Jeremiah 19:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Jeremiah departed from Tophet, where the Lord had instructed him to deliver a prophetic message. He stood in the temple courtyard and addressed all the people, declaring, "Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring upon this city and all its towns the disasters I have proclaimed against it, for they have hardened their hearts and refuse to heed My words." After breaking the clay jar in front of the elders of the people, he prophesied to the broken city and its inhabitants. He then returned to the temple court and communicated to the crowd, who would not go to Tophet, that the Lord would unleash the calamities declared upon Jerusalem and all its cities. To clarify that His judgment is not without cause, He states the reasons for bringing these afflictions: they have stubbornly resisted listening to My words, and despite their many transgressions, they have chosen not to repent.