Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 1:13
And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof [is] toward the north.
13 16. The symbol of the caldron
13. a seething caldron ] An ordinary sight in daily life conveys a message to the prophet. In this second symbol the character of the future in store for the nation is more clearly brought out. The word sr, here rendered caldron, denotes a large vessel, as it could be used in preparing pottage for a considerable number (2Ki 4:38). It was also used for washing (Psa 60:8). The word rendered “seething” (boiling) is lit. blown, i.e. well heated, and so boiling.
the face thereof is from the north ] The expression is an awkward one, and the symbol has been explained in two ways. Either ( a) the spectator in the south sees the contents of the caldron ready to boil over in his direction, or, perhaps better (with a slight change in the Hebrew), ( b) the caldron is thought of as supported by stones on three of its sides, while the fourth, i.e. the north side, is open and is being fed with fuel from that side. If we accept ( a), the people in Judaea will receive the boiling contents, if ( b), the point will be that the fuel is supplied from the north and employed with hostile intent against the Jews, now themselves figuring as the contents of the vessel. Whichever view we take, an attack from the north is plainly indicated. For the application, as referring to a threatened invasion of Scythian hordes, see Intr. i. 3. Later, the danger from the north came to be the Empire of Babylon and the symbol would be equally suggestive. In earlier days, Assyrians had come from the north and carried the ten tribes captive. It was thus a region whose associations inspired dread.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The first vision was for the support of the prophets own faith during his long struggle with his countrymen: the second explains to him the general nature of his mission. He was to be the bearer of tidings of a great national calamity about to break forth item the north. He sees a caldron. It was a vessel of metal Eze 24:11, large enough to prepare the meal of a numerous community 2Ki 4:38, and broad at the top, as it was also used for washing purposes Psa 60:8. This caldron was boiling furiously.
The face … – More correctly the margin, i. e toward the south. We must suppose this caldron set upon a pile of inflammable materials. As they consume it settles down unevenly, with the highest side toward the north, so that its face is turned the other way and looks southward. Should it still continue so to settle, the time must finally come when it will be overturned, and will pour the whole mass of its boiling contents upon the south.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. A seething pot – toward the north.] We find, from Ezekiel, Eze 24:3, c., that a boiling pot was an emblem of war, and the desolations it produces. Some have thought that by the seething pot Judea is intended, agitated by the invasion of the Chaldeans, whose land lay north of Judea. But Dr. Blayney contends that mippeney tsaphonah should be translated, From the face of the north, as it is in the margin for, from the next verse, it appears that the evil was to come from the north; and therefore the steam, which was designed as an emblem of that evil, must have arisen from that quarter also. The pot denotes the empire of the Babylonians and Chaldeans lying to the north of Judea, and pouring forth its multitudes like a thick vapour, to overspread the land. Either of these interpretations will suit the text.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
After the smaller punishment from the Lord follows this of the boiling pot, by which understand Judea and Jerusalem, as may appear by the application that they themselves make of it in a way of scorn and derision, Eze 11:3,7. Some put the
face of the pot for the pot itself; as the face of the cold, the face of his anger, for cold and anger itself: q.d. I see a pot coming, meaning the Babylonian army flowing in upon them, like boiling or scalding water, as some interpret it: but this seems not to be so congruous to the vision; but rather thus, the Babylonians should besiege; as a fire plays round the furnace when it is to be made boil, so should these Chaldeans begirt it, as Jer 1:15, and reduce the inhabitants to most miserable extremities, with unspeakable cruelty, as if they were like flesh roasting by the fire, or boiling in a pot, as their sufferings are described, Mic 3:3.
The face, or front of the pot, or furnace, the place where the fire was put in or blowed up to make it boil; as a pot, hanged in the form of a furnace, seems to be all but one and the same pot or vessel, the face of which may be easily conceived to stand toward the north, not the mouth of the pot, for that looks directly upward, unless we conceive it to be represented in the vision leaning, of which conceit there is no need.
Is toward the north; indicating from whence their misery should come, Jer 1:14, viz. from Chaldea, which lay north from Jerusalem.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. Another vision, signifyingwhat is the “word” about to be “performed,” andby what instrumentality.
seethingliterally,”blown under”; so boiling by reason of the flameunder it kept brisk by blowing. An Oriental symbol of a raging war.
towardrather, “fromthe north.” Literally, “from the face of the regionsituated towards the north” (compare Jer 1:14;Jer 1:15) [MAURER].The pot in the north rested on one side, its mouth being about topour forth its contents southwards, namely, on Judea. Babylon, thougheast of Judea, was regarded by the Hebrews as north, because theyappropriated the term “east” to Arabia-Deserta, stretchingfrom Palestine to the Euphrates; or rather [BOCHART],the reference here is not to the site, but to the route of theBabylonians; not being able to cross the desert, they must enter theHoly Land by the northern frontier, through Riblah in Hamath (Jer 39:5;Jer 52:9).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time,…. In the same vision:
saying, what seest thou? besides the almond tree rod; which perhaps was now removed out of sight, and another object appears:
and I said, I see a seething pot; a pot with fire under it, boiling and bubbling up:
and the face thereof was towards the north; either the mouth of the pot where it boiled up, which might be turned to the north in the vision; or that side of the pot, as Kimchi thinks, on which the liquor was poured out; it may be that side of it on which the fire was put to cause it to boil; and so denotes from what quarter the fire came, and was put under it, and the wind that blew it up. The Targum paraphrases the words thus,
“and I said, I see a king boiling as a pot, and the banner of his army, which was brought and came from the north.”
The explanation follows:
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Seething Pot. – Jer 1:13. “ And there came to me the word of Jahveh for the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said: I see a seething-pot; and it looketh hither from the north. Jer 1:14. Then said Jahveh to me: From the north will trouble break forth upon all inhabitants of the land. Jer 1:15. For, behold, I call to all families of the kingdoms towards the north, saith Jahveh; that they come and set each his throne before the gates of Jerusalem, and against all her walls round about, and against all cities of Judah. Jer 1:16. And I will pronounce judgment against them for all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have offered odours to other gods, and worshipped the work of their hands.” is a large pot or caldron in which can be cooked vegetables or meat for many persons at once; cf. 2Ki 4:38., Eze 24:3. , fanned, blown upon, used of fire, Ezek. 21:36; Eze 22:20.; then by transference, seething, steaming, since the caldron under which fire is fanned steams, its contents boil; cf. Job 41:12. The of the pot is the side turned to the spectator (the prophet), the side towards the front. This is turned from the north this way, i.e., set so that its contents will run thence this way. , properly: towards the north; then, that which lies towards the north, or the northerly direction. In the interpretation of this symbol in Jer 1:14, , assonant to , is introduced, just as in Amo 8:2 is explained by ; so that there was no occasion for the conjecture of Houbig. and Graf: , it is fanned up; and against this we have Hitzig’s objection that the Hophal of never occurs. Equally uncalled for is Hitzig’s own conjecture, xaw%pt@f , it will steam, fume, be kindled; while against this we have the fact, that as to xpanf no evidence can be given for the meaning be kindled, and that we have no cases of such a mode of speaking as: the trouble is fuming, steaming up. The Arabian poetical saying: their pot steams or boils, i.e., a war is being prepared by them, is not sufficient to justify such a figure. We hold then for the correct reading, and decline to be led astray by the paraphrastic of the lxx, since gives a suitable sense. It is true, indeed, that usually means open; but an opening of the caldron by the removal of the lid is not (with Graf) to be thought of. But, again, has the derived sig. let loose, let off (cf. , Isa 14:17), from which there can be no difficulty in inferring for the Niph. the sig. be let loose, and in the case of trouble, calamity: break forth. That which is in the pot runs over as the heat increases, and pours itself on the hearth or ground. If the seething contents of the pot represent disaster, their running over will point to its being let loose, its breaking out. are the inhabitants of the land of Judah, as the interpretation in Jer 1:15 shows. In Jer 1:15 reference to the figure is given up, and the further meaning is given in direct statement. The Lord will call to all families of the kingdoms of the north, and they will come (= that they are to come). The kingdoms of the north are not merely the kingdoms of Syria, but in general those of Upper Asia; since all armies marching from the Euphrates towards Palestine entered the land from the north. , families, are the separate races of nations, hence often used in parallelism with ; cf. Jer 10:25; Nah 3:4. We must not conclude from this explanation of the vision seen that the seething pot symbolizes the Chaldeans themselves or the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar; such a figure would be too unnatural. The seething pot, whose contents boil over, symbolizes the disaster and ruin which the families of the kingdoms of the north will pour out on Judah.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Jeremiah begins now to address the people to whom he was sent as a Prophet. He has hitherto spoken of his calling, that the authority of his doctrine might be evident: and he spoke generally; but now he accommodates his teaching specially to the people. Hence he says, that he had a vision, and saw a boiling-pot, whose face was towards the north. By God asking, and the Prophet answering, the design was to confirm the prediction; for if it had been only said that he saw a boiling-pot, and if an explanation of the metaphor had been given, there would not have been so much force and weight in the narrative. But when God is set forth as being present, and explaining what the boiling-pot signified, the prediction becomes more certain: and the Prophet no doubt gave this narrative, in order to shew that God, being as it were present, thereby proved himself to he the Author of this prophecy.
Now the import of the whole is, that the Chaldeans would come to overthrow the city Jerusalem, to take away and abolish all the honor and dignity both of the kingdom and of the priesthood.
This indeed had been previously announced by Isaiah as well as by other prophets; but all their threatenings had been despised. While indeed Isaiah was living, the king of Babylon had secured the friendship of Hezekiah; and the Jews thought that his protection had been opportunely obtained against the Assyrians. But they did not consider that the hearts of men are ruled by the hand of God, and are turned as he pleases: nor did they consider that they had for many years provoked God, and that he was become their enemy. Since, then, all threatening had been despised and regarded with derision, Jeremiah came forth and declared, that the northern nations would come, the Assyrians as well as the Chaldeans. For we know that the one monarchy had been swallowed up by the other; and the Chaldeans ruled over the Assyrians; and thus it happened that the whole eastern empire, with the exception of the Medes and Persians, had passed over to them; and with respect to Judea, they were northward. Hence the Prophet says, that he saw a boiling-pot, having its face towards the north.
By the pot many understand the king of Babylon; but they seem not rightly to understand what the Prophet says: and I could easily disprove their interpretation, but I shall be satisfied with a simple statement of what is true; and the meaning will become evident as we proceed. The pot, then, as it will be presently seen more clearly, is the nation of the Jews: I say this now, as I do not wish to heap together too many things. They are said to be like a boiling-pot, because the Lord, as it were, boiled them, until they were reduced almost to nothing. It is said also, that the face of the pot was towards the north; because there, as Jeremiah immediately explains, was the fire kindled. And the comparison is very apposite; for when a pot is set on the fire, it boils on that side nearest the fire, and all the scum passes over to the other side. Hence he says that it boiled, but so that its mouth was on the north side; for there was the fire, and there was the blowing. In short, God intended to shew to his Prophet, that the people were like flesh which is cast into the pot, boiled, and afterwards burnt, or reduced after a long time almost to nothing. The Prophet saw the mouth or the face of the boiling-pot, and on the side on which it boiled it looked towards the north; hence God, the interpreter of the vision which he presented to his servant, answers and says, From the north shall break forth evil on all the inhabitants of the land, that is, of Judea. In these words God declares, that the fire was already kindled by the Chaldeans and the Assyrians, by which he would boil, as it were, his people like flesh, and at length wholly consume them, as it is commonly the case, when the flesh remains in the pot, and the fire is continually burning, and blowing is also added; the flesh must necessarily be reduced to nothing when thus boiled or seethed. (15)
(15) Most agree with Calvin, that the pot means the Jewish nation; so the learned Gataker in the Ass. Ann., Grotius, Henry, and Scott. There is some difference as to “its face.” The first of these authors, followed by the two last, thinks that the face means the front of the fire or the hearth, and therefore the front of the pot. This face or front was towards the north, signifying that the fuel and the blowing would be from that quarter, as it is afterwards stated. As to the metaphor, the pot, or cauldron, see Eze 11:3.
The version of the Geneva Bible is, “I see a seething-pot looking out of the north;” and the Chaldean army is regarded as the pot: and Blayn ey, following the marginal reading of our version, has given a similar rendering, “and the face thereof is turned from the north.” But מפני is a preposition, and rendered often, “from before,” and, “before,” (see note on verse 8;) and to say that its face was before the north means the same as towards the north: and this is the rendering of Jun. and Trem , and Piscator, “versus Aquilonem. ”
“
The boiling-pot” is a pot “kindled under- ὑποκαιόμενον,” by the Sept The literal rendering of סיר נפוח is, “a pot blown,“ meaning the fire under it. It was a pot set on a fire that was blown, and the front of it was toward the north, from whence the blowing came. The same word as a noun is used by Jeremiah in Jer 6:29, and signifies an instrument for blowing, and is rendered “bellows” in our version. It was then a pot set on a fire that was blown, which intimated the severe calamities which the Jews were soon to endure, as Grotius observes. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13) A seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.More correctly, from the north. The next symbol was one that set forth the darker side of the prophets work: a large cauldron (probably of metal) placed (as in Ezekiels vision, Eze. 24:3-11) on a great pile of burning wood, boiling and steaming, with its face turned from the north, and so on the point of emptying out its scalding contents towards the south. This was as strong a contrast as possible to the vernal beauty of the almond-bough, and told too plainly the terrors which were to be expected from the regions that lay to the north of the land of Israel, Assyria and Chalda. The flood of water at the boiling point went beyond the waters of the great river of Israels symbolism (Isa. 8:7).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. A seething pot Rather, a caldron. The attributive is participial in form, meaning literally “blown upon,” and hence is here well rendered by “seething.”
The face is toward the north Better, from “the north,” and so is seen as if pouring its burning contents over the land.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Sign Of The Boiling Cauldron ( Jer 1:13-19 ).
The second sign was that of a cauldron full of boiling liquid ready to be poured out on Judah from the north, a vivid picture of threatening judgment.
Jer 1:13
‘And the word of YHWH came to me the second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling cauldron, and its face is from the north.”
The second sign was a boiling cauldron ‘blown on’, thus heated by a fierce fire, with its ‘face’ (its opening) opening out from the north, full of scalding liquid to be poured out on Judah, a clear picture of coming judgment.
Jer 1:14
‘Then YHWH said to me, “Out of the north evil will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land.”
For out of the north YHWH planned that ‘evil’ would break forth on the inhabitants of the land. This would be in the form either of the Scythians or the Babylonians, or both (they were turbulent times). At around this time, according to Heroditus, swarms of Scythians, a fierce warrior people, were flooding the lands north of the Euphrates, coming from the area around the Black Sea, and many believe that they actually reached Judah. Unfortunately they left few historical records so that we are unable to confirm this. Others interpret the words in terms of the Babylonians and their allies. On the other hand we do know that at times Scythians and Babylonians were in alliance together, so that both could easily be in mind.
Jer 1:15
“For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says YHWH, “and they will come, and they will set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah.”
But what is certain is that what was promised was that an alliance of nations from the north (all the families of the kingdoms of the north) would come up against Judah. And each king of those nations would set up his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and over against its walls all round the city, and against all the cities of Judah. In other words they would be there for siege and conquest, and in order to take jurisdiction over those cities, and would remain until they had succeeded. And every city of Judah would be their target.
Jer 1:16
“And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.”
This was because YHWH’s own words of judgment would come against the people of Judah with regard to all their wickedness, and it would be because they had forsaken Him, burning incense to other gods, and worshipping idols which were of their own workmanship, made with their own hands. Note the emphasis on MY judgments. They would proceed from His active word. The worship of Baal and Asherah (Baal’s wife), with its depraved ritual, was taking place in the many high places in the land, and it was offensive to YHWH. It was taking place even in the days of the godly Josiah, although no doubt discreetly in the mountain sanctuaries. We will also learn later of the worship of the Queen of Heaven, the favourite goddess under different names of the nations (Ishtar = Ashteroth). The burning of incense on incense altars was a regular method of offering worship to false gods.
Note the threefold indictment:
1. ‘They have forsaken Me.’ Compare Deu 28:20; Deu 29:25; Deu 31:16 etc. They no longer gave Him full loyalty as their Redeemer in spite of all their formal ritual (Exo 20:2).
2. ‘They have burned incense to other gods’. Hos 2:13; Hos 4:13; Hos 11:2; see also Isa 65:3; Isa 65:7. For the worship of other gods compare Deu 29:26; Deu 31:16 etc. But for the first reference to burning incense to other gods outside the prophets see 1Ki 3:3; 1Ki 11:8 and regularly in 2 Kings. Even in YHWH’s very land, therefore, they were worshipping other gods, contrary to Exo 20:3.
3. ‘They have worshipped the work of their own hands.’ Compare Isa 2:8. They worship what they themselves have made. This is ever the tendency of humanity for thereby they keep it under their control. It is of course contrary to Exo 20:4-5.
Jer 1:17
“You therefore gird up your loins (tuck your robe in your belt), and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be not shattered by them, lest I shatter you before them.”
Now, however, YHWH intended to do something about it, and He was calling on Jeremiah to tuck in his robes so that he would have the free movement to go out and speak to the people all that YHWH commanded him. He was effectively telling him to roll his sleeves up. He furthermore warned him that he was not to shy away from them in case YHWH then shied away from him with his being as a consequence made to look a fool and filled with shame and dismay. The verb is strong signifying ‘shattering, breaking in pieces’. He was not to ‘go to pieces’ in front of them. We need not ask what God was indicating that He would do to Jeremiah (perhaps shatter his reputation?) as He had no intention of it being necessary. It was simply an indication to Jeremiah of the urgency of the situation, and of his need to be steadfast. It is a reminder to us that once we are sure of what God wants us to do, we must not hesitate (although it is of course important that our certainty is really from God).
Jer 1:18
“For, behold, I have made you this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and walls of bronze, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.”
And the reason why he could be so bold was because YHWH had made him that very day, by calling him and touching his lips, into a fortress, and an iron pillar, and walls of bronze as he set himself against the whole land of Judah, including its princes, its priests and the whole people. In other words He was making him impregnable as he faced up to them all (and he was going to need it). The descriptions are in terms of the strongest materials available at the time. For the iron pillar compare the bronze pillars of Solomon (1Ki 7:15). Iron would be seen as even stronger. The purpose of cladding stone walls with bronze was in order to indicate strength. It also made them less vulnerable.
YHWH put Jeremiah in no doubt about what he was to face. It would be those in highest authority, those with most religious authority, and those with the greatest influence (‘the people of the land’ in this case probably indicates the influential landowners. We might say ‘the educated classes’). few would be on his side.
Jer 1:19
“And they will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you, for I am with you,” says YHWH, “to deliver you.”
However, having been warned that he would not have an easy time with the princes, priests and influential people all fighting against him, nevertheless he was to be assured that they would not prevail against him. And this would be because YHWH would be with him to deliver him.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jer 1:13. I said, I see a seething-pot A pot that sendeth forth steam. The steam of a boiling-pot very properly represents the judgments of the Almighty, which are often compared to a fire, as the afflictions of the Israelites are to a smoking furnace. The latter part of the verse should be rendered, And the face thereof is turned from the north: that is to say, the steam of it was represented to the prophet is coming from the north; so that the pot or cauldron itself may denote Judea, set on fire, and consumed by an army of Chaldeans, whose country lay to the north of Palestine. See Eze 11:7 and Calmet.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 1:13 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof [is] toward the north.
Ver. 13. What seest thou? ] By these questions his attention is stirred up, that he may the better observe the matter of his preaching, which is here represented by a second vision.
I see a seething pot.
And the face thereof,
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 1:13-19
13The word of the LORD came to me a second time saying, What do you see? And I said, I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north. 14Then the LORD said to me, Out of the north the evil will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land. 15For, behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north, declares the LORD; and they will come and they will set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about and against all the cities of Judah. 16I will pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. 17Now, gird up your loins and arise, and speak to them all which I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them. 18Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land. 19They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.
Jer 1:13 a boiling pot, facing away from the north Because of Jer 1:14 it is obvious that this is referring to an invasion from the north. The term north became a proverb for evil and invasion (cf. Jer 4:6; Jer 6:1; Jer 6:22; Jer 10:22; Jer 25:9) because it was the only land route into Palestine from Mesopotamia because of the desert east of Palestine. The boiling pot pours south (i.e., the advancing Babylonian army).
There are three words in close proximity that may be sound plays.
1. – boiling pot
2. – facing away from
3. – the north
These kinds of sound plays are a characteristic of Hebrew poetry (see Appendix One)
Jer 1:15 This verse is describing the armies of Neo-Babylon, made up of many conscripts and mercenaries. They will come and lay siege to the walled cities of Palestine.
Jer 1:16 Judah’s fall came not because of the weakness of YHWH, their God, but their idolatry.
1. they have forsaken Me – Qal PERFECT, BDB 736 I, KB 806
2. they have offered (lit. burned incense) to other gods – Piel IMPERFECT, BDB 882, KB 1094
3. they have worshiped the work of their own hands – Hishtaphel IMPERFECT, BDB 1005, KB 295
Jer 1:17 gird up your loins This is a Hebrew idiom for get ready for action (cf. 1Ki 18:46; 2Ki 4:29; 2Ki 9:1; Eph 6:14; 1Pe 1:13), which would be similar to our roll up your sleeves.
Girding up his loins meant to pull one’s robe through the legs in front and tuck it into the sash, thereby forming tight-fitting shorts, ready for action. This is not the only preparatory action the prophet is told to do.
1. arise – Qal PERFECT, BDB 877, KB 1086
2. speak – Piel PERFECT, BDB 180, KB 210
3. do not be dismayed – Qal IMPERFECT negated (BDB 369, KB 365) used in a JUSSIVE sense
and speak to them all which I command you This shows the purpose of the visions for Jeremiah in Jer 1:11-16. It was a divine revelatory communication.
Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them God’s service is a double-edged sword, privilege brings responsibility.
Jer 1:18 I have made you today God’s provision and protection are emphasized to the prophet.
1. as a fortified city
2. as a pillar of iron
3. as walls of bronze
We must not let the reception of our message affect its proclamation, once we know it is from God! Jeremiah was going to speak to the powerful and elite of his day.
1. to the kings of Judah
2. to its princes
3. to its priests
4. to the people of the land (wealthy land owners)
Jer 1:19 They will fight against you Judah will reject God’s message. God’s people have always rejected His message.
I am. . .the LORD These are both from the same Hebrew VERB, to be (BDB 217, cf. Exo 3:12-14). Their basic thrust is that God is the ever-living, only-living God. See Special Topic: Names for Deity . That great God is with Jeremiah (cf. Jer 1:8).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.
1. How long did Jeremiah preach?
2. What does Jer 1:5 have to say to the abortion issue of our day?
3. Why did Jeremiah try to excuse himself from God’s will?
4. Explain the two visions and their purposes in Jer 1:11-16.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Jeremiah’s Third Prophecy (see Book comments for Jeremiah).
second time. In order to complete the sense by explaining that it was the fulfilment of the word of judgment that was to be watched over.
a seething pot = a boiling cauldron. Hebrew a pot blown upon: i.e. brought to boiling by blowing the fire.
toward the north = from the north: i.e. turned towards the prophet, who saw it from the south. The enemy of which it spoke, though situated on the east, would come round the desert and advance from the north, through Dan, the usual route from Assyria. See Jer 1:14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Jer 1:13-16
Jer 1:13-15
“And the word of Jehovah came to me the second time, saying, what seest thou? and I said, I see a boiling caldron; and the face thereof is from the north. Then Jehovah said unto me, Out of the north shall evil break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith Jehovah; and they shall come, and they shall set everyone his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.”
“A boiling caldron …” (Jer 1:13). This boiling caldron was something similar to an old fashioned washpot; and its being tilted toward the south indicated that the disastrous judgments upon Jerusalem would come from military expeditions attacking from the north. Some think there may be a reference here to the Scythians; but we explored this possibility in the Introduction and rejected it. “The meaning was that the great Babylonian power at the north of Palestine would soon be directed against Judea.”
It may be objected that Babylon, strictly speaking, was not actually north of Judea; but military actions against Jerusalem invariably came from that direction. Herodotus informs us that the Babylonian assault against Jerusalem indeed came from that direction.
“Strictly speaking, the Babylonians were an eastern people from the point of view in Palestine; but the caravan-roads which the Chaldean armies had to take entered Palestine at Dan and then proceeded southward.”
“Evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land …” (Jer 1:14). A better word than `evil’ in this place would be `calamity.’ “The Hebrew word often means `misery,’ `distress,’ or `trouble,’ as well as `evil.’ ” `The inhabitants of the land’ is a reference to the population of Palestine.
The fulfillment of this prophecy that foreign kings would set up their thrones in the gates of Jerusalem is recorded in Jer 39:1-4.
Regarding Jer 1:15, RKH pointed out that it is in no sense compatible with the theory that the passage here applies to a Scythian invasion. There is no evidence whatever that any Scythian king ever set his throne in the gates of Jerusalem; but “All the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate” (Jer 39:3); and the very next verse names no less than six members of the royalty who did so, “along with all the rest of the princes of the King of Babylon!” This of course, explains the use of the plural “kings” in the prophecy (Jer 1:15).
Dummelow explained the purpose of kings sitting in the gates thus:
The function of administering justice was exercised by the king himself; and the neighborhood of the city gate was the ordinary place at which trials were held. The prophecy states that here then the rulers of the invader’s army will sit in judgment on the conquered people.
The Seething Caldron Jer 1:13-16
At some undetermined time subsequent to the almond rod revelation Jeremiah experienced another vision. He observed a large cooking or wash pot over an open fire. The same kind of pot was used by a whole company of prophets to cook their meals (2Ki 4:38). It probably was made of metal (Eze 24:11). He describes the pot as seething or boiling. The Hebrew word here means literally blown up. The idea seems to be that the fire beneath the pot had been fanned into a fierce flame by a blast. of wind thus bringing the contents of the pot to a boil. So much is clear. But what did Jeremiah mean when he said its face is from the north? The King James translation to the north has been rightly corrected by more recent English versions. Its face probably refers to the side of the pot facing Jeremiah. Others think the face of the pot was what one would see as he looked into the pot, i.e., the contents. The face of the pot is from i.e., away from, the north. If the pot is tilting away from the north it must be tilting toward the south. How the pot got in this precarious position is anyones guess. Perhaps it had been set unevenly on the fire at the start or perhaps as the materials on which it was standing were consumed the pot settled unevenly and the southern side sank.
Nothing could be more appropriate in describing the political conditions in the days of Jeremiah than a seething caldron. The whole Fertile Crescent was seething with plans for revolt after the death of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal in 627 B.C. The Assyrian empire was tottering. The Neo-Babylonian kingdom was rising on the horizon. Shortly the calamitous contents of that political caldron would be unleashed against the inhabitants of Judah. The word translated unleashed (ASV, shall break forth) means literally, opened. Cheyne suggests that the caldron had a lid and the removal or falling off of this lid is the opening to which the prophet alludes. It is also possible that the evil or calamity in the north was opened in the sense of revealed. The evil (ASV) or calamity which is the subject of Jer 1:14 is the invasion of Judah by hordes of Babylonian soldiers. The word translated land in this verse can also mean earth. Here the former meaning is intended as Jer 1:15 indicates.
The key word in Jer 1:14 is the word north. Previous to the battle of Carchemish the Babylonians are only mentioned vaguely by Jeremiah as a northern people. See Jer 4:6; Jer 6:1; Jer 10:22. Strictly speaking they were an eastern people from the point of view of Palestine. However, the caravan route which the armies of Babylon would follow as they swept southward entered Palestine at Dan (cf. 4:I5 and Jer 8:16) and then proceeded due south. Jerusalem could be attacked successfully only from the north, as the west, south, and east sides of the city were rendered practically impregnable by deep valleys. Thus the ominous and as yet unidentified enemy is pictured as coming from the north.
The significance of the boiling caldron pouring forth its contents toward Judah is explained in Jer 1:15. God will summon against Judah all the families of the kingdoms of the north. The army of king Nebuchadnezzar was made up of mercenaries of the various kingdoms which he had conquered. This vast throng would attack Jerusalem and the cities of Judah. The thrones might refer to the formal judgment passed upon the inhabitants of the conquered city by the victorious Babylonian generals. On the other hand thrones might be metaphorical for the tents of the enemy generals or perhaps even for some of the large siege instruments. The formula oracle of the Lord (ASV saith Jehovah) underscores the truth of the prediction made in this verse. This is the first of numerous occurrences of this expression in the Book of Jeremiah. The expression is one of the strongest possible claims of inspiration in the Old Testament.
Jer 1:16 makes it clear that the coming conquerors are but instruments of God who is sending His divine judgment upon an apostate people. The expression speak or pronounce judgments is peculiar to Jeremiah, occurring elsewhere only in 2Ki 25:6. See Jer 4:12; Jer 12:1; Jer 39:5; Jer 52:9. The judgment falls upon Judah because of all of their wickedness. Three specific examples of this wickedness are cited: (1) They had deserted the true God and were thus guilty of infidelity; (2) they had burned incense to false gods; and (3) they had worshiped graven images. The Hebrew word translated offered incense has a general sense (to make sacrifices smoke) and a specific sense (to offer incense). It is difficult to know in many passages which sense is intended. Bright has proposed that the word be rendered sending up offerings. The phrase other gods refers of course to false gods and does not imply that Jeremiah recognized the actual existence of other deities beside God. Jeremiahs own strict monotheism is proved by such passages as Jer 2:27; Jer 8:19; Jer 10:1-16 and Jer 16:20.
Jer 1:16
“And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.”
The boiling caldron was poised to spill all of its devastating consequences upon the Once Chosen People, but such drastic action was not due to caprice or accident on the part of the Lord. The people of Judah deserved the frightful punishment which fell upon them. When the wickedness of any people or nation has reached a certain point, God will no longer tolerate it. That fact lies behind the fact that the ancient peoples of Canaan were conquered and destroyed by Israel under Joshua. Let anyone read the record of the ruthless destruction by which Israel, under the blessing of God, wrested Palestine away from those who once lived there; and why? Their wickedness had gone beyond the suffering limits of the grace of God. Now, when Israel herself had become even worse than Sodom and Gomorrah (Ezekiel 16), it was righteous and just that the same punishment should fall upon them.
When Israel entered Canaan, they had been commanded to destroy all of the shrines, pillars, and images erected to the honor of pagan gods and to exterminate their evil worship; but Israel had not done this. Instead, they had revived all of the old pagan debaucheries and even expanded them; and under such circumstances, judgment, of necessity, fell upon the apostate people, only a `righteous remnant,’ continuing in the worship of the true God.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
the second time: Gen 41:32, 2Co 13:1, 2Co 13:2
I see: Eze 11:3, Eze 11:7, Eze 24:3-14
toward the north: Heb. from the face of the north
Reciprocal: Job 41:20 – General Jer 4:6 – for I will Eze 1:4 – a whirlwind
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 1:13. Again the Lord causes the prophet to see an object In his vision. It is a seething pot and the context indicates according to the original that it Is seething or boiling because it is being fanned by a brisk wind, Toward the north is rendered “from the face of the north in the margin and the lexicon agrees with it, also the next verse so renders It in the text. This seething pot which contains a hot mixture that is being made more intense by the brisk blowing, represents the Babylonian army that was soon to come against Jerusalem and the country in general.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 1:13. I see a seething-pot Or, a pot boiling. The steam of this boiling pot represented Gods judgments, which are often compared to a fire, as the afflictions of Israel were to a smoking furnace. Gen 15:17. And the face thereof was toward the north The steam was represented to the prophet as raised by a fire, or driven by a wind coming from the north. Thus interpreted, the pot or caldron denoted Judea or Jerusalem, expressed by the same figure, Eze 11:3; Eze 11:7; Eze 24:3. But the Hebrew , seems to be more exactly rendered by Blaney; The face thereof is turned from the north, or, as it is expressed in the margin, from the face of the north. For it appears from the next verse, that the evil was to come from the north; and therefore the steam, which was designed for an emblem of that evil, must have issued from that quarter. According to this interpretation, the pot denoted the empire of the Chaldeans, lying to the north of Judea, and pouring forth its multitudes like a thick vapour.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1:13 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a boiling {n} pot; and its face [is] toward the north.
(n) Signifying that the Chaldeans and Assyrians would be as a pot to seethe the Jews who boiled in their pleasures and lust.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The vision of the boiling pot 1:13-19
This vision may have come to Jeremiah immediately after the preceding one or at some other time.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
The Lord directed Jeremiah to view a boiling pot (a cauldron used for cooking or washing, Heb. sir) that was tipped so that it was about to pour its contents out toward the south. The Hebrew clarifies that a strong wind was blowing, thus making the fire under the pot hot, and causing it to boil over.