF,.... To the city of Jerusalem and its inhabitants, as was done to the earthen bottle, and as before threatened: AND [EVEN], or also, MAKE THIS CITY AS TOPHET; as full of slaughtered men and women as that had been of the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE HOUSES OF JERUSALEM,.... Where the common people dwelt: AND THE HOUSES OF THE KINGS OF JUDAH; the palaces of the king, princes, and nobles of Judah, one as well as another: SHALL BE DEFILED OS TOPHET; as that was defiled with the bodies and bones of the slain, and with the faith of the cit... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN CAME JEREMIAH FROM TOPHET,.... When he had broke his earthen bottle, and delivered his prophecy before the elders of the people and priests: or, "from that Tophet" t, WHITHER THE LORD HAD SENT HIM TO PROPHESY; and whither he went and prophesied, according to his command; but now returned from... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL,.... Jeremiah 19:3; BEHOLD, I WILL BRING UPON THIS CITY, AND UPON ALL HER TOWNS: the city of Jerusalem, and all the cities and towns near it, even all the cities and towns in Judea; of which Jerusalem was the metropolis, and therefore called hers: A... [ Continue Reading ]