Jeremiah 19: A Potter's Vessel Broken
Thus saith the Lord, Go and get a potter’s earthen bottle, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests;
And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,
And say, Hear ye the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle.
Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged 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 blood of innocents;
They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:
Therefore, behold, the 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.
And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
And I will make this city desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof.
And 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.
Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee,
And 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 whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury.
Thus will I do unto this place, saith the Lord, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet:
And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.
Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the Lord had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the Lord’s house; and said to all the people,
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.
Jeremiah 19 serves as a powerful and disturbing visual sermon, underscoring God's unwavering determination to judge Judah for its persistent idolatry and wickedness. This chapter vividly portrays the impending doom through symbolic actions and chilling prophecies, leaving a lasting impression on both the prophet's audience and readers throughout history.
The Broken Jar and the Valley of Slaughter (Jeremiah 19:1-9)
The Lord initiates this dramatic scene by instructing Jeremiah to purchase a potter's clay jar (Jeremiah 19:1). This seemingly simple object becomes a potent symbol of Judah's fragility and impending destruction. To amplify the impact of his message, Jeremiah is directed to gather a group of Judah's leaders, both civil and priestly, and lead them to the Valley of Hinnom, specifically near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate (Jeremiah 19:1-2).
The location itself is significant. The Potsherd Gate earned its name because it was the route through which broken pottery was discarded, highlighting the uselessness and disposability of shattered vessels. The Valley of Hinnom, however, carries a far darker connotation. It was the very place where the Judeans had committed the unspeakable act of sacrificing their children to pagan idols (see Jeremiah 7:31). This valley, steeped in unholiness and the stench of idolatry, serves as the stage for Jeremiah's prophetic pronouncements.
In this defiled place, Jeremiah delivers a scathing indictment against Judah (Jeremiah 19:3-9). He condemns the people for their idolatrous practices, particularly their burning of incense to false gods in Jerusalem and their horrific offering of children as burnt offerings to Baal. God emphasizes the depth of His abhorrence by stating that such practices had never even entered His mind (Jeremiah 19:4-5).
As a direct consequence of these detestable acts, God declares that the Valley of Hinnom would be renamed the "Valley of Slaughter" (Jeremiah 19:6-7). The prophecy details a gruesome future where the dead bodies of Judah's slain will pile up, becoming food for birds and wild animals. The horror of Jerusalem's fate will be so profound that other nations will gasp in disbelief and ridicule its people (Jeremiah 19:8).
Adding another layer of horror, God warns of cannibalism within Jerusalem as the Babylonian siege cuts off the city's food supply (Jeremiah 19:9). This chilling prophecy paints a picture of utter desperation and the complete breakdown of societal order.
The Shattered Vessel and the Message of Doom (Jeremiah 19:10-15)
To visually reinforce the message, Jeremiah is instructed to smash the clay jar in the sight of those present (Jeremiah 19:10). This act serves as a powerful metaphor: as the jar is irrevocably shattered, so too will the Lord shatter the people and the city of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 19:11). There will be no mending, no restoration, only complete and utter destruction.
Jeremiah delivers this pronouncement at Topheth (Jeremiah 19:14), a specific location within the Hinnom Valley where the people had built high places for child sacrifice (see Jeremiah 7:31). God vows that this impure place, once used for sacrificing life, will become a mass grave for the dead (Jeremiah 19:11-13).
The image of the shattered pieces of the jar lying at Jeremiah's feet provides a stark and unforgettable illustration of the fate awaiting Judah. After this dramatic demonstration, Jeremiah returns to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 19:14-15) to deliver the same message of impending disaster to all the people, ensuring that no one remains ignorant of the judgment to come. The message is clear: Judah's persistent rebellion has sealed its fate, and only repentance can avert the prophesied destruction.
Thus saith the Lord, Go and get a potter’s earthen bottle, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests;
And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,
And say, Hear ye the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle.
Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged 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 blood of innocents;
They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:
Therefore, behold, the 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.
And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
And I will make this city desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof.
And 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.
Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee,
And 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 whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury.
Thus will I do unto this place, saith the Lord, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet:
And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.
Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the Lord had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the Lord’s house; and said to all the people,
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.
Jeremiah 19 serves as a powerful and disturbing visual sermon, underscoring God's unwavering determination to judge Judah for its persistent idolatry and wickedness. This chapter vividly portrays the impending doom through symbolic actions and chilling prophecies, leaving a lasting impression on both the prophet's audience and readers throughout history.
The Broken Jar and the Valley of Slaughter (Jeremiah 19:1-9)
The Lord initiates this dramatic scene by instructing Jeremiah to purchase a potter's clay jar (Jeremiah 19:1). This seemingly simple object becomes a potent symbol of Judah's fragility and impending destruction. To amplify the impact of his message, Jeremiah is directed to gather a group of Judah's leaders, both civil and priestly, and lead them to the Valley of Hinnom, specifically near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate (Jeremiah 19:1-2).
The location itself is significant. The Potsherd Gate earned its name because it was the route through which broken pottery was discarded, highlighting the uselessness and disposability of shattered vessels. The Valley of Hinnom, however, carries a far darker connotation. It was the very place where the Judeans had committed the unspeakable act of sacrificing their children to pagan idols (see Jeremiah 7:31). This valley, steeped in unholiness and the stench of idolatry, serves as the stage for Jeremiah's prophetic pronouncements.
In this defiled place, Jeremiah delivers a scathing indictment against Judah (Jeremiah 19:3-9). He condemns the people for their idolatrous practices, particularly their burning of incense to false gods in Jerusalem and their horrific offering of children as burnt offerings to Baal. God emphasizes the depth of His abhorrence by stating that such practices had never even entered His mind (Jeremiah 19:4-5).
As a direct consequence of these detestable acts, God declares that the Valley of Hinnom would be renamed the "Valley of Slaughter" (Jeremiah 19:6-7). The prophecy details a gruesome future where the dead bodies of Judah's slain will pile up, becoming food for birds and wild animals. The horror of Jerusalem's fate will be so profound that other nations will gasp in disbelief and ridicule its people (Jeremiah 19:8).
Adding another layer of horror, God warns of cannibalism within Jerusalem as the Babylonian siege cuts off the city's food supply (Jeremiah 19:9). This chilling prophecy paints a picture of utter desperation and the complete breakdown of societal order.
The Shattered Vessel and the Message of Doom (Jeremiah 19:10-15)
To visually reinforce the message, Jeremiah is instructed to smash the clay jar in the sight of those present (Jeremiah 19:10). This act serves as a powerful metaphor: as the jar is irrevocably shattered, so too will the Lord shatter the people and the city of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 19:11). There will be no mending, no restoration, only complete and utter destruction.
Jeremiah delivers this pronouncement at Topheth (Jeremiah 19:14), a specific location within the Hinnom Valley where the people had built high places for child sacrifice (see Jeremiah 7:31). God vows that this impure place, once used for sacrificing life, will become a mass grave for the dead (Jeremiah 19:11-13).
The image of the shattered pieces of the jar lying at Jeremiah's feet provides a stark and unforgettable illustration of the fate awaiting Judah. After this dramatic demonstration, Jeremiah returns to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 19:14-15) to deliver the same message of impending disaster to all the people, ensuring that no one remains ignorant of the judgment to come. The message is clear: Judah's persistent rebellion has sealed its fate, and only repentance can avert the prophesied destruction.