Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 19:7
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 carcasses will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
7. make void ] lit. as mg. empty out. The Hebrew verb is that from which is derived the word for “bottle” in Jer 19:1. It has been thought that Jeremiah here suited the action to the word, and poured out the contents on the ground, as he spoke. The latter part of the v. is taken from Jer 7:33.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Make void – The verb used here is that from which bottle Jer 19:1 is derived, and as it represents the sound made by the water running out, it would be better translated, pour out. Jeremiah perhaps carried the bottle to Tophet full of water, the symbol in the East of life Isa 35:6; Isa 41:18, and at these words emptied it before the assembled elders.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. I will make void the counsel of Judah] Probably this refers to some determination made to proclaim themselves independent, and pay no more tribute to the Chaldeans.
To be meat for the fowls] See Clarke on Jer 7:33.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
In this place, amongst others, I will make void all the counsels that the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem have taken to escape my righteous judgments; I will frustrate all their little arts and designs to avoid the dint of my judgments; I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, so as there shall be no way of escape for them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. make void the counseldefeattheir plans for repelling the enemy (2Ch 32:1-4;Isa 19:3; Isa 22:9;Isa 22:11). Or their schemes ofgetting help by having recourse to idols [CALVIN].
in this placeThevalley of Hinnom was to be the place of the Chaldean encampment; thevery place where they looked for help from idols was to be the sceneof their own slaughter.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place,…. The counsel which they took in this place and agreed to, in offering their sons and daughters to idols; and which they took with these idols and their priests, from whom they expected assistance and relief; and all their schemes and projects for their deliverance; these were all made to spear to be mere empty things, as empty as the earthen bottle he had in his hand, to which there is an allusion; there being an elegant paronomasia between the word p here used and that:
and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies: such as sallied out from the city, or attempted to make their escape:
and by the hands of them that seek their lives; and so would not spare them, when they fell into them:
and their carcasses will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth: signifying that they should have no burial, but their slain bodies should lie upon the earth, and be fed upon by fowls and beasts.
p & .
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This amplification further exasperated the minds of the people, — that they in vain trusted that this place would be to them a fortress. For, as we have already stated, they had persuaded themselves that it was abundantly sufficient to reconcile them with God, when they spared not their own children, and so zealously performed tlheir acts of worship. And hypocrites are commonly inflated with this presumption, for they prefer what pleases them to what pleases God; they regard not what the law bids, what God approves, but they adore their own inventions. Since then almost all the superstitious are filled with such a presumption, God here rightly declares, that he would make void their counsels (214)
It is indeed certain that there is neither wisdom nor counsel in deluded men, while they thus devise new and frivolous modes of worship, for these are sheer mummeries. But we ought to observe what Paul says in Col 2:23, that all the fictions which men devise for themselves have in them some appearance of wisdom; for we know that wherever our imagination may carry us, we think ourselves wise, and that whatever God prescribes becomes insipid to us. Then the Prophet concedes “counsel,” though improperly, to frivolous and vain inventions, but not without reason, for experience teaches us sufficiently, that men ever take great delight in their superstitions, for they wish to subject God as it were to their own will. He then says, by way of concession, that the counsels of the whole people, especially of the city Jerusalem, would be made void, which was above others the teacher of errors, while yet the doctrine of the law ought especially to have prevailed there. And it may be also that there is an allusion to that word בקבק bekbek, which we have before seen, and which the Prophet will repeat again, for it means to make void or empty, though some think it to be a factitious word, because the sound, bekbek, is produced while the bottle is emptied. However this may be, the allusion is still sufficiently striking.
He afterwards adds, And I will lay them prostrate by the sword before their enemies, and by the hand of those who seek their life. In this second part, the Prophet intimates that the hatred entertained by their enemies towards the Jews would not be common. Wars are carried on sometimes in such a way, that the conquerors are satisfied with the spoils; but the Prophet intimates, that the cruelty of their enemies would be such, that they would seek the life of the whole people, and delight in slaughter; as though he had said, that they would be deadly enemies and altogether implacable. He will again repeat these words, and in the same sense.
He then adds, I will give your carcase to be meat to the birds of heaven, and to the beasts of the field (215) We have said elsewhere that it is deemed a punishment inflicted by heaven when the carcases of the dead remain unburied; for it is the last office of humanity to bury the dead. And this is a distinction which God would have to be between men and brute animals, for animals have not the honor of a burial. It has also been ever granted as a singular privilege to men to be buried, in order to set forth the hope of resurrection. When, therefore, a burial is denied, it is a proof of extreme dishonor. It has indeed often happened that the saints have been without a burial; but temporal punishment is ever turned to salvation to God’s children. As to the reprobate it must be deemed a judgment from God, when he casts away their carcases, as then there is no difference between them and animals. But I have treated this subject more fully elsewhere, and I shall not proceed with it now. It follows —
(214) The plain meaning is, I will frustrate all your plots and projects, whereby you think to escape and to secure yourselves, and make them as vain and empty as this earthen bottle is. — Gataker.
(215) The words are in the singular number — “The bird of heaven and the beast of the field.” — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) I will make void.The Hebrew verb (bakak) is onomatopoetic, as representing the gurgling sound of water flowing from the mouth of a jar, and contains, as stated in the note on Jer. 19:1, the root of the word rendered bottle, and was obviously chosen with an allusive reference to it. Such a play upon the sound and sense of words is quite in accordance with the genius of Hebrew prophecy, but it is obviously in most cases impossible to reproduce it in another language. The primary meaning is to pour out, to spill, and so to waste, or bring to nought. (Comp. Isa. 19:3.) Some interpreters have supposed that the words were accompanied by corresponding acts, and that the earthen bottle, which the prophet had brought filled with water, was now emptied in the sight of the people, with a symbolism like that of 1Sa. 7:6; 2Sa. 14:14.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Make void The root of this word is the same with that of the word for “bottle.” It would be better to translate, I will pour out; that is, bring to nothing.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 19:7. And I will make void, &c. And I will dissipate, &c. Houbigant.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 19:7 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.
Ver. 7. And I will make void the counsel of Judah. ] As vain and empty as this earthen bottle now is. See on Jer 19:1 , and take notice of an elegant alliteration in the original.
And their carcases will I give.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
fall by the sword . . . enemies. Reference to Pentateuch (Lev 26:17. Deu 28:25). App-92.
lives = souls. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I will make: Job 5:12, Job 5:13, Psa 33:10, Psa 33:11, Pro 21:30, Isa 8:10, Isa 28:17, Isa 28:18, Isa 30:1-3, Lam 3:37, Rom 3:31, Rom 4:14
I will cause: Jer 9:21, Jer 15:2, Jer 15:9, Jer 18:21, Jer 22:25, Jer 46:26, Lev 26:17, Deu 28:25
and their: Jer 7:33, Jer 8:2, Jer 9:22, Jer 16:4, Jer 22:19, Jer 34:20, Deu 28:26, Psa 79:2, Psa 79:3, Rev 19:18-21
Reciprocal: Isa 3:25 – Thy men Jer 6:21 – fathers Jer 14:16 – be cast Jer 20:8 – I cried Jer 22:6 – surely Jer 24:10 – General Jer 32:28 – Behold Jer 35:17 – Behold
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 19:7. The priests and false prophets of Judah had given forth much counsel or instruction to the people that promised them peace and safety from their enemies. God said he would make void that counsel which means he would overthrow all their plans, The destruction of life and desecration of human bodies was to be caused by the Lord through the hand of the Babylonians,
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
The Lord would also turn the wise advice of the people of Judah and Jerusalem into foolishness. As they had worshipped "nothings" there, so their wisdom would come to nothing. Their enemy would also defeat and slaughter them there, as they had slaughtered their innocent children. No one would bury their dead bodies, but they would become food for carrion birds (vultures) and wild animals, since they had killed similar animals there to worship the idols (cf. Jer 7:33; Jer 16:4; Jer 34:20; Deu 28:26).