13 And the houses H1004 of Jerusalem, H3389 and the houses H1004 of the kings H4428 of Judah, H3063 shall be defiled H2931 as the place H4725 of Tophet, H8612 because of all the houses H1004 upon whose roofs H1406 they have burned incense H6999 unto all the host H6635 of heaven, H8064 and have poured out H5258 drink offerings H5262 unto other H312 gods. H430
And the altars H4196 that were on the top H1406 of the upper chamber H5944 of Ahaz, H271 which the kings H4428 of Judah H3063 had made, H6213 and the altars H4196 which Manasseh H4519 had made H6213 in the two H8147 courts H2691 of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 did the king H4428 beat down, H5422 and brake them down H7323 from thence, and cast H7993 the dust H6083 of them into the brook H5158 Kidron. H6939
And the Chaldeans, H3778 that fight H3898 against this city, H5892 shall come H935 and set H3341 fire H784 on this city, H5892 and burn H8313 it with the houses, H1004 upon whose roofs H1406 they have offered incense H6999 unto Baal, H1168 and poured out H5258 drink offerings H5262 unto other H312 gods, H430 to provoke me to anger. H3707
The children H1121 gather H3950 wood, H6086 and the fathers H1 kindle H1197 the fire, H784 and the women H802 knead H3888 their dough, H1217 to make H6213 cakes H3561 to the queen H4446 of heaven, H8064 and to pour out H5258 drink offerings H5262 unto other H312 gods, H430 that they may provoke me to anger. H3707
And them that worship H7812 the host H6635 of heaven H8064 upon the housetops; H1406 and them that worship H7812 and that swear H7650 by the LORD, H3068 and that swear H7650 by Malcham; H4428
And lest thou lift up H5375 thine eyes H5869 unto heaven, H8064 and when thou seest H7200 the sun, H8121 and the moon, H3394 and the stars, H3556 even all the host H6635 of heaven, H8064 shouldest be driven H5080 to worship H7812 them, and serve H5647 them, which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath divided H2505 unto all nations H5971 under the whole heaven. H8064
They have cast H7971 fire H784 into thy sanctuary, H4720 they have defiled H2490 by casting down the dwelling place H4908 of thy name H8034 to the ground. H776
And I will give H5414 it into the hands H3027 of the strangers H2114 for a prey, H957 and to the wicked H7563 of the earth H776 for a spoil; H7998 and they shall pollute H2490 it. My face H6440 will I turn H5437 also from them, and they shall pollute H2490 my secret H6845 place: for the robbers H6530 shall enter H935 into it, and defile H2490 it.
For when I had brought H935 them into the land, H776 for the which I lifted up H5375 mine hand H3027 to give H5414 it to them, then they saw H7200 every high H7311 hill, H1389 and all the thick H5687 trees, H6086 and they offered H2076 there their sacrifices, H2077 and there they presented H5414 the provocation H3708 of their offering: H7133 there also they made H7760 their sweet H5207 savour, H7381 and poured out H5258 there their drink offerings. H5262
Then G1161 God G2316 turned, G4762 and G2532 gave G3860 them G846 up G3860 to worship G3000 the host G4756 of heaven; G3772 as it G2531 is written G1125 in G1722 the book G976 of the prophets, G4396 O ye house G3624 of Israel, G2474 have ye offered G3361 G4374 to me G3427 slain beasts G4968 and G2532 sacrifices G2378 by the space of forty G5062 years G2094 in G1722 the wilderness? G2048
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.