Under the type of breaking a potter's vessel is foreshewed the desolation of the Jews for their sins.
1THUS saith the LORD, Go and get a 1potter’s earthen 2bottle, and 3take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests;
1 Hebr. pot, pitcher or bottle of a maker of a potsherd or earthen vessel, that is, a bottle that is made by a potter. Other, a potter’s earthen bottle, so that the word, that signifies a potsherd or earthen vessel, is added to the word pot, and the word former (as elsewhere) is only used for a potter; the matter agreeing in both renderings.
2 Hebr. bakbuk, which signifies a pitcher, bottle, or any drinking or water-vessel, having its name from a hollow emptiness, or from emptying. See on verse 7. What this earthen bottle signifies, see verses 10 and 11.
3 See verse 10.
2And go forth unto the valley of the 4son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the 5east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,
4 As Jer. 7:31. See 2 Kings 23 on verse 10.
5 Hebr. the sun gate; thus called (according to the opinion of some) because it was in the east of the court of the temple, whereof verse 14. See also Neh. 3:29.Yet others take it rather that it was so called, because it stood in the south toward the heat of the sun at noonday, where the valley of Hinnom was situated, Joshua 15:8.
3And say, Hear ye the word of the LORD, O 6kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the LORD of 7hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring 8evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his 9ears shall tingle.a
6 That is, king with his princes and rulers, as some do understand this. Compare Jer. 46:25. Otherwise it may also be applied to the present king and his successors, unto the Babylonian captivity.
7 See 1 Kings 18 on verse 15.
8 That is, a plague of misery, mishap.
9 See 2 Kings 21 on verse 12.
a 1 Sam. 3:11; 2 Kings 21:12.
4Because they have forsakenb me, and have 10estranged 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 bloodc of innocents;
b Isa. 65:11; Jer. 2:13, 17, 19; 5:7, 19; 15:6; 17:13.
10 From Me, dedicating it to other gods, and filling it with such abominations that I own it no more to be Mine.
c Jer. 7:6.
5They have built also the high places of 11Baal, to burn their sons with 12fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, 13which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:
11 A common surname of idols, see Judges 2 on verse 11, which is here also given unto Molech.
12 See Lev. 18 on verse 21.
13 See Jer. 7:31, 32.
6Therefore, behold, thed 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.
d Jer. 7:32.
7And I will make 14void the 15counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the 16hands of them that seek their lives: and their 17carcases will I give to be meat for thee fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
14 Hebr. make empty or empty, as a bottle is emptied so that there is no more moisture in it. The meaning is: I will make them quite desperate and void of counsel; I will bring all their counsel and consultations to nought. This seems to refer to the pitcher or bottle (whereof verses 1 and 10) having its name from emptying.
15 Whereby they think to escape the force and violence of the Babylonians.
16 That is, by the force of them that seek their life. See 2 Sam. 4 on verse 8. Also verse 9.
17 Hebr. dead body; as often.
e Jer. 15:3; 16:4.
8And I will make this city 18desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof.
18 See Jer. 18:16.
9Andf 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.
f Lev. 26:29; Deut. 28:53; Lam. 4:10.
10Then shalt 19thou break the 20bottle in the sight of the men that go 21with thee,
19 Words of God to Jeremiah.
20 Of which verse 1.
21 See verse 1.
11And 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 22whole again: and they 23shall burygthem in Tophet, till there be no place to bury.
22 Hebr. be healed, cured.
23 See Jer. 7:32.
g Jer. 7:32.
12Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as 24Tophet:
24 An unclean, horrible place. See the next verse and Jer. 7 on verse 32.
13And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, 25because of all the houses upon whose 26roofs they have burned incense unto all the 27host of heaven, and have 28poured out drinkh offerings unto other gods.
25 Other, for or because of.
26 Because they were flat. See Deut. 22 on verse 8; Jer. 32:29.
27 As Jer. 8:2.
28 As Jer. 7:18.
h Jer. 7:18.
14Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he 29stood in the court of the LORD’S 30house; and said to all the people,
29 Or, he set himself, went or stayed.
30 That is, the temple; in whose court the congregation assembled.
15Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all 31her towns all the 32evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their 33necks,i that they might not 34hear my words.
31 Which are resorted under her as the capital city of Judah.
32 As verse 3.
33 See Jer. 7:26.
i Jer. 7:26; 17:23.
34 That is, obey.