Jeremiah 19:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Jeremiah came from Tophet, a place where the Lord had commanded him to deliver His message. He stood in the temple courtyard and addressed all the people, declaring, "Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring upon this city and all its towns the disasters I have foretold, because they have hardened their hearts and refuse to listen to My words." After breaking the clay jar in the sight of the elders who accompanied him, Jeremiah proclaimed the Lord's message to the people and the city that had been shattered. He returned to the temple courtyard to speak to the crowd that did not wish to go to Tophet, reiterating that the Lord would bring upon Jerusalem and all its cities the calamities He had warned of. To clarify the severity of the impending judgment, He explained that their refusal to heed His words and their persistence in sin were the reasons for such calamities.