God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 19:11
11Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I will smash these people and this city as this potter’s jar was smashed beyond repair. They will bury ⌞the dead⌟ in Topheth until there’s no other place to bury them.
Jeremiah 19:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter’s vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury.
- New International Version (NIV)and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I will smash this nation and this city just as this potter’s jar is smashed and cannot be repaired. They will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room.
- English Standard Version (ESV)and shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts: So will I break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter's vessel, so that it can never be mended. Men shall bury in Topheth because there will be no place else to bury.
- New King James Version (NKJV)and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Even so I will break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot be made whole again; and they shall bury them in Tophet till there is no place to bury.
Context of Jeremiah 19:11
9I will make the people eat the flesh of their sons and daughters. They will eat each other’s flesh during blockades and hardships that their enemies impose on them when they want to kill them.” 10⌞The Lord says,⌟ “Then smash the jar in front of the men who went with you. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I will smash these people and this city as this potter’s jar was smashed beyond repair. They will bury ⌞the dead⌟ in Topheth until there’s no other place to bury them. 12That’s what I will do to this place and to those who live in it, declares the Lord. I will make this city like Topheth. 13The houses in Jerusalem, the houses of the kings of Judah, and all the rooftops of the houses will be unclean like this city Topheth. This is because people burned incense to the entire army of heaven and poured out wine offerings to other gods.’ ”
Read all of Jeremiah 19Jeremiah 19:11 word by word
וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר׀ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת כָּ֣כָה אֶשְׁבֹּ֞ר אֶת־הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ וְאֶת־הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר יִשְׁבֹּר֙ אֶת־כְּלִ֣י הַיּוֹצֵ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹֽא־יוּכַ֥ל לְהֵרָפֵ֖ה ע֑וֹד וּבְתֹ֣פֶת יִקְבְּר֔וּ מֵאֵ֥ין מָק֖וֹם לִקְבּֽוֹר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And shalt sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- Even soכָּ֫כָהkâkâh · thusH3602
- will I breakשָׁבַרshâbar · to breakH7665
- this peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- and this cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- a potter’sיָצַרyâtsar · to form: potterH3335
- vesselכְּלִיkelîy · article/utensilH3627
- that cannotיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
- be made whole againרָפָאrâphâ' râphâh · to healH7495
- and they shall buryקָבַרqâbar · to buryH6912
- in Tophetתֹּ֫פֶתtôpheth · TophethH8612
- no placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
Cross-references for Jeremiah 19:11
- Jeremiah 13:14Then I will smash them like bottles against each other. I will smash parents and children together, declares the Lord. I will have no pity, mercy, or compassion when I destroy them.’ ”
- Psalms 2:9You will break them with an iron scepter. You will smash them to pieces like pottery.”
- Isaiah 30:14It will break like pottery. It will be smashed, and nothing will be left of it. No piece will be big enough to carry live coals from a fireplace or to dip water from a reservoir.
- Lamentations 4:2“Zion’s precious children, who are worth their weight in fine gold, are now treated like clay pots, like those made by a potter’s hands.
- Revelation 2:27Those people will rule the nations with iron scepters and shatter them like pottery.
- Jeremiah 19:6“That is why the days are coming, declares the Lord, when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben Hinnom. Instead, it will be called Slaughter Valley.
- Jeremiah 7:31They have built worship sites at Topheth in the valley of Ben Hinnom in order to burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices. I did not ask for this. It never entered my mind.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 19:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Even so will I break this people and this city - The breaking of the bottle was the symbolical representation of the destruction of the city and of the state. That cannot be made whole again - This seems to refer rather to the final destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, than to what was done by the Chaldeans. Jerusalem was healed after 70 years: but nearly 1800 years have elapsed since Jerusalem was taken and destroyed by the Romans; and it was then so…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Made whole again - literally, “healed.” In this lies the distinction between this symbol and that of Jeremiah 18:4. The plastic clay can be shaped and re-shaped until the potter forms with it the vessel he had predetermined: the broken bottle is of no further use, but its fragments are cast away forever upon the heaps of rubbish deposited in Tophet.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-15Verses 10-15 The potter's vessel, after it is hardened, can never be pieced again when it is broken. And as the bottle was broken, so shall Judah and Jerusalem be broken by the Chaldeans. No human hand can repair it; but if they return to the Lord he will heal. As they filled Tophet with the slain sacrificed to their idols, so will God fill the whole city with the slain that shall fall as sacrifices to his justice. Whatever men may think, God will appear…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-13Judah, the nation these leaders represented, would be completely destroyed and beyond repair. Judah would never again be a sovereign nation with a king from David's line (see Jeremiah 33:17–18). The city of Jerusalem would become as defiled as Topheth, the unclean valley (see study note on Jeremiah 7:30–34).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. as one breaketh a potter's vessel--expressing God's absolute sovereignty (Jr 18:6; Psa 2:9; Is 30:14, Margin; La 4:2; Ro 9:20, 21). cannot be made whole again--A broken potter's vessel cannot be restored, but a new one may be made of the same material. So God raised a new Jewish seed, not identical with the destroyed rebels, but by substituting another generation in their stead [Grotius]. no place to bury--(Jr 7:32).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 19:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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