and go out to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The "east gate" isn't just any entrance; it's likely named "the pottery gate" or "potsherd gate." This choice of location powerfully symbolizes that Jerusalem, like broken pottery cast out through this gate, is destined for destruction and will be reduced to refuse.
and go out to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is commanded to take a potter's clay jar and bring it, along with some elders of the people and priests, to the Valley of Hinnom, a place associated with horrific idolatrous practices like child sacrifice. This dramatic setting, near a gate possibly associated with pottery or refuse, is chosen for a public pronouncement of God's impending judgment, symbolizing the nation's fragility and inevitable destruction, much like a broken pot. The chosen location and witnesses emphasize the seriousness and inescapable nature of the coming doom.
Why would God send His prophet to such a grim place? The Valley of the Son of Hinnom wasn't just any location; it held a deeply disturbing history that made it the perfect backdrop for God's message.
The Valley of the Son of Hinnom, also known as Tophet, was a site associated with horrific idolatrous practices. Here, people sacrificed their children to pagan gods by passing them through fire.
The 'Potsherd Gate' or 'Potter's Gate' isn't just a name; it's a clue. This specific entrance held a connection to the very act God would use to symbolize His judgment.
The gate mentioned in Jeremiah 19:2 has several possible translations, but the most significant for the prophecy is 'Potsherd Gate' or 'Potter's Gate.' This naming is crucial to understanding the symbolic weight of Jeremiah's mission.
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Jeremiah wasn't just speaking his own ideas; he was a messenger. The specific instruction to 'proclaim there the words that I tell you' underscores the authority behind his message.
The command for Jeremiah to 'proclaim there the words that I tell you' highlights the divine origin and absolute authority of the message he was to deliver.
This scene sets the stage for a powerful visual prophecy, showing that God's judgment is certain and that His word, once spoken, carries inherent authority.
The symbolic act in the Valley of Hinnom, a place already associated with horrific idolatry and later defiled by King Josiah, serves as a powerful, visceral warning of irreversible judgment. Jeremiah's actions highlight that even Josiah's reforms couldn't cleanse the deep-seated sin that would ultimately lead to the city's utter destruction.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Jehoiakim of Judah is made a vassal of Babylon. Daniel and his companions are among the first notable exiles taken to Babylon, signaling the growing power of Nebuchadnezzar and the impending doom for Jerusalem.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
King Jehoiachin is deposed and exiled to Babylon with a significant portion of Jerusalem's elite, including the prophet Ezekiel. This further weakens Judah and brings it closer to destruction.
c. 587-586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem, destroys the Temple, and deports the remaining population, leaving only the poorest to till the land. This marks the catastrophic end of the southern kingdom of Judah.
Late 7th Century BC
Josiah's Reforms
King Josiah purges Judah of idolatrous practices, specifically targeting the Valley of Hinnom (Tophet) where child sacrifice had occurred, defiling the area to prevent further abominations.
c. 587-586 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Proclamation in the Valley of Hinnom
Jeremiah, acting under God's direct command, takes a potter's flask and breaks it in the Valley of Hinnom, symbolizing the irreversible destruction awaiting Jerusalem and its people due to their persistent sin.
This passage describes the same valley of Hinnom (called Topheth) as a place where Judah committed abominations, including sacrificing their children, setting the stage for why Jeremiah would be sent there to deliver God's judgment.
Jeremiah 18:1-6This earlier prophecy about the potter and the clay directly parallels the imagery Jeremiah is about to use in chapter 19, emphasizing God's sovereign power to form and destroy, just as a potter handles clay.
Matthew 27:3-10This passage shows the fulfillment of the prophecy, where Judas, in despair over his betrayal of Jesus, throws down the silver coins in the 'potter's field' and hangs himself, linking the place to judgment and betrayal.
Isaiah 30:14This verse directly echoes the imagery of breaking a potter's vessel without remedy, underscoring the finality and severity of the judgment that was coming upon Judah.
barnesJeremiah 19:2: "And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,"
The valley ... - See Jeremiah 7:31 note. The east gate - Others render "the pottery gate." Two gates led into the valley of Hinnom, the Fountain-gate at the southeast corner, and the Dung-gate on the southwest side of Zion; some think that "the east gate" was neither of these, but a small or postern gate, used for throwing out rubbish,…
calvinJeremiah 19:1-3: "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;"
Sic dicit Jehova, Vade et acquire (alii vertunt, posside; et qnh significat utrunque, sed hic non convenit verbum possidendi; acquire tibi) lagenam figuli testaceam, et quidem cum senioribus populi, et cum senioribus sacerdotum:
And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there…
The "east gate" isn't just any entrance; it's likely named "the pottery gate" or "potsherd gate." This choice of location powerfully symbolizes that Jerusalem, like broken pottery cast out through this gate, is destined for destruction and will be reduced to refuse.
Jeremiah is commanded to take a potter's clay jar and bring it, along with some elders of the people and priests, to the Valley of Hinnom, a place associated with horrific idolatrous practices like child sacrifice. This dramatic setting, near a gate possibly associated with pottery or refuse, is chosen for a public pronouncement of God's impending judgment, symbolizing the nation's fragility and inevitable destruction, much like a broken pot. The chosen location and witnesses emphasize the seriousness and inescapable nature of the coming doom.
Jeremiah is commanded to take a potter's clay jar and bring it, along with some elders of the people and priests, to the Valley of Hinnom, a place associated with horrific idolatrous practices like child sacrifice. This dramatic setting, near a gate possibly associated with pottery or refuse, is chosen for a public pronouncement of God's impending judgment, symbolizing the nation's fragility and inevitable destruction, much like a broken pot. The chosen location and witnesses emphasize the seriousness and inescapable nature of the coming doom.
"and go out to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you." — The "east gate" isn't just any entrance; it's likely named "the pottery gate" or "potsherd gate." This choice of location powerfully symbolizes that Jerusalem, like broken pottery cast out through th…
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Last reviewed October 2026