Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 19:2
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,
2. the valley of the son of Hinnom ] See on ch. Jer 7:31.
the gate Harsith ] rather, as mg. the gate of potsherds. Apparently so called from the fragments of broken pottery cast here as refuse “or perhaps crushed, as it is now, on a flat rock, with heavy stone rollers, into dust from which a cement is made, used for plastering cisterns. The place where this is now done is near the Birket es-Sultan, a pool at the S. W. of the city, in the upper part of what was probably the ancient ‘Valley of Hinnom.’ ” Dr., who also quotes Pal. Expl. Fund, Quart. Statement for 1904, p. 136. It is thought to be identical with the “dung” gate (Neh 2:13; Neh 3:13 f., Neh 12:31), leading into this valley.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The valley … – See Jer 7:31 note.
The east gate – Others render the pottery gate. Two gates led into the valley of Hinnom, the Fountain-gate at the southeast corner, and the Dung-gate on the southwest side of Zion; some think that the east gate was neither of these, but a small or postern gate, used for throwing out rubbish, the valley having been put to this degrading use from the time that Josiah defiled it 2Ki 23:10. And thus the mean symbol of a proud nation was carried out through a back door to be broken upon the heaps of refuse already cast there.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom: we shall hereafter hear why God commanded Jeremiah to go thither, rather than to another place, to break this earthen pot. This valley was a place very near unto Jerusalem, of which one Hinnom was owner in Joshuas time, Jos 15:8; 18:16. The valley is in Scripture sometimes called Ge-hinnom, from whence came the Greek word Gehenna, used by our Saviour for hell, Mat 5:22, , because of the hellish torments they there put their children to when they sacrificed them, and of the hellish cries they made.
The east gate; in the Hebrew it is, the sun gate, supposed to be so called, because the sun riseth in the east. This valley is said to have lain very near to this gate; thither Jeremiah is commanded to go, and there to proclaim the following words.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. valley of the son of HinnomorTophet, south of Jerusalem, where human victims were offered, andchildren made to pass through the fire, in honor of Molech.
east gateMargin,”sun gate,” sunrise being in the east. MAURERtranslates, the “potter’s gate.” Through it lay the road tothe valley of Hinnom (Jos 15:8).The potters there formed vessels for the use of the temple, which wasclose by (compare Jer 19:10;Jer 19:14; Jer 18:2;Zec 11:13). The same as “thewater gate toward the east” (Neh 3:26;Neh 12:37); so called from thebrook Kedron. CALVINtranslates, as English Version and Margin. “It wasmonstrous perversity to tread the law under foot in so conspicuous aplace, over which the sun daily rising reminded them of the light ofGod’s law.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And go forth into the valley of the son of Hinnom,…. To whom it formerly belonged, and so it was called as early as Joshua’s time,
Jos 15:8; from the faith and abomination of the place, and the shocking torments here exercised, “hell”, from hence, in the New Testament, is called “Gehenna”: here the prophet with the elders were to go, for reasons after mentioned; because here their cruel idolatries were committed, and Jerusalem was to be made like unto it for pollution and bloodshed:
which [is] by the entry of the east gate; the way to it out of Jerusalem lay through the east gate of the city. The Targum calls it “the dung gate”; through which the filth of the city was carried out, and laid near it, and where lay the potter’s sherds; hence some render it the “potsherd” gate m; or rather it should be the potter’s gate; for that reason, because the potter’s field and house lay near it, from whence the prophet had his earthen bottle; others call it the “sun gate” n, because it lay to the sun rising; but seeing the valley of Hinnom was to the south of Jerusalem, this seems rather to be the south gate; and a proper situation this was for the potters to dry and harden their pots. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, leave it untranslated, and call it the gate Harsith or Hadsith:
and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee; for as yet it was not made known to him what he should do with his bottle, or say to the elders, until he came to the place he was ordered to.
m “portae fictilis”, Munster, Pagninus. n “Portae solaris”, Montanus, Piscator, Cocceius; so Ben Melech, and Stockius, p. 389.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And he adds, Enter into the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is at the entrance of the east gate, rendered by some “of the earthen gate,” for which I see no reason; but I leave this to be examined by those who are more versed in the language. It is indeed thought that ש, shin, is changed here into ס, samech; but if we take the word as it is, it means “solar,” for חרס cheras, from which חרסית cherasit, is derived, signifies the sun; and it seems to have been called the solar gate by way of excellency, because it looked toward the rising sun. (212) I do not yet oppose the idea of those who think that the Prophet alludes to חרש, cheresh, of which he had spoken, and that he calls it the east gate, though it was as it were an earthen gate; for the two letters ש, shin, and ס samech, as it is well known, are closely allied. Cry there, he says, the words which I shall speak to thee.
I come now to the subject: God bids his Prophet to get from the potter an earthen vessel, and to do so in the presence of the elders; for it was necessary to have witnesses in a matter so important; and as the public safety of the people was concerned, it was God’s purpose, lest the prophecy should be despised, that there should be present the gravest witnesses, suitable, and, as they say, authorized, or approved; and he calls them the elders of the people and of the priests; and no doubt they were chosen from a great number, even from among the priests who were chief. There were also Levites of the sons of Aaron; but there were then chief priests a large number; but, as they say, it was a turbulent rabble. They were chosen from those first orders who ruled the Church, and Jeremiah calls them the elders of the priests. There were also others chosen from the people who presided over the Church. And we know that there were two public functionaries, or, as they say, a twofold government: the priests were the rulers of the Church with regard to the law, so that their government was spiritual; there were also the elders of the people who managed civil affairs; but there were some things in which they ruled in common. We now then see what the Prophet meant by saying that he was bidden to call witnesses to see what is afterwards stated, and that they were taken partly from the priests and partly from the people.
He says; Enter into the valley of the son of Hinnom. This valley was in the suburbs, and was called תפת Tophet, as we shall hereafter see. It is thought that this name is derived from drums, because they did beat drums when infants were killed, lest their cry should excite any feeling of humanity. But, we shall again say something on the etymology of this word. In this valley they were accustomed to sacrifice and offer their children by casting them into the fire. Many indeed performed this in a different way, by purifying their children and carrying them round the fire, so that they felt only the flame and escaped unhurt. But there were those who wished to shew their zeal above others, whose ambition drove them farther, and they killed their children and then burnt them. But of this matter I have spoken elsewhere, and I shall now only briefly notice it. This opinion is not, what is commonly received; but it seems to me that it may be gathered from many parts of Scripture, that many killed their children, and that some only purified them. However this may have been, God justly abominated the sacrifice; for his will was that sacrifices should be offered only in one place. When any one offered a calf or a lamb in any other place than at Jerusalem, it was a spurious sacrifice; and the Jews ought to have followed what God had prescribed, and not to have done anything presumptuously, for obedience is ever better than any sacrifices.
But here there was a double crime; they left the Temple and sought to obtrude on God sacrifices against his expressed will; and then there was another crime still more atrocious, for they devoted their children to Baalim or to Baal, and not to the only true God. (I pass by now their slaughter and burning.) This then was the reason why the Prophet was commanded to go to this place. How detestable that service was to God appears dear from this, that the prophets give the name of hell to the valley of Hinnom, גיא הנם gia-enom. And we know that at the time of Christ it was the common name for hell; and whenever Christ speaks of Gehenna, he uses the word according to its common acceptation at that time. The word has indeed been corrupted by the Greeks, for it is properly גיא הנם gia-enom. But what does the word mean in the gospel? Hell itself; and whence was its origin? We indeed know how great and how incurable was the madness of those who gave themselves up to their own superstitions; for though the prophets strongly condemned the place, yet the people proceeded in their usual idolatry; it was therefore necessary to give the place a disgraceful name in order to render it more abominable.
It is now added, that the place was by the entrance of the east gate. As it was especially a celebrated gate, and as the sun, rising there, reminded them to behold the light which God had kindled for them in his law, it was a monstrous stupidity proudly to tread, as it were, under foot. the law of God in so renowned a place, and to profane his worship, as though they openly wished to shew that they esteemed as nothing what God had commanded. If any still think that there is an allusion to the word חרש cheresh, before used, I offer no opposition; that is, though this gate was indeed oriental, it was yet as it were an earthen gate.
He says, Cry there, or, proclaim with a clear voice, the words which I shall speak to thee. The Prophet no doubt said this expressly, in order to add more weight to his prophecy. He indeed did nothing but by God’s command; but as his authority was not acknowledged by the Jews, he here testifies for their sakes that he would say nothing but what God himself would command. This preface then confirmed the authority of his prophecy, so that the Jews might not reject what he might say, as though it came from Jeremiah himself.
But a general doctrine may be hence gathered, — that ministers are to bring forward nothing but what they have learnt from God himself. For though Jeremiah was a great man and endued with excellent gifts, yet he was not to bring one word or a syllable as from himself: how great then must be the presumption of those who seek to be superior to him by bringing their inventions, and at the same time demand to be deemed oracles? This passage confirms the doctrine of Peter, who says,
“
He who speaks, let him speak the words of God.” (1Pe 4:11)
(212) It appears that the valley of Hinnom was not to the east, but to the south of Jerusalem. See Jos 15:8. The Keri and several copies read החרסית and it is given untranslated by the Septuagint the Syriac, and the Arabic. It is rendered “earthen” by the Vulgate, as though the ס, as Calvin mentions, is substituted for ש. In this case it might be rendered “the potsherd” — “at the entrance of the gate, The potsherd.” It was the gate, before which did lie all the broken vessels, and the dirt and filth from the Temple. For this reason it may be that the Targum renders it here, “the gate of the dunghill.”
Parkhurst, however, takes the word as it is in the text, and gives this version, “the gate of the burnings,” so called because of the practice of burning children in the valley opposite the gate. See Jer 7:31. All these names would properly designate the south gate. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) Unto the valley of the son of Hinnom.The site was chosen as having been the scene of the most hateful form of idolatry to which the people had addicted themselves, perhaps also as connected locally with the potters field. (See Note on Jer. 7:31; and Mat. 27:7.)
By the entry of the east gate.The Hebrew word is obscure. The Authorised Version adopts a doubtful etymology, connecting the word with the sun (so sun gate in the margin) and therefore with the East. Luther, with the Vulgate and most modern scholars, renders it as the potters gate, or more literally, the gate of pottery. The LXX. treats it as a proper name, and gives the gate Kharsith. No such fate appears in the topographical descriptions of Nehemiah 2, 3; and the two gates which led into the valley of Hinnom were the Fountain and the Dung gate (Neh. 3:13-15). Hence it has been inferred that this was a small postern gate leading into the valley just at the point where it was filled with rubbish, possibly with broken fragments like those which were now to be added to it. On this supposition the connection both of the name of the gate and its use with the symbolism of the prophets act may have determined the command which was thus given him.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. Valley of the son of Hinnom See on Jer 7:31. This designation of locality is the same with that of the previous chapter, but more specific.
East gate Margin, sun gate. Both renderings are wrong. It should be sherd gate, an appellation which probably came from the broken fragments of earthenware scattered there. It is uncertain which of the two gates leading from the city into the valley of Hinnom is here meant the Fountain gate, at the southwest corner, or the Dung gate, at the southeast corner, of Zion.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 19:2. By the entry of the east gate According to others, The entry of the potter’s gate; which seems to be the best reading, as it denotes that gate, through which the potters who made the vessels for the use of the temple, in its neighbourhood, carried out the fragments of their broken vessels. The context, Jer 19:10; Jer 19:14. Jer 18:2 and Zec 11:13 confirm this conjecture; besides which, we may add, that the valley of Hinnom and the brook Cedron were near the temple; that the potters lived, within that gate which led thither, and that they carried their rubbish out of that gate. See Grotius, and Houbigant.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 19:2 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,
Ver. 2. And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom. ] See Jer 7:3 , that where the Jews had sinned, there they might be sentenced.
Which is by the entry of the east gate.
And proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee.
a A Lapide.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the east gate: i.e. the pottery gate. See App-59. Not from Haras = east, but from heres = a potsherd. See note on Isa 19:19 and App-81.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the valley: Jer 7:31, Jer 7:32, Jer 32:35, Jos 15:8, 2Ki 23:10, 2Ch 28:3, 2Ch 33:6
east gate: Heb. sun-gate, Neh 3:29
and proclaim: Jer 1:7, Jer 3:12, Jer 7:2, Jer 11:6, Jer 26:2, Pro 1:20-22, Eze 3:10, Eze 3:11, Jon 3:2, Mat 10:27, Act 5:20, Act 20:27
Reciprocal: Jos 18:16 – the valley of the son 2Ch 29:4 – east street Neh 11:30 – the valley Isa 7:3 – Go forth Jer 2:2 – cry Jer 17:19 – General Jer 18:2 – and go Jer 19:6 – this Jer 19:14 – from Jer 20:3 – hath Eze 40:6 – unto
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 19:2. The scene of the acting was to be the valley of the son of Jlinnom, a place near the city of Jerusalem. This spot was chosen because it was the place where some of the most abominable practices of idolatry had been committed by the people.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
The prophet was then to go to the section of the Hinnom Valley just south of Jerusalem that was near the Potsherd Gate and deliver the message that the Lord would give him. The Potsherd Gate seems to have been another name for the Dung Gate, which was one of the southern gates to the city leading into the Hinnom Valley below (cf. Neh 2:13; Neh 3:13-14; Neh 12:31). Evidently people disposed of their broken pottery and other refuse outside this gate.