


Jeremiah 19:12
Bible Versions
Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and [even] make this city as Tophet:
That is what I will do to this place,' says ADONAI 'and to its inhabitants; I will make it like Tofet.
This is what I will do to this place and to its residents, declares the LORD. I will make this city like Topheth.
Thus will I do unto this place, saith Jehovah, and to the inhabitants thereof, even making this city as Topheth:
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Jeremiah 10:13
When he uttereth his voice, [there is] a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures. -
Jeremiah 11:5
That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as [it is] this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O LORD.
Context
Jeremiah 19:12 is part of a dramatic prophetic act and pronouncement delivered by the prophet Jeremiah, often called the "weeping prophet," during a period of deep spiritual decline in Judah. The preceding verses (Jeremiah 19:1-11) describe the Lord instructing Jeremiah to take a potter's earthenware flask, go to the Valley of Hinnom (also known as the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, or Gehenna), and there, in the presence of the elders and priests, declare God's judgment against Jerusalem and its inhabitants. The breaking of the flask in Jeremiah 19:10 symbolizes the irreversible shattering of Judah due to their persistent sin, particularly their idolatry and the abhorrent practice of child sacrifice to false gods like Molech in Tophet. This specific verse (19:12) reiterates the severity and certainty of that judgment, explicitly linking the city's fate to the defilement of Tophet itself.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The pivotal term in this verse is "Tophet" (Hebrew: Tofet).
Tophet was a specific location in the Valley of Hinnom (Gehinnom, from which the New Testament term Gehenna is derived), just outside Jerusalem's walls. It became infamous as the primary site where the people of Judah, particularly during the reigns of wicked kings like Ahaz and Manasseh, offered their children as burnt sacrifices to the Ammonite god Molech.
The prophet Jeremiah frequently condemns this practice, as seen in Jeremiah 7:31 and Jeremiah 32:35. King Josiah had attempted to defile Tophet to prevent further sacrifices (2 Kings 23:10), but the people reverted to their evil ways. By declaring that Jerusalem would become "as Tophet," God was proclaiming that the entire city would be reduced to the same level of abhorrence, defilement, and destruction as that cursed place of child sacrifice. It would become a place of corpses and utter ruin, a stark symbol of divine wrath.
Practical Application
Jeremiah 19:12 serves as a stark reminder of several timeless truths: