Jeremiah Bible Notes Chapters 17-20

Jer. 17:1-4 The sin of Judah had been written indelibly with an iron chisel [KJV-pen of iron] (an instrument used to etch in stone those events that had to be preserved for posterity) or a pen with a diamond point. Their sins were so great that they were permanently written on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars as a constant reminder before GOD.

Jer. 17:3 The mountains: Mount Zion, where the Temple of Jehovah was located.

Jer. 17:5-11 Contrasting Fates of the Wicked and Righteous (HBH) The LORD stopped to contrast the wicked and the righteous. Those trusting in human strength and rejecting the LORD were doomed to experience extreme discomfort and eventual death. But those trusting the LORD would flourish, even in times of crisis. Though people can be exceedingly deceptive, GOD is capable of piercing their minds and motives and dealing with them in a just manner.

Jer. 17:9,10 The heart is the inner being, that thinks, feels and acts; the essence of the human being (see Prov. 4:23), but it is deceitful and perverse at times.

Jer. 17:11 A proverb that expresses the folly of acquiring wealth through dishonest means. Jeremiah continually exposed their deception.

Jer. 17:12-18 Jeremiah's Prayer (HBH) Appealing to this all-knowing and just GOD, Jeremiah asserted his faithfulness to his commission and asked that he be vindicated before his persecutors.

Jer. 17:13 Written in the dust: Jesus may have had these verses in mind when he stopped and wrote in the dirt (John 8:6,8). Fountain of living waters: See the note for 2:9-13.

Jer. 17:13 WRITING ON THE GROUND (Manners & Customs of the Bible by James M. Freeman; pub. 1972 by Logos International)
"All that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth." Some commentators suppose a reference is here made to names written on earth in opposition to names written in heaven; others think the reference is to words written in the dust. As the former are easily obliterated and forgotten, so will be the fate of those who depart from the LORD.

We have no direct evidence that writing in the dust was actually practiced in the days of Jeremiah. The figure used in the text might readily suggest itself aside from any custom. It may not be inappropriate, however, to observe that this mode of writing has been practiced in some schools in the East. Harmer says that Peter della Valle noticed a simple way of "writing short-lived memorandums in India, where he beheld children writing their lessons with their fingers on the ground, the pavement being for that purpose strewed all over with very fine sand. When the pavement was full they put the writings out; and, if need were, strewed new sand from a little heap they had before them wherewith to write farther". - Observations, vol. 3, p. 128, note.

The text brings to mind what is said of Jesus when the adulterous woman was brought into his presence in the temple. He "stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground". John 8:6,8.

Jer. 17:14-18 Jeremiah's fourth lament (see the note for 11:18-23. Afflicted by the taunts of his opponents, Jeremiah implores GOD for health.

LITERARY RICHES

Jer. 17:14 save me, yasha'; Strong # 3467: To rescue, save, defend, liberate, preserve, avenge, aid. The verb, which is found more than 200 times in the Old Testament, embraces in a word the divine response to the needs of humanity. GOD chose a form of this word to be the name of his Son: Yeshua, which means "He will save". See Matthew 1:21. The original sense of yasha' was "to deliver"; "to open widely". Our Deliverer freed us, rescued us, defends and preserves us continually; he opened wide the doors of our captivity.

Jer. 17:15 He is accused of being a false prophet because his words haven't been fulfilled (see Deut. 18:21,22).

Jer. 17:19-27 Sabbath Commands (HBH) Once more the LORD offered the people an opportunity to exhibit a repentant attitude. He exhorted the whole nation, including its king, to demonstrate their loyalty to Him by observing His requirements concerning the Sabbath Day. If they kept it holy by refraining from work, the LORD would bless them and accept their offerings. However, if they rejected this test of obedience, the threatened calamity would come in full force.

Jer. 17:19-27 Discourse about the day of rest which emphasizes a sinful reaction by the people toward all GOD's laws. This commandment holds a central place within the structure of worship because it was instituted as part of the Creation (Gen. 2:2,3; Exod. 20:11) and it was a sign of GOD's relations with Israel (Exod. 31:13-17; Ezek. 20:12).

Jer. 18:1-20:18 Lessons from the Potter Bring Trouble for Jeremiah
A Marred Pot and an Unpopular Prophet (18:1-23) (HBH) The LORD sent Jeremiah to a potter's house, where he illustrated His sovereign control over Judah. As Jeremiah watched the potter shaping a pot, the clay was marred. The potter reshaped the marred clay into a different style pot. The LORD explained that His people were like clay in His hands which He is free to reshape in accordance with His desires. When He threatens to destroy a sinful nation, He remains willing to reshape that nation's destiny if they are repentant. When He plans to bless a nation, He will alter His purpose if they are disobedient. Though He had once blessed His people, He was now planning disaster against them because of their idolatry and disobedience. Repentance would reshape their destiny, but they refused GOD's offer.

Jeremiah's proclamation of these truths was not well-received. The residents of Judah and Jerusalem plotted against the prophet, causing him to protest his innocence and again seek vindication from the LORD.

Jer. 18:1-20:18 This section, based on Jeremiah's experience in the potter's house, contains examples of the different literary types found in the book: biography, discourses in prose, poetic oracles and laments.

Jer. 18:1-23 Jeremiah visits the potter's house at GOD's request. There he learns that the potter rejects a vessel from time to time because of its poor quality. Thus GOD also acts as sovereign over the people of Judah. What the potter makes, is dependent on the quality of the clay; what GOD does with His people, depends on how they respond to the divine calling. The clay can frustrate the potter's intentions and obligate him to remake the vessel. Just as the quality of the clay limits what the potter can make, the quality of the people determines what GOD can do with them.

Jer. 18:3 THE POTTER (Manners & Customs of the Bible by James M. Freeman; pub. 1972 by Logos International)
"Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels." The potter's art has been practiced from very ancient times. The Egyptian monuments give evidence that it was known in Egypt before the entrance of the Hebrews into that country. Some expositors have inferred from Psalm 81:6, that the Israelites, when in bondage, were employed in pottery as well as in brickmaking: "I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands were delivered from the pots". Others, however, give to the word dud the meaning of "basket", and make it refer to the baskets which were used by the brickmakers for carrying clay.

The clay was first trodden with the feet by the potter, (Isa. 12:25) and when it became of the proper consistency it was put on the "wheels". These were originally of stone, and two in number, one above the other, like a pair of millstones; the lower one immovable, and the upper revolving on an axis and turned by the potter by means of a treadle, and sometimes by the hands of an attendant. In after times the wheels were made of wood. The softened clay was put upon the upper wheel, and fashioned by the potter's hand to any shape desired.

Jer. 18:4 Is ruined (KJV-was marred): Is equivalent to the same Hebrew word used in the case of the linen girdle in 13:7, where it's translated as "decayed". The clay didn't satisfy the potter's intentions. As it seemed better: He could have made something different with the clay, but not the vessel that he had wanted to make.

Jer. 18:7-10 The LORD limits His sovereign action according to the people's response to the divine calling (see 4:28). About the words, pull out, demolish and destroy, see the note for 1:10.

Jer. 18:13-17 See the note for 2:9-13. A poetic commentary on verse 12.

Jer. 18:14 Cold waters: They come from the region of Mount Hermon; these waters give birth to the Jordan River.

Jer. 18:16 Taunting (KJV-hissing): The Hebrew word translated here has an onomatopoeic value (see 19:8; 25:9,18; 29:18; 51:37). Shake the head (KJV-wag his head): Gesture that expresses feelings that vacillate between disdain and discouragement (see 48:27; Job 16:4; Psa. 44:14; 109:25; Matt. 27:39).

[NOTE: Onomatopoeia comes from the Greek words, onoma, name, and poiein, to make. It means, "the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (ass "buzz" or "hiss"). Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition]

Jer. 18:17 East wind: The dry wind from the desert (see 4:11).

Jer. 18:18-23 Jeremiah's fifth lament (see the note for 11:18-23). Unidentified persons conspired against Jeremiah because of his attacks against the leaders of Judah (see 2:8; 5:5; 25:34-36). Jeremiah asks that those who persecute him be completely destroyed.

Jer. 18:18 The responsibility of observing the fulfillment of the Law was assigned to the priests.

Jeremiah 18:20 Jeremiah remembers that he once interceded before GOD to keep them away from GOD's wrath. Now they are returning evil for good.

Jer. 19:1-20:18 A Broken Jar and a Disillusioned Prophet (HBH) The LORD instructed Jeremiah to buy a jar from a potter and then take some of the civil leaders and priests out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom (compare 7:31). Once there the prophet was to pronounce scathing judgment against Jerusalem because of the idolatry and child sacrifice its residents carried on in the valley. He was then to break the jar, illustrating what GOD would do to the city. This idolatrous valley would become a burial ground for the slaughtered idolaters.

Having carried out his commission, Jeremiah went to the temple and delivered another announcement of judgment. Pashur, one of the leading temple officials, had Jeremiah imprisoned and beaten. When released, Jeremiah gave Pashur the symbolic name Magor-Missabib (meaning terror all around) and announced that this official would witness the death of his friends and the exile of the nation. Passhur would die and be buried in a foreign land.

Embarrassed and angry, Jeremiah poured out his heart before the LORD. His words reflect his confused emotions and perspective. He accused the LORD of deception and complained of being caught between a rock and a hard place. When he proclaimed the LORD's word, he was insulted and abused. If he held back from preaching the message, the divine word burned within him until he was forced to declare it. In a sudden burst of confidence Jeremiah affirmed his trust in the LORD. Just as quickly he sunk back into depression and cursed the day of his birth.

Jer. 19:1-15 Jeremiah is asked to take a clay vessel, go with witnesses to the valley near the entrance to the east gate (later called the "Dung Gate"; Neh. 2:13) and offer a symbolic message to the people there. As opposed to the clay vessel of chapter 18, this one can't be remade. It can only be destroyed.

Jer. 19:1 EARTHEN BOTTLES (Manners & Customs of the Bible by James M. Freeman; pub. 1972 by Logos International)
"Thus saith the LORD, Go and get a potter's earthen bottle." It is evident from this and other passages that it is a mistake to suppose that all Eastern bottles were made of skin. Ancient bottles of earthenware of various shapes are to be found in the museums, and are often depicted on the monuments. In I Kings 19:3, bakbuk, here rendered bottle, is spoken of as a "cruse" in which honey was kept.

Jer. 19:1 Elders: Includes the laic and religious leaders.

Jer. 19:2 About the valley of the children of Hinnom, see the note for 7:31.

Jer. 19:3 Ears will tingle: An expression that also appears in I Samuel 3:11; II Kings 21:12.

Jer. 19:6 Tophet: See the note for 7:31.

Jer. 19:8 Mockery: See the note for 18:16.

Jer. 19:9 Eat the flesh: Part of the curse for disobedience according to the Law (Lev. 26:29; Deut. 29:53-57). This curse was fulfilled during the Babylonian siege in 586 B.C. The siege of Samaria by Syria gave way to similar behavior (see II Kings 6:28,29), as well as that of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D.

Jer. 19:10 BOTTLES BROKEN (Manners & Customs of the Bible by James M. Freeman; pub. 1972 by Logos International)
"Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee." This action, so symbolical of utter destruction, is still used in the East to denote the same thing. Dr. Thomson says, "The people of this country have the same custom of breaking a jar when they wish to express their utmost detestation of any one. They come behind or near him and smash the jar to atoms, thus imprecating upon him and his a like hopeless ruin." - The Land and the Book, vol. 2, p. 497.

Jer. 19:13 The act of breaking the vessel symbolizes the brokenness that the people will suffer. Egyptians and Hittites left evidence of this process. For Jeremiah it represented the fulfillment of GOD's promise.

Jer. 19:13 King Josiah made Tophet unclean (see II Kings 23:10).

Jer. 20:1-6 The reaction of Pashur when faced with Jeremiah's symbolic action was immediate, but his opposition to GOD's purpose gained him a new name, representative of what the future had in store for him.

Jer. 20:1 Pashur son of Immer: Should be distinguished from other individuals with the same name (see 21:1; 38:1). Presided as prince (KJV-was also chief governor): Charged with maintaining order in the Temple, his task was to take care of revolutionizers (see 29:26; NOTE: This term is meant in the sense of "an advocate or adherent of revolutionary doctrines" - Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition).

Jer. 20:2 The first time that the title prophet is used for Jeremiah, although it appears again in 25:2 and frequently after 28:5. This is also the first act of physical violence against Jeremiah that is mentioned.

Jer. 20:3,4 Magor-Missabib: "terror everywhere" is Pashur's new name (v.10; 6:25) and this is the fate that awaits Judah, whose children will be carried captive to Babylonia or will fall by the sword.

Jer. 20:5 Is fulfilled with the capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C. (see II Kings 24:13) and in 586 B.C. (see 52:17-23; II Kings 25:13-17).

Jer. 20:6 Is probably fulfilled with the first captivity in 597 B.C.

Jer. 20:7-18 In this sixth and final lament (see the note for 11:18-23), Jeremiah expresses profound anguish in the midst of persecution and comes close to blaspheming due to the language he uses to address GOD. The office of prophet has gained Jeremiah nothing but abuses and mockery (v.10), and in spite of his desire to cease from proclaiming GOD's message, he can't hold it in. The lament ends with a positive note of trust and praise (v.13). But from the heights of praise, Jeremiah falls to the depths of despair (verses 14-18). Trapped between the divine calling of which he can't rid himself, and the rejection and persecution of his people, and the betrayal of his friends, he curses the day he was born. The agony of his spirit has no limits and the words he uses are sublime.

Jer. 20:7 You seduced me: You enticed me (see Ex. 22:16; Judges 16:5) or deceived (see II Sam. 3:25) a very strong phrase that is almost on the verge of blasphemy (see v.10). I was seduced: Jeremiah feels that GOD used undue force (see 1:7,8).

Jer. 20:10 Fear on every side: See the note for verse 3.

Jer. 20:13 From the times of Amos (2:6), poor and "just" were synonyms.

Jer. 20:15 Cursed is the day: See Job 3:3.

Jer. 20:15 TIDINGS OF A NEW-BORN SON (Manners & Customs of the Bible by James M. Freeman; pub. 1972 by Logos International)
"Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man-child is born unto thee; making him very glad." The birth of a son is, in the East, considered a cause of special congratulation to the father. Its announcement makes him "very glad". In Persia it is associated with particular ceremonies. Morier says, "Some confidential servant about the harem is usually the first to get the information, when he runs in great haste to his master, and says, 'Mujdeh,' or 'Good news,' by which he secures to himself a gift, which generally follows the Mujdeh. Among the common people, the man who brings the Mujdeh frequently seizes on the cap or shawl, or any such article belonging to the father, as a security for the present, to which he holds himself entitled." - Second Journey, etc., p. 103.

Jer. 20:16 The cities that the LORD destroyed: Sodom and Gomorrah.