The earthen bottle broken in the valley of Ben-hinnom before the elders of the people and of the priests: 'Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Thus said Hashem: Go, and get a potter’s earthen bottle, and take of the elders of the people, and of the elders of the priests;
verse value 2602
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 49 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֚ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·from·elders·of" (וּמִזִּקְנֵ֣י, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 213: and·from·elders·of, and·from·elders·of. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "flask" (בַקְבֻּ֖ק). The root זקן appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "surely" (root הלך, 108x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'potsherd', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: כֹּ֚ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֣ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + הָלֹ֛ךְ [surely] (55) + וְקָנִ֥יתָ [and·you·will·get] (566) + בַקְבֻּ֖ק [flask] (204) + יוֹצֵ֣ר [potter] (306) + חָ֑רֶשׂ [potsherd] (508) + וּמִזִּקְנֵ֣י [and·from·elders·of] (213) + הָעָ֔ם [the·people] (115) + וּמִזִּקְנֵ֖י [and·from·elders·of] (213) + הַכֹּהֲנִֽים [the·priests] (130) = 2602.
Rashi
A flask. A vial:
"[The] potter's earthenware." That is to say, [it is the work] of a potter, that is, [made] of clay:
"And from the elders of the people." The phrase "Go with you, and from the elders of the people" is construed such that "from the elders of the people" is attached to "Go," meaning: "Go, and from the elders of the people [go] with you."
Radak
Thus says the Lord: "A jug, a potter's ware of clay." From "a potter's ware of clay" you may derive [the material of] the jug, for there is a jug made of wood, or of glass, or of other metals. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated the words in reverse order, rendering it as "a flask of clay, [the work of] a potter," with the letter mem missing [understood as "by a potter"]. A similar deficiency is found in the phrase "Elchanan, the son of his uncle, of Bethlehem," where it is written "Bethlehem" like "from Bethlehem" [with a missing mem].
"And from the elders of the people and from the elders of the priests." The explanation is: You shall take with you the elders in order to make them hear the prophecy and to break the flask before their eyes, so that it may serve as a sign for them, as it says, "And you shall break the flask before the eyes of the men who go with you." And so did Jonathan translate: "And you shall take with you some of the elders of the people." The passage is clear, except for a small part of it that requires elucidation.
Metzudat David
A flask. A jar made by a potter:
"And from the elders, etc." – This is dependent on "go," meaning: "You shall go, and also from the elders of the people, etc., shall go with you."
Metzudat Zion
"Baqbaq." This is the name of the vessel, because its mouth is narrow; for when you pour from it, a sound resembling "baqbaq" is heard. And similarly, "a jug (baqbuk) of honey" (1 Kings 14:3).
"A potter of clay." A craftsman of pottery.
Malbim
"Go and acquire a clay jar." After He had brought him down to the potter's house and shown him that while Israel is in the hand of the Lord and under His dominion, they are like clay in the hand of the potter: if the vessel breaks, he can return it and repair it, or fashion it into another vessel. He then showed him another parable: when Israel goes out from the hand of the Lord and from His dominion through idolatry, they are like a potter's vessel that has already been fired in the kiln and completed; then, if it breaks, there is no remedy for it. And He commanded him to take a flask, which is a vessel into which honey is placed and whose mouth is narrow. After the honey inside it has solidified, it is impossible to remove it except by breaking the vessel. This is the parable: they are full of evil counsels and thoughts of heresy, which cannot be removed from them through the reproof of the prophets; therefore, it is necessary to shatter them into pieces without mercy, to remove the counsel of Belial and to put an end to sin. "And take with you some of the elders of the people."
and go forth to the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the gate Harsith, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell you;
verse value 6098
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 62 letters. The shortest word is "there" (שָּׁ֔ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·words" (אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "to·valley" (אֶל־גֵּ֣יא), "potsherd" (הַחַרְסִ֑ית), "that·I·will·speak" (אֲשֶׁר־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "to·valley" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "the·words" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'potsherd', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words.
Rashi
The Gate of the Potsherds. The Gate of the Refuse, where they throw broken potsherds; and likewise the Targum translates it as "the gate of the refuse."
Radak
"Who opened the gate of the potsherds." From the gate of the potsherds, one proceeds to the Valley of Ben-Hinnom. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it as "before the gate of the refuse," and "refuse" is, in the words of our Sages of blessed memory, "trash." And in my opinion, it is the gate mentioned in the Book of Ezra: "and the gate of the trash." And our Sages of blessed memory explained that it is one of the gates of the Temple Court, namely the eastern gate. And they said that it was called by seven names: The Gate of Departure, for there the ritually impure would separate; this is what is written: "Depart, you who are impure." The Gate of the Foundation, for there they established the halakha. The Gate of the Potsherds [Harsit], which is aligned opposite the rising of the sun, as one would say, "He who says to the sun, 'Do not shine'" [Job 9:7]. The Gate of the Aithon, which serves for entry and exit. The Inner Gate, which is situated between two gates. The New Gate, for there the scribes would innovate the halakha. The Upper Gate, which is above the Court of Israel. "The potsherds" is written with a vav and read with a yod as "the potsherd," and it is one [and the same].
"Which I shall speak unto thee." The words that I am speaking to you now, and they are from "And thou shalt say" until "and pour out drink-offerings unto other gods."
Metzudat David
"Which is the entrance." That is, opposite the entrance:
"The Harsith Gate." It is the Dung Gate mentioned in Nehemiah, where broken pottery shards were thrown.
“Which I shall speak unto thee.” This is the verse mentioned in the subsequent biblical passage:
Metzudat Zion
Gai ben-Hinnom. Thus is the name of the place:
Malbim
To the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, where they burned their sons to fire (as stated above, 7:31), which is at the entrance of the Gate of Clay, the eastern gate, for the worship of Molech was specifically dedicated to the sun, as is well known; and they called the gate the Gate of the Sun.
and say: Hear you the word of Hashem, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; thus says Hashem of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, which whosoever hears, his ears shall tingle;
verse value 6083
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 99 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֨ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "evil" (רָעָה֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֔ה, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "upon·the·place" (עַל־הַמָּק֣וֹם), "all·who·hear·it" (כׇּל־שֹׁמְעָ֖הּ), "they·will·sink" (תִּצַּ֥לְנָה). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jerusalem', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 14 words.
Rashi
"Titzalnah" [they shall tingle]. Tintiner in Old French — the term for "cymbals" (1 Chronicles 15), [as in] "with clanging cymbals" (Psalms 150:5):
Radak
"His ears shall be made to tingle." The meaning is the motion of trembling, and it is from the Nifal conjugation. This expression is used of the ears and of the lips, as it is said, "My lips quivered at the sound" (Habakkuk 3:16).
Metzudat David
"Every one who hears it." Every one who hears that evil news, his ears shall tremble with the motion of trembling.
Metzudat Zion
"Titzalnah." The matter refers to the motion of shaking, and similarly, "at the sound, my lips quivered" (Habakkuk 3:16).
because they have forsaken Me, and have estranged this place, and have offered in it to other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah; and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;
verse value 4639
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 98 letters. The shortest word is "blood" (דַּ֥ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·offered·in·it" (וַיְקַטְּרוּ־בוֹ֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 592: the·place, the·place. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "they·left·me" (עֲזָבֻ֗נִי), "and·estranged" (וַֽיְנַכְּר֞וּ), "and·offered·in·it" (וַיְקַטְּרוּ־בוֹ֙). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "and·kings·of" (root מלך, 253x in Jeremiah); "for·God" (root אלהים, 140x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Judah', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 5 words.
Rashi
And they estranged [it]. They made it (the place) foreign before Me:
Radak
And they made this place foreign [to Me]. As it is written: "the foreign gods of the land" (Deuteronomy 31:16), for that place cannot tolerate idolatry.
Metzudat David
"Because." Because they abandoned Me:
"And they were estranged." They made this place foreign and strange from Me, that is to say, they did not offer sacrifices there before Me, as if it were My land.
"And they burned incense in it." But they burned incense in it to other gods:
"They, etc." – This refers back to "and they burned incense in it," to say that they, too, burned incense, as did their ancestors, etc.
"Blood of the innocent." The blood of the children that they sacrificed before the idolaters:
Metzudat Zion
And they estranged [it]. From the language of foreignness and strangeness:
Malbim
"And they made [this place] foreign": They dedicated it exclusively to idol worship. And do not say that the deeds of their ancestors were in their hands; therefore it says, "Whom neither they nor their fathers knew." And "they filled the land with the blood of the innocent": from the lives of human beings whom they sacrificed to Molech. And it explains how they filled the land with the blood of the innocent: for they built the high places of Topheth, in addition to what they passed through to Molech, they also offered up burnt offerings, in which they shed blood. "Which I did not command": I explained above (7:30).
and have built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons in the fire for burnt-offerings to Baal; which I commanded not, nor spoke it, neither came it into My mind.
verse value 5464
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 66 letters. The shortest word is "in·the·fire" (בָּאֵ֖שׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "their·sons" (אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֛ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 37: and·not, and·not. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "burnt-offerings" (עֹל֣וֹת), "not·I·commanded" (לֹֽא־צִוִּ֙יתִי֙). The root בעל appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "upon·inner man" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Baal', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 7 words.
Radak
"Which I did not command." I explained this in the passage [beginning] "Cut off your hair" [Jeremiah 7:29], and Jonathan rendered it in the Targum: "That which I did not command in My Torah, and that which I did not send by the hand of My servants the prophets, nor was it My will before Me."
Metzudat David
"Burnt offerings to Baal." To be burnt offerings to Baal:
"Which I did not command." Even for Myself, I did not command [them] to offer up sons and daughters.
"And I did not speak." Even mere speech, without a commandment or warning.
"And it did not ascend, etc." – to inquire about such a matter.
Therefore, behold, the days come, says Hashem, that this place shall no more be called Topheth, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter;
verse value 2446
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 64 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֖י, 2 letters) and the longest is "behold·days" (הִנֵּֽה־יָמִ֤ים, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·not·be·called" (וְלֹא־יִקָּרֵא֩). The root גיא appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "going·in" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'son·of·Hinnom', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 3 words. Full calculation: לָכֵ֞ן [therefore] (100) + הִנֵּֽה־יָמִ֤ים [behold·days] (160) + בָּאִים֙ [going·in] (53) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה [says·Hashem] (117) + וְלֹא־יִקָּרֵא֩ [and·not·be·called] (348) + לַמָּק֨וֹם [to·the·place] (216) + הַזֶּ֥ה [this] (17) + ע֛וֹד [again] (80) + הַתֹּ֖פֶת [Topheth] (885) + וְגֵ֣יא [and·Valley·of] (20) + בֶן־הִנֹּ֑ם [son·of·Hinnom] (147) + כִּ֖י [for] (30) + אִם־גֵּ֥יא [but·valley] (55) + הַהֲרֵגָֽה [a killing] (218) = 2446.
Metzudat David
"And it shall not be called." Then it shall not be called:
"Topheth." The House of the High Places was called Topheth because they would beat drums there so that the father would not hear the cries of his son as he was being burned, and his compassion would not be stirred.
"Ben-hinnom." The valley in which the House of the High Places stood was called Ben-hinnom, named after the moan of the son who was burned.
The valley of slaughter. For many slain will fall there.
and I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hand of them that seek their life; and their carcasses will I give to be food for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth;
verse value 7541
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 100 letters. The shortest word is "this" (הַזֶּ֔ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·Jerusalem" (וִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·I·will·empty" (וּ֠בַקֹּתִ֠י), "trees" (אֶת־עֲצַ֨ת), "and·I·will·fell·them" (וְהִפַּלְתִּ֤ים). 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "earth" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "and·I·will·give" (root נתן, 141x in Jeremiah); "Judah" (root יהודה, 134x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·soul', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 7 words.
Rashi
And I emptied. “And I emptied” is in the language of “boqah and mevuqah” (Nahum 2:11), and it took its terminology from the flask about which it is speaking, thus:
Radak
And I will make it desolate. The matter of desolation is like [the verse] “He has laid the earth waste” (Isaiah 24:1), and Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered it in the Targum: “And I will cause it to be ruined.”
Metzudat David
"And I will frustrate." [I will] empty out their counsel; that is to say, they will not find a way to escape.
“Food, etc.” – “They shall not be buried.”
Metzudat Zion
And "b'kuti." The meaning of "riqut" (emptiness) is like "the earth shall be emptied" (Isaiah 24:3), and it is a term that falls under the language of "bakbuk" (a jar or bottle).
Malbim
And I shall pour out: The name "bottle" indicates this, for a bottle is made to empty its contents; so too, I shall pour out the counsel of Judah.
and I will make this city an astonishment, and a hissing; every one that passes thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof;
verse value 4889
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֚ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·all·her·plagues" (עַל־כׇּל־מַכֹּתֶֽהָ, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "upon·all·her·plagues" (עַל־כׇּל־מַכֹּתֶֽהָ). The root שרק appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "on" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "all" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah); "the·city" (root עיר, 117x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root שרק ("and·to·a·hissing") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·to·a·hissing', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְשַׂמְתִּי֙ [and·I·will·put] (756) + אֶת־הָעִ֣יר [the·city] (686) + הַזֹּ֔את [this] (413) + לְשַׁמָּ֖ה [to·astonishment] (375) + וְלִשְׁרֵקָ֑ה [and·to·a·hissing] (641) + כֹּ֚ל [all] (50) + עֹבֵ֣ר [crossing] (272) + עָלֶ֔יהָ [on] (115) + יִשֹּׁ֥ם [shall·be·astonished] (350) + וְיִשְׁרֹ֖ק [and·will·hiss] (616) + עַל־כׇּל־מַכֹּתֶֽהָ [upon·all·her·plagues] (615) = 4889.
Radak
"Her wounds." The plural yod is lacking from the written text:
Metzudat David
"For a desolation." For astonishment and for people to hiss over it:
Metzudat Zion
"To a desolation." [Meaning] astonishment:
And to hiss. The matter of making a sound by gathering the lips together, and its manner is to do so when one sees something important that has been destroyed.
"It shall be appalled." [Meaning] it shall be astonished:
Malbim
“And I will lay waste the city” – this is the punishment for having defiled this place.
and I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend, in the siege and in the straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their life, shall straiten them.
verse value 6475
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 84 letters. The shortest word is "and" (וְאֵת֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·feed·them" (וְהַאֲכַלְתִּ֞ים, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·I·will·feed·them" (וְהַאֲכַלְתִּ֞ים), "the·flesh·of" (אֶת־בְּשַׂ֣ר), "their·daughters" (בְּנֹתֵיהֶ֔ם). The root בשר appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "and·man" (root איש, 153x in Jeremiah); "to·them" (root הם, 132x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'eat', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 8 words.
Rashi
And in distress. The language of trouble, like tzukah:
Metzudat David
“Because of the siege.” Due to the siege, they will lack food, and they will eat the flesh of their sons, etc.
Metzudat Zion
"On a siege." The matter of encircling armies around the city to conquer it and to cause them distress:
And in distress. [The word] "yatziku" is from the term of distress (tzuka) and trouble (tzara):
Malbim
“And I will feed them with the flesh of their children” – this is a measure for measure punishment, corresponding to the fact that they offered their children as burnt offerings to Baal.
Then shall you break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with you,
verse value 2230
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "you" (אוֹתָֽךְ, 4 letters) and the longest is "man" (הָאֲנָשִׁ֔ים, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·you·will·break" (וְשָׁבַרְתָּ֖), "flask" (הַבַּקְבֻּ֑ק). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man" (root איש, 153x in Jeremiah); "that·go" (root הלך, 108x in Jeremiah); "to·eyes·of" (root עין, 52x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'flask', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְשָׁבַרְתָּ֖ [and·you·will·break] (908) + הַבַּקְבֻּ֑ק [flask] (209) + לְעֵינֵי֙ [to·eyes·of] (170) + הָאֲנָשִׁ֔ים [man] (406) + הַהֹלְכִ֖ים [that·go] (110) + אוֹתָֽךְ [you] (427) = 2230.
Metzudat Zion
You. With you:
Malbim
"And you shall break it"—this refers to the flask, for when one wishes to empty its contents, it is broken.
and shall say to them: Thus says Hashem of hosts: Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter’s vessel, that cannot be made whole again; and they shall bury in Topheth, for want of room to bury.
verse value 8344
Insights
Verse structure: 24 words, 108 letters. Notable word values: "to·them" (אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "like this" (כָּ֣כָה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·city" (וְאֶת־הָעִ֣יר, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "will·break" (יִשְׁבֹּר֙), "to·be·healed" (לְהֵרָפֵ֖ה), "and·in·Topheth" (וּבְתֹ֣פֶת). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "as" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'again', dividing the verse into phrases of 19 and 5 words.
Rashi
(“Which cannot be repaired”: This refers to the people, but the city—I will make it like Tophet and purify it in the future.)
Radak
"As one breaks." The interpretation is: "As a man breaks," and similarly, "if the plowman plows with oxen."
Regarding the word "leherafeh": The letter heh [at the end] is equivalent to an aleph, and it is used by way of a figurative/borrowed sense, similar to the usage in "and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down."
"And they shall bury in Tofet." Even though it is the place of their idol worship, [they shall bury] in the place of Tofet, which Josiah defiled.
Metzudat David
"So will I break it." Just as the flask was broken, so too will I break it, etc.
"When it shall be broken, etc." – This means that just as a potter’s vessel is broken when shattered by one who cannot find a remedy to make it whole, so too shall the people and the city be broken beyond repair.
And in Topheth. The dead are buried in Topheth in great numbers, until there is no longer found there space for further burial.
Metzudat Zion
Just so. So:
The potter. A craftsman of clay:
"To be mended." It is from the language of "healing." Although it is spelled with a heh [instead of an alef], meaning "to repair," it is expressed as a borrowed term [i.e., metaphorically]. Similarly, "and he repaired the altar of the Lord" (I Kings 18).
Malbim
Thus will I break them, not like the breaking of the clay in the potter’s hand to make it into another vessel, but rather as when the potter breaks the finished vessel, which cannot be mended.
Thus will I do to this place, says Hashem, and to the inhabitants thereof, even making this city as Topheth;
verse value 4001
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "this" (הַזֶּ֛ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·dwellers·of·it" (וּלְיֽוֹשְׁבָ֑יו, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "thus·I·will·do" (כֵּֽן־אֶעֱשֶׂ֞ה), "and·to·dwellers·of·it" (וּלְיֽוֹשְׁבָ֑יו), "as·Topheth" (כְּתֹֽפֶת). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "thus·I·will·do" (root עשה, 147x in Jeremiah); "and·to·dwellers·of·it" (root ישב, 147x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·to·dwellers·of·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: כֵּֽן־אֶעֱשֶׂ֞ה [thus·I·will·do] (446) + לַמָּק֥וֹם [to·the·place] (216) + הַזֶּ֛ה [this] (17) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֖ה [says·Hashem] (117) + וּלְיֽוֹשְׁבָ֑יו [and·to·dwellers·of·it] (370) + וְלָתֵ֛ת [and·to·give] (836) + אֶת־הָעִ֥יר [the·city] (686) + הַזֹּ֖את [this] (413) + כְּתֹֽפֶת [as·Topheth] (900) = 4001.
Rashi
"This city [I will make] like Tophet." It is entirely filled with the slain, just as the Tophet is the place where they slaughter the children to Molech.
Metzudat David
Thus I will do. Just as I have said, thus I will do, etc.
"Like Topheth": This means that [the city] will be full of corpses, like Topheth, which is full of the slain children who were put to death for idol worship.
Malbim
Thus I will do to this place; this is the meaning of what they will be buried in Topheth, in order to defile the place just as they defiled it, and of what they will be broken, in order to do thus to its inhabitants, and to give—not only that Topheth will be filled with human corpses, but also that the entire city will be like Topheth, a cemetery of the dead.
and the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, which are defiled, shall be as the place of Topheth, even all the houses upon whose roofs they have offered to all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink-offerings to other gods.
verse value 5897
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 95 letters. The shortest word is "houses·of" (בָּתֵּ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·their·roofs" (עַל־גַּגֹּֽתֵיהֶם֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 80: to·them·of, to·them·of. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "houses·of" (בָּתֵּ֣י), "and·houses·of" (וּבָתֵּי֙), "as·place·of" (כִּמְק֥וֹם). The root בית appears 3 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "upon·their·roofs" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "kings·of" (root מלך, 253x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·impure', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 12 words.
Radak
"The impure ones." Its meaning refers to the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah.
"To all the houses." The meaning is: for the sake of all the houses, or upon all the houses—namely, what I say regarding the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah, that they shall be like the place of Topheth, applies to the houses upon whose roofs they burned incense; it is about them that I say this.
Metzudat David
And they shall be, etc. This means that they shall be a place of burial for the slain, like the place of Topheth.
The impure ones. This refers to the houses, to say that the impure houses shall be like Topheth, and then it goes back and explains which of the houses these are, and says, "to all the houses in which they burned incense, etc."
Malbim
"And the houses of Jerusalem" – all the houses will be like the place of Topheth, because the houses are ritually impure. And he explains why they are impure: because the houses had incense burned on their roofs, and their legal status is that of idolatrous altars, which require demolition and destruction.
Then came Jeremiah from Topheth, whither Hashem had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of Hashem’S house, and said to all the people:
verse value 3835
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 61 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3835 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֖ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·house·of·Hashem" (בֵּית־יְהֹוָ֔ה, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "from·Topheth" (מֵֽהַתֹּ֔פֶת), "and·stood" (וַֽיַּעֲמֹד֙). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root חצר ("in·court·of") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·prophesy', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיָּבֹ֤א [and·came] (19) + יִרְמְיָ֙הוּ֙ [Jeremiah] (271) + מֵֽהַתֹּ֔פֶת [from·Topheth] (925) + אֲשֶׁ֨ר [that] (501) + שְׁלָח֧וֹ [sent·him] (344) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + שָׁ֖ם [there] (340) + לְהִנָּבֵ֑א [to·prophesy] (88) + וַֽיַּעֲמֹד֙ [and·stood] (130) + בַּחֲצַ֣ר [in·court·of] (300) + בֵּית־יְהֹוָ֔ה [the·house·of·Hashem] (438) + וַיֹּ֖אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אֶל־כׇּל־הָעָֽם [to·all·the·people] (196) = 3835.
Metzudat David
To prophesy. The prophecy mentioned above:
Malbim
And Jeremiah came from Topheth, to which the Lord had sent him to prophesy. This means that the Lord sent him only to prophesy at Topheth, and there he was the Lord's agent; but that he went and prophesied this a second time in the court of the House of the Lord, he did on his own initiative. And this lays the groundwork for what is stated afterward, that Pashhur struck him: for regarding the prophecy that he prophesied at the place of Topheth, [Pashhur] could not have had authority over him, because he was the Lord's agent; but only with regard to what he spoke on his own, without command, was he not the Lord's agent, and [Pashhur] could have had authority over him.
’Thus says Hashem of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it; because they have made their neck stiff, that they might not hear My words.’
verse value 7415
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 96 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·upon·all·her·cities" (וְעַל־כׇּל־עָרֶ֔יהָ, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 115: they, on. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "they·hardened" (הִקְשׁוּ֙). The root דבר appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "thus·says" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'on', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 6 words.
Radak
Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: The Master of Hosts above and below, and I will muster against you a host from below.
"God of Israel": Even though they sin before Me and serve other gods, I am their God, for not all of them have transgressed against Me, and some of the transgressors will repent.
"Hineni mevi" [Behold, I am bringing]. It is missing the aleph, [i.e.,] the lamed ha-po'al [third root letter], from the spelling.
"And all its cities." The cities of Judah, for they were all dependent upon Jerusalem, since it is the mother.
Metzudat David
And all its cities. The cities adjacent to it:
"For they stiffened [their neck]." So that they would not be able to turn their faces back to Me; and this is a figurative expression.
Metzudat Zion
"They hardened." From the term for "hard":
"their napes." It is the back of the face:
Malbim
Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am bringing—just as the Lord commanded him to perform the act in accordance with his prophecy, he knew that the matter was decreed by the Lord and would not be revoked, as Ramban wrote, that any act performed in conjunction with a prophecy indicates that it is a prophecy that stands without reversal. Therefore, He informed them that their judgment was concluded. And regarding this, it says: “Behold, I am bringing all this evil.” This is not like what was stated in the previous prophecy, that the Lord was considering a thought [of mercy] that they might return, for they hardened their necks and did not wish to return. Therefore, their sentence was sealed, as it is stated below (21:10): “For I have set My face against this city for disaster and not for good.”
Rashi
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim