Jeremiah 19 10

Jeremiah 19:10 kjv

Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee,

Jeremiah 19:10 nkjv

"Then you shall break the flask in the sight of the men who go with you,

Jeremiah 19:10 niv

"Then break the jar while those who go with you are watching,

Jeremiah 19:10 esv

"Then you shall break the flask in the sight of the men who go with you,

Jeremiah 19:10 nlt

"As these men watch you, Jeremiah, smash the jar you brought.

Jeremiah 19 verses

Jeremiah 19 10 Meaning

Jeremiah 19:10 declares God's judgment upon Judah. He commands Jeremiah to break a clay jar, symbolizing the irreversible destruction of Judah and Jerusalem by their enemies. This act foreshadows the utter shattering of the nation. The location, the Valley of Hinnom (Ben-Hinnom), signifies a place associated with pagan worship and child sacrifice, highlighting the depth of Judah's apostasy and God's wrath against it.

Jeremiah 19 10 Context

Jeremiah 19 is part of God's ongoing prophecy of judgment against Judah, specifically Jerusalem, due to their persistent idolatry and disobedience. The chapter is set during a period of national crisis, likely shortly before the Babylonian conquest. The preceding verses (1-9) describe a symbolic action where Jeremiah purchased a clay jar, symbolizing the nation. The chosen location, the Valley of Hinnom (specifically Topheth), was a place where idolatrous Israelites had practiced horrific rituals, including child sacrifice (2 Kings 23:10). This practice, though outlawed by King Josiah, still represented the deep-seated corruption within the people. The breaking of the jar is a graphic and unambiguous portrayal of God's impending judgment that will shatter Judah's existence, just as an enemy would shatter a clay pot. This judgment is described as inescapable and divinely ordained because of their egregious sins, particularly the abandonment of the Lord and the adoption of foreign religious practices.

Jeremiah 19 10 Word Analysis

• "Take" (Hebrew: לָקַח, laqah): This signifies taking possession, seizing, or selecting. Here, it emphasizes God's command to Jeremiah to physically obtain the object of prophecy.
• "Earthen bottle" (Hebrew: כַּד חֶרֶשׂ, kad cherets): A jar made of clay or pottery. This mundane and fragile object is chosen to represent the nation of Judah. Its fragility mirrors the vulnerability of Jerusalem and its people.
• "Potter's vessel" (Hebrew: כְּלִי יוּצַר, k'li yutzar): A vessel that has been molded or formed by a potter. This highlights that God is the ultimate "Potter" who shapes and forms nations. The breaking of such a vessel implies a complete and final destruction, as it cannot be mended.
• "Valley of the son of Hinnom" (Hebrew: גֵּיא בֶן־הִנֹּם, gei ben-Hinnom): This specific location is steeped in negative connotations. It was historically a place of child sacrifice (Jeremiah 7:31), a place defiled by Josiah (2 Kings 23:10), and later became associated with the refuse heaps where fires burned continually, thus linked to hell or Gehenna in later Jewish thought. It perfectly embodies the locus of abominable worship and impending divine judgment.
• "You shall break" (Hebrew: וְשִׁבַּרְתָּ, w'shibarta): A strong verb meaning to break in pieces, shatter, or destroy. It signifies a violent and thorough destruction.
• "I am bringing upon this city": This emphasizes that the judgment is not random but divinely initiated and controlled by God himself.
• "Dishaster that I am bringing upon them": The Hebrew word (hēreṯ, הֶרֶת) can also mean "appointed time" or "appointment" of doom, underlining the predestined nature of this judgment.
• "Their fathers have sinned": This indicates generational sin and the accumulation of unfaithfulness, making the present generation responsible for their ancestors' transgressions as well as their own.

Words-Group by Words-Group Analysis:

• "Take thee a potter’s earthen bottle": The imagery connects God's power as the divine Potter (Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 18:1-6) with the fragility of His creation, specifically the nation of Judah represented by the fragile pot.
• "Valley of the son of Hinnom": The choice of this geographically and symbolically significant location intensifies the prophecy. It points to a place where abominable practices occurred, underscoring God’s condemnation of such acts and His judgment on the perpetrators and their descendants.
• "Break it in the sight of the men": This direct, public, and violent act of breaking the vessel is crucial. It serves as a visible, unmistakable warning to the people, leaving no room for misinterpretation about the impending, irreversible doom awaiting Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 19 10 Bonus Section

The Valley of Hinnom, referred to in this verse and often called Gehenna, became a strong symbol in Jewish thought, and subsequently in early Christian teaching, for the place of final punishment and hell. This connection to idolatrous practices and a place of burning further deepens the symbolic weight of Jeremiah's prophetic act, linking it to the ultimate consequence of turning away from the one true God. The very place where past generations offered their children to pagan gods becomes the stage for God's demonstration of a devastating judgment on their future generations.

Jeremiah 19 10 Commentary

Jeremiah 19:10 is a potent prophetic act underscoring the finality of God's judgment on Judah. The prophet is commanded to perform a tangible demonstration of God's word. Breaking the clay jar in the Valley of Hinnom is not merely symbolic but a foreshadowing of Jerusalem's imminent destruction. The location itself, a place notorious for child sacrifice and uncleanness, amplifies the severity of the impending judgment. This act illustrates that Judah, despite its heritage and God's previous mercy, has reached a point of no return due to its pervasive sin and rejection of God's warnings. The breaking represents complete annihilation and irrecoverable ruin.