---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Jeremiah 19"
description: "CHAPTER 19   :-. THE
DESOLATION OF THE JEWS
FOR THEIR SINS
FORETOLD IN THE VALLEY
OF HINNOM; THE
SYMBOL OF BREAKING
A BOTTLE. Referred by MAURER,
&c.,"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/jeremiah/19"
---

CHAPTER 19

. 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 ([Jeremiah 19:10](../../../kjv/jeremiah/19/10);
[Isaiah 8:1](../../../kjv/isaiah/8/1); [Isaiah 8:2](../../../kjv/isaiah/8/2)),
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 ([Joshua 15:8](../../../kjv/joshua/15/8)).
The potters there formed vessels for the use of the temple, which was
close by (compare [Jeremiah 19:10](../../../kjv/jeremiah/19/10);
[Jeremiah 19:14](../../../kjv/jeremiah/19/14); [Jeremiah 18:2](../../../kjv/jeremiah/18/2);
[Zechariah 11:13](../../../kjv/zechariah/11/13)). The same as "*the
water gate* toward the east" ([Nehemiah 3:26](../../../kjv/nehemiah/3/26);
[Nehemiah 12:37](../../../kjv/nehemiah/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 ([Jeremiah 13:18](../../../kjv/jeremiah/13/18)); or
including the king's counsellors and governors under him.
**tingle**—as if struck by
a thunder peal ([1 Samuel 3:11](../../../kjv/1-samuel/3/11); [2 Kings 21:12](../../../kjv/2-kings/21/12)).

**4.** ().
**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 ([Jeremiah 7:31](../../../kjv/jeremiah/7/31);
[Psalms 106:37](../../../kjv/psalms/106/37)).

**5. commanded not**—nay, more, I
commanded the opposite ([Leviticus 18:21](../../../kjv/leviticus/18/21);
see [Jeremiah 7:31](../../../kjv/jeremiah/7/31); [Jeremiah 7:32](../../../kjv/jeremiah/7/32)).

**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" (), 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 ([2 Chronicles 32:1-4](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/32/1-4);
[Isaiah 19:3](../../../kjv/isaiah/19/3); [Isaiah 22:9](../../../kjv/isaiah/22/9);
[Isaiah 22:11](../../../kjv/isaiah/22/11)). 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 ).

**9.** ([Deuteronomy 28:53](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/28/53);
[Lamentations 4:10](../../../kjv/lamentations/4/10)).

**10. break . . . bottle**—a
symbolical action, explained in .
**the men**—the elders of
the people and of the priests (; compare [Jeremiah 51:63](../../../kjv/jeremiah/51/63);
[Jeremiah 51:64](../../../kjv/jeremiah/51/64)).

**11. as one breaketh a potter's
vessel**—expressing God's absolute sovereignty ([Jeremiah 18:6](../../../kjv/jeremiah/18/6);
[Psalms 2:9](../../../kjv/psalms/2/9); [Isaiah 30:14](../../../kjv/isaiah/30/14),
*Margin;* [Lamentations 4:2](../../../kjv/lamentations/4/2); [Romans 9:20](../../../kjv/romans/9/20);
[Romans 9:21](../../../kjv/romans/9/21)).
**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**— ([Romans 9:21](../../../kjv/romans/9/21)).

**12. make this city as Tophet**—that
is, as defiled with dead bodies as Tophet.

**13. shall be defiled**—with dead
bodies ([Jeremiah 19:12](../../../kjv/jeremiah/19/12); [2 Kings 23:10](../../../kjv/2-kings/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
([Jeremiah 32:29](../../../kjv/jeremiah/32/29) [2 Kings 23:11](../../../kjv/2-kings/23/11);
[2 Kings 23:12](../../../kjv/2-kings/23/12); [Zephaniah 1:5](../../../kjv/zephaniah/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 ([2 Chronicles 20:5](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/20/5)).

**15. her towns**—the suburban
villages and towns near Jerusalem, such as Bethany.

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