Jeremiah19
English Standard Version
1 the Lord, , a , and take of the of the and of the of the ,
2and to the of the of at the of the , and the I you.
3You shall , the of the Lord, O of and of . the Lord of , the of : , I am such the of who of it will .
4 the people have me and have by making in it to they nor their nor the of have ; and because they have with the of ,
5and have the of to their in the as to , I did , did it into my —
6 , , are , the Lord, when shall be , or the of the of , the of .
7And in I will the of and , and will cause their people to by the their , and by the of those who their . I will their for to the of the and to the of the .
8And I will a , a thing to be . who it will be and will of its .
9And I will make them the of their their , and shall the of his in the and in the , with their and those who their them.
10Then you shall the in the of the who with you,
11and shall to them, the Lord of : will I and , a , so it be . Men shall in there will be else to .
12 will I to , the Lord, and to its , like .
13The of and the of the of — the on offerings have been to all the of , and have been to —shall be like the of .
14Then , the Lord had him to , and he in the of the Lord ’s and to the :
15 the Lord of , the of , , I am upon and its the I have it, because they have their , to my .
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Jeremiah 19.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: By the type of breaking an earthen vessel, Jeremiah is to predict the destruction of Judah. (1-15).
vv1-9
The prophet must give notice of ruin coming upon Judah and Jerusalem. Both rulers and ruled must attend to it. That place which holiness made the joy of the whole earth, sin made the reproach and shame of the whole earth. There is no fleeing from God's justice, but by fleeing to his mercy.
vv10-15
The potter's vessel, after it is hardened, can never be pieced again when it is broken. And as the bottle was broken, so shall Judah and Jerusalem be broken by the Chaldeans. No human hand can repair it; but if they return to the Lord he will heal. As they filled Tophet with the slain sacrificed to their idols, so will God fill the whole city with the slain that shall fall as sacrifices to his justice. Whatever men may think, God will appear as terrible against sin and sinners as the Scriptures state; nor shall the unbelief of men make his promise or his threatenings of no effect. The obstinacy of sinners in sinful ways, is their own fault; if they are deaf to the word of God, it is because they have stopped their ears. We have need to pray that God, by his grace, would deliver us from hardness of heart, and contempt of his word and commandments.
Key Words
כֹּה: properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
הָלַךְ: to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
קָנָה: to erect, i.e. create; by extension, to procure, especially by purchase (causatively, sell); by implication to own
יָצַר: to mould into a form; especially as apotter; figuratively, to determine (i.e. form a resolution)
חֶרֶשׂ: a piece of pottery
בַּקְבֻּק: a bottle (from the gurgling in emptying)
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
זָקֵן: old
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
Cross References
Jeremiah 19Textual idiom where catastrophic judgment causes the ears of everyone who hears it to tingle.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Identical phrasing used of Jerusalem's destruction under Manasseh, whose sins are judged here.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel indictment of burning children to Baal/Molech in Topheth, which God commanded not.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Fulfillment of the covenant curse where parents eat the flesh of their own children.
Supported by JFB
Echoes the Messianic and divine authority to shatter rebellious nations like a potter's vessel.
Supported by JFB
Calvin contrasts this completed vessel's irreversible breaking with the malleable clay of chapter 18.
Supported by John Calvin
Provides the geographical origin of the valley of Hinnom as a boundary in Joshua.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Repeats the condemnation of building high places of Baal to sacrifice children in Hinnom.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Historical account of King Josiah defiling Topheth in Hinnom to end child sacrifice.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels the breaking of a potter's vessel so completely that no useful shred remains.
Supported by JFB
Identical threat of unburied carcasses becoming food for birds and wild beasts.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Another symbolic action of throwing a book/stone to represent irreversible civic destruction.
Supported by JFB
Condemns the specific practice of worshipping the host of heaven on house roofs.
Supported by JFB
Identifies the court of the Lord's house as the primary public gathering place.
Supported by JFB