Jeremiah 19:2
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)
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Jeremiah isn't just told to go to a place, he's sent to a location deeply stained by horrific idolatry and child sacrifice—the "Valley of the Son of Hinnom," a place so grim it became synonymous with hell itself. This visceral, grim setting underscores that God's judgment isn't abstract but deeply connected to the land and the people's abominable actions.
God instructs Jeremiah to go to the Valley of Hinnom, a place historically associated with horrific child sacrifice and later used as a garbage dump, to deliver a message of impending judgment. He is to take elders of the people and priests with him, serving as witnesses to the symbolic act and the pronouncement of doom. This action prepares the people for the devastating destruction God is about to bring upon Jerusalem, making it as desolate and broken as the potter's vessel Jeremiah will shatter.
Why did God send Jeremiah to such a grim location? The Valley of the Son of Hinnom wasn't just any valley; it was a place seared into the memory of Israel for its horrific acts.
Jeremiah was commanded to go to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, also known as Tophet. This place was infamous for the idolatrous practices of the Israelites, particularly the sacrifice of children to the god Molech. They would literally pass their children through the fire, a practice God detested.
This valley became a symbol of ultimate rebellion and desecration. By sending Jeremiah there, God was choosing a site that perfectly mirrored the spiritual corruption and impending judgment that awaited Judah and Jerusalem. It wasn't a random choice; it was a deliberate selection of a place already associated with spiritual death and God's displeasure.
The gate Jeremiah passes through has a name that echoes the very object he carries. What does this 'potsherd' connection reveal about Judah's destiny?
The exact name of the gate Jeremiah passes through is debated among scholars – possibilities include 'East Gate,' 'Sun Gate,' or 'Potter's Gate.' However, a strong contender is 'Potsherd Gate.' This name is highly significant because Jeremiah was instructed to obtain a potter's earthen bottle (or vessel) just prior to this. The 'potsherd' gate points to the very nature of the vessel he carries and, by extension, the people of Judah.
Just as a potter's vessel can be easily broken and rendered useless, so too would Judah be broken. The fragments of pottery, refuse, and perhaps even the dirt associated with this gate and the valley represent the shattered future and worthlessness of a nation that has rejected God's covenant. It’s a stark image of utter destruction and fragmentation.
Jeremiah wasn't just sent to a place and given an object; he was given words to proclaim. What was the weight of these spoken judgments?
Jeremiah's task was not just symbolic action but also vocal proclamation. He was to 'proclaim there the words that I tell you.' This emphasizes that the message was not his own invention but directly from God. The elders of the people and the priests were present as witnesses, lending authority to the divine message.
The location in the Valley of Hinnom, a place historically defiled due to child sacrifice and idolatry, underscores the extreme corruption and impending judgment Jeremiah was announcing. The act of breaking the pot symbolized the irreversible destruction awaiting Jerusalem and its people.
c. 7th century BC
Josiah's Reforms and Defilement of Topheth
King Josiah purified Judah from idolatry, defiling the valley of Hinnom (Topheth) by covering it with human bones to prevent further worship there.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon begins deporting Judean nobles and skilled workers, including Daniel, to Babylon, signaling a weakening of the kingdom.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
More Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon following a rebellion against Babylonian rule.
c. 587-586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy Solomon's Temple, and exile most of the remaining population, marking the end of the southern kingdom.
This passage describes the very same valley of Hinnom (Tophet) where children were sacrificed, directly connecting the location to abominable idolatry that God condemned.
Jeremiah 18:1-6This earlier prophecy about the potter and the clay directly sets up the imagery of God as the Master Craftsman and Israel as His creation, highlighting God's right to shape and even break His vessels.
Matthew 27:3-10This New Testament passage shows how the field bought by the chief priests with the thirty pieces of silver (Judas's betrayal money) was named the 'Field of Blood' and located in the valley of Hinnom, demonstrating the ongoing legacy of judgment associated with this place.
Luke 12:4-5Jesus refers to 'Gehenna' (the Greek word derived from the valley of Hinnom) as a place to fear, directly linking the physical location of judgment in Jeremiah's prophecy to the ultimate spiritual judgment for those who reject God.
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…
Jeremiah isn't just told to go to a place, he's sent to a location deeply stained by horrific idolatry and child sacrifice—the "Valley of the Son of Hinnom," a place so grim it became synonymous with hell itself. This visceral, grim setting underscores that God's judgment isn't abstract but deeply connected to the land and the people's abominable actions.
God instructs Jeremiah to go to the Valley of Hinnom, a place historically associated with horrific child sacrifice and later used as a garbage dump, to deliver a message of impending judgment. He is to take elders of the people and priests with him, serving as witnesses to the symbolic act and the pronouncement of doom. This action prepares the people for the devastating destruction God is about to bring upon Jerusalem, making it as desolate and broken as the potter's vessel Jeremiah will shatter.
God instructs Jeremiah to go to the Valley of Hinnom, a place historically associated with horrific child sacrifice and later used as a garbage dump, to deliver a message of impending judgment. He is to take elders of the people and priests with him, serving as witnesses to the symbolic act and the pronouncement of doom. This action prepares the people for the devastating destruction God is about to bring upon Jerusalem, making it as desolate and broken as the potter's vessel Jeremiah will shatter.
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The words Jeremiah spoke were not pleasantries or calls for reform; they were severe pronouncements of judgment. The context of the valley and the shattered vessel reinforced that these words signified impending disaster, destruction, and exile. God, as the 'Lord of hosts,' was declaring his intention to bring a devastating evil upon Jerusalem, an evil so profound that those who heard of it would be stunned.
c. 586-539 BC
Exile in Babylon
The Judeans live in exile in Babylon, maintaining their identity but facing loss and longing for their homeland.
c. 609-587 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Prophetic Ministry
Jeremiah delivers God's warnings of impending judgment to Judah, advocating for submission to Babylon as the only way to survive, facing opposition from Judah's leaders.
"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." — Jeremiah isn't just told to go to a place, he's sent to a location deeply stained by horrific idolatry and child sacrifice—the "Valley of the Son of Hinnom," a place so grim it became synonymous with…
