Jeremias 19:2

2 and thou shalt go forth to the burial-place of the sons of their children, which is at the entrance of the gate of Charsith; and do thou read there all these words which I shall speak to thee:

Jeremias 19:2 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 19:2

And go forth into the valley of the son of Hinnom
To whom it formerly belonged, and so it was called as early as Joshua's time, ( Joshua 15:8 ) ; from the faith and abomination of the place, and the shocking torments here exercised, "hell", from hence, in the New Testament, is called "Gehenna": here the prophet with the elders were to go, for reasons after mentioned; because here their cruel idolatries were committed, and Jerusalem was to be made like unto it for pollution and bloodshed: which [is] by the entry of the east gate;
the way to it out of Jerusalem lay through the east gate of the city. The Targum calls it "the dung gate"; through which the filth of the city was carried out, and laid near it, and where lay the potter's sherds; hence some render it the "potsherd" gate ^F13; or rather it should be the potter's gate; for that reason, because the potter's field and house lay near it, from whence the prophet had his earthen bottle; others call it the "sun gate" ^F14, because it lay to the sun rising; but seeing the valley of Hinnom was to the south of Jerusalem, this seems rather to be the south gate; and a proper situation this was for the potters to dry and harden their pots. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, leave it untranslated, and call it the gate Harsith or Hadsith: and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee;
for as yet it was not made known to him what he should do with his bottle, or say to the elders, until he came to the place he was ordered to.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 (tyorxh rev) "portae fictilis", Munster, Pagninus.
F14 "Portae solaris", Montanus, Piscator, Cocceius; so Ben Melech, and Stockius, p. 389.

Jeremias 19:2 In-Context

1 Then said the Lord to me, Go and get an earthen bottle, the work of the potter, and thou shalt bring of the elders of the people, and of the priests;

2 and thou shalt go forth to the burial-place of the sons of their children, which is at the entrance of the gate of Charsith; and do thou read there all these words which I shall speak to thee:

3 and thou shalt say to them, Hear ye the word of the Lord, ye kings of Juda, and men of Juda, and the dwellers in Jerusalem, and they that enter in by these gates; thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I bring evil upon this place, so that the ears of every one that hears it shall tingle.

4 Because they forsook me, and profaned this place, and burnt incense in it to strange gods, which they and their fathers knew not; and the kings of Juda have filled this place with innocent blood,

5 and built high places for Baal, to burn their children in the fire, which things I commanded not, neither did I design in my heart: