Jeremiah 19:1

Translation
King James Version
¶ 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;
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KJV (with Strong's)
Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068, Go H1980 and get H7069 a potter's H3335 earthen H2789 bottle H1228, and take of the ancients H2205 of the people H5971, and of the ancients H2205 of the priests H3548;
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Complete Jewish Bible
ADONAI then said, "Go; buy a clay jar from the potter; take some of the people's leaders and some of the leading cohanim;
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Berean Standard Bible
This is what the LORD says: “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take some of the elders of the people and leaders of the priests,
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American Standard Version
Thus said Jehovah, Go, and buy a potter’s earthen bottle, and take of the elders of the people, and of the elders of the priests;
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World English Bible Messianic
Thus said the LORD, Go, and buy a potter’s earthen bottle, and take some of the elders of the people, and of the elders of the priests;
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Thus sayth the Lord, Goe, and buy an earthen bottel of a potter, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the Priests,
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Young's Literal Translation
Thus said Jehovah, `Go, and thou hast got a potter's earthen vessel, and of the elders of the people, and of the elders of the priests,
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See also
Ezekiel 8:11Ezekiel 8:12Jeremiah 18:2Jeremiah 18:4Isaiah 30:14Lamentations 4:2Numbers 11:16
In the KJVVerse 19,409 of 31,102

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SUMMARY

Jeremiah 19:1 initiates a profound prophetic act commanded by the LORD, setting the stage for a dramatic and vivid object lesson concerning God's impending and severe judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem. The prophet is instructed to acquire a common earthen bottle and to gather a representative group of elders from both the people and the priests. This preparatory command underscores the divine origin and gravity of the message, signifying that the entire nation, from its leadership to its populace, is implicated in the coming divine reckoning and foreshadowing the complete and irreversible destruction that awaits a persistently rebellious people.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Jeremiah 19:1 immediately follows the powerful and pivotal imagery of the potter and the clay in Jeremiah 18. In the preceding chapter, the LORD declares His sovereign right to shape or reshape nations, likening Himself to a potter who can rework a marred vessel or even destroy it if it refuses to be molded. Chapter 19 escalates this metaphor from the possibility of reshaping to the certainty of shattering. The "potter's earthen bottle" in Jeremiah 19:1 is not a vessel to be remade, but one explicitly destined for irreversible destruction, signaling a point of no return for Judah. The subsequent verses (e.g., Jeremiah 19:10-11) detail the dramatic breaking of this bottle, making the preparatory command in verse 1 utterly crucial for understanding the prophetic drama that unfolds and its dire implications.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: Jeremiah's prophetic ministry spanned a tumultuous period in Judah's history, primarily during the late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE, leading up to the devastating Babylonian exile. The nation was steeped in widespread idolatry, pervasive social injustice, and profound spiritual apostasy, despite intermittent periods of reform under kings like Josiah. Symbolic actions were a common and highly impactful method of communication in the ancient Near East, often serving as visual sermons to convey divine messages to a largely illiterate populace. The specific instruction to go to the Valley of Hinnom (Tophet), mentioned in Jeremiah 19:2, highlights the particular abomination of child sacrifice practiced there, which was a significant catalyst for God's fierce judgment. The "ancients of the people" and "ancients of the priests" were the respected elders and leaders, whose mandated presence ensured that the prophetic message and its accompanying symbolic act were witnessed by those in authority, thereby representing the entire community and underscoring the message's public and authoritative nature.
  • Key Themes: This foundational verse introduces several crucial themes prevalent throughout Jeremiah's extensive prophecy. First, the Divine Commission is paramount, powerfully emphasized by the opening phrase, "Thus saith the LORD," which unequivocally underscores that Jeremiah's actions are not his own initiative but direct, non-negotiable commands from the sovereign God of Israel. Second, the Symbolic Prophecy through the "potter's earthen bottle" is a central motif, visually representing Judah's inherent fragility and its impending, inevitable destruction due to its persistent unfaithfulness and rebellion. This builds directly on the broader theme of the Sovereignty of God over nations, as powerfully articulated in Jeremiah 18:7-10, where He declares His absolute right to build up or tear down any nation. Third, the theme of Witnesses to Judgment is firmly established by the explicit requirement to gather the elders, ensuring the message's public, undeniable, and authoritative delivery to the entire leadership and populace. Finally, the verse sets the grim stage for the overarching theme of Impending Judgment upon Judah, a direct and severe consequence of their deep-seated idolatry and moral corruption, particularly their detestable practices in places like Tophet, as graphically described in Jeremiah 7:31.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • LORD (Hebrew, Yᵉhôvâh', H3068): This refers to the self-Existent or Eternal God, the sacred covenant name of God in Israel. Its prominent presence at the very beginning of the divine command ("Thus saith the LORD") immediately establishes the absolute authority, eternal nature, and unchanging character of the one issuing the instruction. It signifies that the coming judgment is not an arbitrary act but proceeds from the righteous and holy character of the God who has entered into a solemn covenant relationship with His people.
  • potter's earthen bottle (Hebrew, _yâtsar cherēs baqbuq'_, H3335): This phrase combines several key Hebrew terms. "Potter's" (H3335, yâtsar) means "to mould into a form; especially as a potter; figuratively, to determine." This word directly links back to the imagery of Jeremiah 18, where God is the sovereign potter. Here, the "potter's" bottle emphasizes its creation by human hands, highlighting its commonness and inherent fragility, in stark contrast to the divine Potter's power. "Earthen" (H2789, cheres) refers to "a piece of pottery; earth(-en)," emphasizing the material's commonness and cheapness. "Bottle" (H1228, baqbuq) means "a bottle (from the gurgling in emptying)." The combination emphasizes a common, inexpensive, and easily breakable clay vessel. The term baqbuq is notably onomatopoeic, mimicking the gurgling sound of liquid being poured out or the sound of the bottle breaking. This choice of object powerfully symbolizes Judah's vulnerability, its commonness, and the ease with which God will shatter them.
  • ancients (Hebrew, zâqên', H2205): Meaning "old; aged, ancient (man), elder(-est), senator." This term refers to the respected elders, who served as influential leaders and authoritative representatives of the community, encompassing both civil and religious spheres. Their explicit inclusion as mandatory witnesses underscores that the message of judgment is not merely for the common populace but is directly addressed to the entire nation, from its leadership down, and that these leaders bear significant responsibility for the people's spiritual state and their collective actions.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Thus saith the LORD": This opening phrase is a standard and potent prophetic formula, asserting unequivocally that the subsequent words are not Jeremiah's personal opinions or insights but a direct, authoritative, and unadulterated revelation from God Himself. It establishes the divine origin and unchallengeable nature of the command and the profound message it conveys, demanding immediate and serious attention from all who hear it.
  • "Go and get a potter's earthen bottle": This constitutes the first specific and actionable instruction for Jeremiah's impending prophetic act. The imperative "Go" (H1980, hâlak) implies immediate obedience and physical movement to initiate the task. "Get" (H7069, qânâh) means to acquire or purchase, indicating that Jeremiah is to procure this specific object. The object itself, a "potter's earthen bottle," is a common, fragile, and readily available clay vessel, meticulously chosen for its profound symbolic representation of Judah's inherent vulnerability and its ultimate destiny of being shattered beyond repair.
  • "and [take] of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests;": Jeremiah is explicitly commanded to gather a specific and highly significant audience for the impending prophetic demonstration. The "ancients" (elders) of both the general populace and the priestly class represent the leadership and the entire community of Judah, encompassing both its civil and religious authorities. Their presence is absolutely crucial for validating the prophetic act, lending it official weight, and ensuring that the message of judgment is publicly delivered to, and witnessed by, those who hold authority and influence within the nation, making them accountable for its reception and dissemination.

Literary Devices

Jeremiah 19:1 is rich in Symbolism, with the "potter's earthen bottle" serving as the central symbolic object. This fragile, common, and easily breakable vessel powerfully symbolizes the nation of Judah itself – a people marred by sin, easily broken, and destined for irreversible destruction due to its persistent rebellion against God. The very act of acquiring it foreshadows the subsequent dramatic breaking, making the symbol concrete, visceral, and deeply impactful. The opening phrase "Thus saith the LORD" is a classic example of a Divine Command or Prophetic Formula, emphasizing the absolute authority and divine origin of Jeremiah's mission and the message he is about to deliver. This formula removes any doubt about the ultimate source of the message, highlighting God's absolute sovereignty and His direct, active intervention in human affairs. Furthermore, the Hebrew word for "bottle," baqbuq, is a striking example of Onomatopoeia, as its sound mimics the gurgling of liquid being poured out or, more ominously, the sharp, decisive sound of something breaking. This auditory imagery subtly yet powerfully reinforces the themes of emptying, devastation, and shattering that are central to the chapter's grim message of judgment.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Jeremiah 19:1 profoundly establishes God's absolute sovereignty over nations and His unwavering commitment to divine justice. The explicit command to acquire the earthen bottle, a common and inherently fragile object, underscores that even a chosen nation like Judah is not immune to God's righteous judgment when it persistently rebels against its covenant Lord. This preparatory act is a powerful demonstration of God's patience reaching its limit, signifying a shift from the possibility of repentance and reshaping (as offered in Jeremiah 18) to the certainty of severe and irreversible consequences. It highlights the timeless biblical principle that divine warnings, if unheeded and continually defied, inevitably lead to divine discipline and, ultimately, destruction, a sobering truth echoed throughout biblical history for both individuals and nations.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Jeremiah 19:1 serves as a stark and sobering reminder of the gravity of persistent disobedience and the undeniable reality of divine judgment. For believers today, it calls for a deep and honest examination of our own lives, our communities, and the broader society we inhabit. Are we, like ancient Judah, allowing idolatry (whether of self, possessions, or ideologies), social injustice, or spiritual apathy to harden our hearts against God's repeated warnings and gracious overtures? The instruction to gather the "ancients" highlights the profound responsibility of leadership, both spiritual and secular, to diligently heed God's word and faithfully guide their people in paths of righteousness. It challenges each of us to consider how we, as individuals and as the collective church, respond to the prophetic voice in our own time. Do we listen attentively to the inconvenient truths, even when they challenge our comfort zones, or do we, like Judah, dismiss them until it is tragically too late? The inherent fragility of the earthen bottle should prompt profound humility within us, fostering a recognition of our absolute dependence on God and the severe, unavoidable consequences of straying from His righteous and life-giving path.

Questions for Reflection

  • How do I, or my community, tend to respond to uncomfortable truths or warnings from God's Word or from prophetic voices today?
  • In what specific ways might I be symbolically "shaping" my life or priorities in a manner that is contrary to God's revealed will, thereby risking a spiritual "breaking"?
  • What is my personal responsibility, as a follower of Christ, to be a faithful "witness" to God's truth in my sphere of influence, even when that message is challenging or unpopular?

FAQ

Why did God command Jeremiah to use a "potter's earthen bottle" specifically?

Answer: The "potter's earthen bottle" (Hebrew: baqbuq yotzer cheres) was a common, inexpensive, and easily breakable clay vessel. Its inherent fragility made it a perfect and powerfully visual symbol for the nation of Judah, which, despite its covenant relationship with God, had become profoundly spiritually corrupt and thus vulnerable to severe divine judgment. Unlike the clay in Jeremiah 18 that could be reshaped by the potter, this specific bottle was explicitly destined to be shattered, signifying an irreversible and complete destruction. The onomatopoeic nature of the Hebrew word baqbuq (mimicking a gurgling or breaking sound) further emphasized the impending devastation and finality of the judgment.

Why was Jeremiah instructed to take "ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests" as witnesses?

Answer: The "ancients" (elders) of both the people and the priests represented the entire leadership structure and, by extension, the entire nation of Judah, encompassing both its civil and religious authorities. Their mandated presence was crucial for several reasons: it lent official weight, authority, and public validation to the prophetic act, ensuring that the divine message was publicly delivered and witnessed by those in positions of influence and responsibility. It also powerfully underscored that the judgment was not merely for the common people, but specifically for the leaders who had often led the nation astray through their own unfaithfulness, idolatry, and failure to uphold God's law. Their witnessing of the act would make them directly accountable for receiving, understanding, and disseminating the message and its dire implications.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Jeremiah 19:1, with its stark imagery of a fragile vessel destined for shattering, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment not in the breaking of Christ Himself as a consequence of His own sin, but in His voluntary submission to be "broken" for humanity's sake, thereby averting the ultimate and eternal breaking of those who trust in Him. While Judah's brokenness was a direct consequence of their persistent sin and rebellion, Christ, the perfect, unblemished, and divinely appointed vessel, allowed Himself to be shattered on the cross. He willingly took upon Himself the full weight of the judgment and wrath that humanity deserved (Isaiah 53:5). The "earthen bottle" of Judah, representing a people marred by sin and deserving of divine wrath, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate judgment against sin that was poured out on Christ at Calvary. Through His broken body and shed blood, Christ established a new and eternal covenant, transforming fragile human vessels from objects of wrath into vessels of mercy, grace, and honor (Hebrews 9:15). Believers, though still "jars of clay" in their human frailty, now carry the immeasurable "treasure" of God's glory and the life of Christ within them, not destined for destruction but for eternal life and service (2 Corinthians 4:7). Thus, the prophetic breaking of the bottle in Jeremiah points forward to the ultimate, redemptive, and vicarious breaking of the Son of God, which miraculously opens the way for profound spiritual restoration, reconciliation, and eternal salvation for all who believe.

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Commentary on Jeremiah 19 verses 1–9

The corruption of man having made it necessary that precept should be upon precept, and line upon line (so unapt are we to receive, and so very apt to let slip, the things of God), the grace of God has provided that there shall be, accordingly, precept upon precept, and line upon line, that those who are irreclaimable may be inexcusable. For this reason the prophet is here sent with a message to the same purport with what he had often delivered, but with some circumstances that might make it the more taken notice of, a thing which ministers should study, for a little circumstance may sometimes be a great advantage, and those that would win souls must be wise.

I. He must take of the elders and chief men, both in church and state, to be his auditors and witnesses to what he said - the ancients of the people and the ancients of the priests, the most eminent men both in the magistracy and in the ministry, that they might be faithful witnesses to record, as those Isa 8:2. It is strange that these great men should be at the beck of a poor prophet, and obey his summons to attend him out of the city, they know not whither and they knew not why. But, though the generality of the elders were disaffected to him, yet it is likely that there were some few among them who looked upon him as a prophet of the Lord, and would pay this respect to the heavenly vision. Note, Persons of rank and figure have an opportunity of honouring God, by a diligent attendance on the ministry of the word and other divine institutions; and they ought to think it an honour, and no disparagement to themselves, yea, though the circumstances be mean and despicable. It is certain that the greatest of men is less than the least of the ordinances of God.

II. He must go to the valley of the son of Hinnom, and deliver this message there; for the word of the Lord is not bound to any one place; as good a sermon may be preached in the valley of Tophet as in the gate of the temple. Christ preached on a mountain and out of a ship. This valley lay partly on the south side of Jerusalem, but the prophet's way to it was by the entry on the east gate - the sun gate (Jer 19:2), so some render it, and suppose it to look not towards the sun-rising, but the noon sun - the potter's gate, so some. This sermon must be preached in that place, in the valley of the son of Hinnom, 1. Because there they had been guilty of the vilest of their idolatries, the sacrificing of their children to Moloch, a horrid piece of impiety, which the sight of the place might serve to remind them of and upbraid them with. 2. Because there they should feel the sorest of their calamities; there the greatest slaughter should be made among them; and, it being the common sink of the city, let them look upon it and see what a miserable spectacle this magnificent city would be when it should be all like the valley of Tophet. God bids him go thither, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee, when thou comest thither; whereby it appears (as Mr. Gataker well observed) that God's messages were frequently not revealed to the prophets before the very instant of time wherein they were to deliver them.

III. He must give general notice of a general ruin now shortly coming upon Judah and Jerusalem, Jer 19:3. He must, as those that make proclamation, begin with an Oyes: Hear you the word of the Lord, though it be a terrible word, for you may thank yourselves if it be so. Both rulers and ruled must attend to it, at their peril; the kings of Judah, the king and his sons, the king and his princes and privy-counsellors, must hear the word of the King of kings, for, high as they are, he is above them. The inhabitants of Jerusalem also must hear what God has to say to them. Both princes and people have contributed to the national guilt and must concur in the national repentance, or they will both share in the national ruin. Let them all know that the Lord of hosts, who is therefore able to do what he threatens, though he is the God of Israel, nay, because he is so, will therefore punish them in the first place for their iniquities (Amo 3:2): He will bring evil upon this place (upon Judah and Jerusalem) so surprising, and so dreadful, that whosoever hears it, his ears shall tingle; whosoever hears the prediction of it, hears the report and representation of it, it shall make such an impression of terror upon him that he shall still think he hears it sounding in his ears and shall not be able to get it out of his mind. The ruin of Eli's house is thus described (Sa1 3:11), and of Jerusalem, Kg2 21:12.

IV. He must plainly tell them what their sins were for which God had this controversy with them, Jer 19:4, Jer 19:5. They are charged with apostasy from God (They have forsaken me) and abuse of the privileges of the visible church, and which they had been dignified - They have estranged this place. Jerusalem (the holy city), the temple (the holy house), which was designed for the honour of God and the support of his kingdom among men, they had alienated from those purposes, and (as some render the word) they had strangely abused. They had so polluted both with their wickedness that God had disowned both, and abandoned them to ruin. He charges them with an affection for and the adoration of false gods, such as neither they nor their fathers have known, such as never had recommended themselves to their belief and esteem by any acts of power or goodness done for them or their ancestors, as that God had abundantly done whom they forsook; yet they took them at a venture for their gods; nay, being fond of change and novelty, they liked them the better for their being upstarts, and new fashions in religion were as grateful to their fancies as in other things. They also stand charged with murder, wilful murder, from malice prepense: They have filled this place with the blood of innocents. It was Manasseh's sin (Kg2 24:4), which the Lord would not pardon. Nay, as if idolatry and murder, committed separately, were not bad enough and affront enough to God and man, they have put them together, have consolidated them into one complicated crime, that of burning their children in the fire to Baal (Jer 19:5), which was the most insolent defiance to all the laws both of natural and revealed religion that ever mankind was guilty of; and by it they openly declared that they loved their new gods better than ever they loved the true God, though they were such cruel task-masters that they required human sacrifices (inhuman I should call them), which the Lord Jehovah, whose all lives and souls are, never demanded from his worshippers; he never spoke of such a thing, nor came it into his mind. See Jer 7:31.

V. He must endeavour to affect them with the greatness of the desolation that was coming upon them. He must tell them (as he had done before, Jer 7:32) that this valley of the son of Hinnom shall acquire a new name, the valley of slaughter (Jer 19:6), for (Jer 19:7) multitudes shall fall there by the sword, when either they sally out upon the besiegers and are repulsed or attempt to make their escape and are seized: They shall fall before their enemies, who not only endeavour to make themselves masters of their houses and estates, but have such an implacable enmity to them that they seek their lives; they thirst after their blood, and, when they are dead, will not allow a cartel for the burying of the slain, but their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven and beasts of the earth. What a dismal place will the valley of Tophet be then! And as for those that remain within the city, and will not capitulate with the besiegers, they shall perish for want of food, when first they have eaten the flesh of their sons and daughters, and dearest friends, through the straitness wherewith their enemies shall straiten them, Jer 19:9. This was threatened in the law as an instance of the extremity to which the judgments of God should reduce them (Lev 26:29, Deu 28:53) and was accomplished, Lam 4:10. And, lastly, the whole city shall be desolate, the houses laid in ashes, the inhabitants slain or taken prisoners; there shall be no resort to it, nor any thing in it but what looks rueful and horrid; so that every one that passes by shall be astonished (Jer 19:8), as he had said before, Jer 18:16. That place which holiness had made the joy of the whole earth sin had made the reproach and shame of the whole earth.

VI. He must assure them that all their attempts to prevent and avoid this ruin, so long as they continued impenitent and unreformed, would be fruitless and vain (Jer 19:7): I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem (of the princes and senators of Judah and Jerusalem) in this place, in the royal palace, which lay on the south side of the city, not far from the place where the prophet now stood. Note, There is no fleeing from God's justice but by fleeing to his mercy. Those that will not make good God's counsel, by humbling themselves under his mighty hand, shall find that God will make void their counsel and blast their projects, which they think ever so well concerted for their own preservation. There is no counsel or strength against the Lord.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–9. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jeremiah
(Chapter 19, verses 1 and following) Thus says the Lord: Go, and take the potter's earthen bottle, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests, and go forth into the valley of the son of Ennom, which is by the entry of the earthen gate (or Charsith); and there you shall proclaim (or cry out, or read) the words that I shall speak to you, and you shall say: Hear the word of the Lord, kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem. For the potter's bottle, which is called 'Bocboc' in Hebrew, the Septuagint translated it as 'doliolum', and for the earthen gate, Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion put the Hebrew word 'Harsith'. For this, the Septuagint, according to their custom of aspirating the letter 'Heth', added the Greek letter 'Chi', so that they would say 'Charsith' instead of 'Arsith', just as they say 'Chebron' for 'Hebron', and 'Jericho' for 'Jeriho'. But divine Scripture wants to instruct the people not only with their ears, but also with their eyes. For what is seen is more retained in the mind than what is heard: 'Take,' he says, 'your little bottle or earthenware jar as a witness, and go out to the valley of the sons of Hinnom, of which we have spoken before, where there is a temple of Baal, and a grove, and a grove irrigated by Siloam's springs. The valley itself, he says, is next to the gate, which in Hebrew is called Harsith, that is, earthenware.' And you will proclaim, or read there the words that I speak to you: so that they may hear what I am going to say. And as we have already said, you will proclaim, and cry out, and read it, because the Hebrew word Carath (), signifies these three things. And she wants both the kings of Judah to hear, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that is, both the royal lineage, and the whole people, so that those who refuse to listen may be without excuse.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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