Bible Commentaries

And say, Hear ye the word of the LORD, O ^a kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, which whoever heareth, his ears shall ^b tingle.

(a) By kings here and in other places are meant counsellors and governors of the people; who he calls the ancients, (Jeremiah 19:1).

(b) Read of this phrase in (1 Samuel 3:11).

They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire [for] burnt offerings to Baal, which I ^c commanded not, nor spoke [it], neither came [it] into my mind:

(c) By which is declared that whatever is not commanded by God's word concerning is service is against his word.

Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called ^d Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter.

(d) Read (Jeremiah 7:31) ; (2 Kings 23:10) ; (Isaiah 30:33).

And shalt say to them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as [one] breaketh a ^e potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury [them] in Tophet, till [there be] no place to bury.

(e) This visible sign was to confirm them concerning the assurance of this plague, which the Lord threatened by his prophet.

And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the ^f houses upon whose ^g roofs they have burned incense to all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings to other gods.

(f) He notes the great rage of the idolaters who left no place free from their abominations, in that they polluted their own houses with it, as we see yet among the papists.

(g) Read (Deuteronomy 22:8).