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Selected Verse: Jeremiah 1:13 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Jer 1:13	Strong Concordance	And the word [01697] of the LORD [03068] came unto me the second time [08145], saying [0559], What seest [07200] thou? And I said [0559], I see [07200] a seething [05301] pot [05518]; and the face [06440] thereof is toward [06440] the north [06828].
	King James	And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
Another vision, signifying what is the "word" about to be "performed," and by what instrumentality. seething--literally, "blown under"; so boiling by reason of the flame under it kept brisk by blowing. An Oriental symbol of a raging war. toward--rather, "from the north." Literally, "from the face of the region situated towards the north" (compare Jer 1:14-15) [MAURER]. The pot in the north rested on one side, its mouth being about to pour forth its contents southwards, namely, on Judea. Babylon, though east of Judea, was regarded by the Hebrews as north, because they appropriated the term "east" to Arabia-Deserta, stretching from Palestine to the Euphrates; or rather [BOCHART], the reference here is not to the site, but to the route of the Babylonians; not being able to cross the desert, they must enter the Holy Land by the northern frontier, through Riblah in Hamath (Jer 39:5; Jer 52:9).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

Another vision, signifying what is the "word" about to be "performed," and by what instrumentality.

seething--literally, "blown under"; so boiling by reason of the flame under it kept brisk by blowing. An Oriental symbol of a raging war.

toward--rather, "from the north." Literally, "from the face of the region situated towards the north" (compare Jer 1:14-15) [MAURER]. The pot in the north rested on one side, its mouth being about to pour forth its contents southwards, namely, on Judea. Babylon, though east of Judea, was regarded by the Hebrews as north, because they appropriated the term "east" to Arabia-Deserta, stretching from Palestine to the Euphrates; or rather [BOCHART], the reference here is not to the site, but to the route of the Babylonians; not being able to cross the desert, they must enter the Holy Land by the northern frontier, through Riblah in Hamath (Jer 39:5; Jer 52:9).

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
The first vision was for the support of the prophet's own faith during his long struggle with his countrymen: the second explains to him the general nature of his mission. He was to be the bearer of tidings of a great national calamity about to break forth item the north. He sees a caldron. It was a vessel of metal Eze 24:11, large enough to prepare the meal of a numerous community Kg2 4:38, and broad at the top, as it was also used for washing purposes Psa 60:8. This caldron was boiling furiously. The face ... - More correctly the margin, i. e toward the south. We must suppose this caldron set upon a pile of inflammable materials. As they consume it settles down unevenly, with the highest side toward the north, so that its face is turned the other way and looks southward. Should it still continue so to settle, the time must finally come when it will be overturned, and will pour the whole mass of its boiling contents upon the south.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
The Seething Pot. - Jer 1:13. "And there came to me the word of Jahveh for the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said: I see a seething-pot; and it looketh hither from the north. Jer 1:14. Then said Jahveh to me: From the north will trouble break forth upon all inhabitants of the land. Jer 1:15. For, behold, I call to all families of the kingdoms towards the north, saith Jahveh; that they come and set each his throne before the gates of Jerusalem, and against all her walls round about, and against all cities of Judah. Jer 1:16. And I will pronounce judgment against them for all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have offered odours to other gods, and worshipped the work of their hands." סיר is a large pot or caldron in which can be cooked vegetables or meat for many persons at once; cf. Kg2 4:38., Eze 24:3. נפוּח, fanned, blown upon, used of fire, Ezek. 21:36; Eze 22:20.; then by transference, seething, steaming, since the caldron under which fire is fanned steams, its contents boil; cf. Job 41:12. The פּנים of the pot is the side turned to the spectator (the prophet), the side towards the front. This is turned from the north this way, i.e., set so that its contents will run thence this way. צפונה, properly: towards the north; then, that which lies towards the north, or the northerly direction. In the interpretation of this symbol in Jer 1:14, תּפּתח, assonant to נפוּח, is introduced, just as in Amo 8:2 קיץ is explained by קץ; so that there was no occasion for the conjecture of Houbig. and Graf: תּפּח, it is fanned up; and against this we have Hitzig's objection that the Hophal of נפח never occurs. Equally uncalled for is Hitzig's own conjecture, xaw%pt@f, it will steam, fume, be kindled; while against this we have the fact, that as to xpanf no evidence can be given for the meaning be kindled, and that we have no cases of such a mode of speaking as: the trouble is fuming, steaming up. The Arabian poetical saying: their pot steams or boils, i.e., a war is being prepared by them, is not sufficient to justify such a figure. We hold then תּפּתח for the correct reading, and decline to be led astray by the paraphrastic ἐκκαυθήσεται of the lxx, since תּפּתח gives a suitable sense. It is true, indeed, that פּתח usually means open; but an opening of the caldron by the removal of the lid is not (with Graf) to be thought of. But, again, פּתח has the derived sig. let loose, let off (cf. ,פּתח בּי Isa 14:17), from which there can be no difficulty in inferring for the Niph. the sig. be let loose, and in the case of trouble, calamity: break forth. That which is in the pot runs over as the heat increases, and pours itself on the hearth or ground. If the seething contents of the pot represent disaster, their running over will point to its being let loose, its breaking out. are the inhabitants of the land of Judah, as the interpretation in Jer 1:15 shows. In Jer 1:15 reference to the figure is given up, and the further meaning is given in direct statement. The Lord will call to all families of the kingdoms of the north, and they will come (= that they are to come). The kingdoms of the north are not merely the kingdoms of Syria, but in general those of Upper Asia; since all armies marching from the Euphrates towards Palestine entered the land from the north. משׁפּחות, families, are the separate races of nations, hence often used in parallelism with גּוים; cf. Jer 10:25; Nah 3:4. We must not conclude from this explanation of the vision seen that the seething pot symbolizes the Chaldeans themselves or the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar; such a figure would be too unnatural. The seething pot, whose contents boil over, symbolizes the disaster and ruin which the families of the kingdoms of the north will pour out on Judah.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Seething - Pot - I see a pot coming, meaning the Babylonian army, who would besiege Jerusalem as a fire plays round the pot, when it is to be made boil; and reduce the inhabitants to miserable extremities. Face - Or front of the pot, or furnace, the place where the fire was put in, or blowed up to make it boil. North - Indicating from whence their misery should come, namely, from Chaldea, which lay north from Jerusalem.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
A seething pot - toward the north - We find, from Eze 24:3, etc., that a boiling pot was an emblem of war, and the desolations it produces. Some have thought that by the seething pot Judea is intended, agitated by the invasion of the Chaldeans, whose land lay north of Judea. But Dr. Blayney contends that מפני צפונה mippeney tsaphonah should be translated, From the face of the north, as it is in the margin; for, from the next verse, it appears that the evil was to come from the north; and therefore the steam, which was designed as an emblem of that evil, must have arisen from that quarter also. The pot denotes the empire of the Babylonians and Chaldeans lying to the north of Judea, and pouring forth its multitudes like a thick vapor, to overspread the land. Either of these interpretations will suit the text.

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⁹ Then they took [08610] the king [04428], and carried him up [05927] unto the king [04428] of Babylon [0894] to Riblah [07247] in the land [0776] of Hamath [02574]; where he gave [01696] judgment [04941] upon him.

⁵ But the Chaldeans [03778]' army [02428] pursued [07291] after [0310] them, and overtook [05381] Zedekiah [06667] in the plains [06160] of Jericho [03405]: and when they had taken [03947] him, they brought him up [05927] to Nebuchadnezzar [05019] king [04428] of Babylon [0894] to Riblah [07247] in the land [0776] of Hamath [02574], where he gave [01696] judgment [04941] upon him.

¹⁴ Then the LORD [03068] said [0559] unto me, Out of the north [06828] an evil [07451] shall break forth [06605] upon all the inhabitants [03427] of the land [0776].
¹⁵ For, lo, I will call [07121] all the families [04940] of the kingdoms [04467] of the north [06828], saith [05002] the LORD [03068]; and they shall come [0935], and they shall set [05414] every one [0376] his throne [03678] at the entering [06607] of the gates [08179] of Jerusalem [03389], and against all the walls [02346] thereof round about [05439], and against all the cities [05892] of Judah [03063].

⁸ Moab [04124] is my washpot [05518] [07366]; over Edom [0123] will I cast out [07993] my shoe [05275]: Philistia [06429], triumph [07321] thou because of me.

³⁸ And Elisha [0477] came again [07725] to Gilgal [01537]: and there was a dearth [07458] in the land [0776]; and the sons [01121] of the prophets [05030] were sitting [03427] before [06440] him: and he said [0559] unto his servant [05288], Set [08239] on the great [01419] pot [05518], and seethe [01310] pottage [05138] for the sons [01121] of the prophets [05030].

¹¹ Then set [05975] it empty [07386] upon the coals [01513] thereof, that the brass [05178] of it may be hot [03179], and may burn [02787], and that the filthiness [02932] of it may be molten [05413] in it [08432], that the scum [02457] of it may be consumed [08552].

⁴ Because of the multitude [07230] of the whoredoms [02183] of the wellfavoured [02896] [02580] harlot [02181], the mistress [01172] of witchcrafts [03785], that selleth [04376] nations [01471] through her whoredoms [02183], and families [04940] through her witchcrafts [03785].

²⁵ Pour out [08210] thy fury [02534] upon the heathen [01471] that know [03045] thee not, and upon the families [04940] that call [07121] not on thy name [08034]: for they have eaten up [0398] Jacob [03290], and devoured [0398] him, and consumed [03615] him, and have made his habitation [05116] desolate [08074].

¹⁵ For, lo, I will call [07121] all the families [04940] of the kingdoms [04467] of the north [06828], saith [05002] the LORD [03068]; and they shall come [0935], and they shall set [05414] every one [0376] his throne [03678] at the entering [06607] of the gates [08179] of Jerusalem [03389], and against all the walls [02346] thereof round about [05439], and against all the cities [05892] of Judah [03063].

¹⁷ That made [07760] the world [08398] as a wilderness [04057], and destroyed [02040] the cities [05892] thereof; that opened [06605] not the house [01004] of his prisoners [0615]?

² And he said [0559], Amos [05986], what seest [07200] thou? And I said [0559], A basket [03619] of summer fruit [07019]. Then said [0559] the LORD [03068] unto me, The end [07093] is come [0935] upon my people [05971] of Israel [03478]; I will not again [03254] pass [05674] by them any more.

¹⁴ Then the LORD [03068] said [0559] unto me, Out of the north [06828] an evil [07451] shall break forth [06605] upon all the inhabitants [03427] of the land [0776].

¹² I will not conceal [02790] his parts [0907], nor his power [01369] [01697], nor his comely [02433] proportion [06187].

²⁰ As they gather [06910] silver [03701], and brass [05178], and iron [01270], and lead [05777], and tin [0913], into the midst [08432] of the furnace [03564], to blow [05301] the fire [0784] upon it, to melt [05413] it; so will I gather [06908] you in mine anger [0639] and in my fury [02534], and I will leave [03240] you there, and melt [05413] you.

³ And utter [04911] a parable [04912] unto the rebellious [04805] house [01004], and say [0559] unto them, Thus saith [0559] the Lord [0136] GOD [03069]; Set on [08239] a pot [05518], set it on [08239], and also pour [03332] water [04325] into it:

¹⁶ And I will utter [01696] my judgments [04941] against them touching [05921] all their wickedness [07451], who have forsaken [05800] me, and have burned incense [06999] unto other [0312] gods [0430], and worshipped [07812] the works [04639] of their own hands [03027].

¹⁴ Then the LORD [03068] said [0559] unto me, Out of the north [06828] an evil [07451] shall break forth [06605] upon all the inhabitants [03427] of the land [0776].

¹³ And the word [01697] of the LORD [03068] came unto me the second time [08145], saying [0559], What seest [07200] thou? And I said [0559], I see [07200] a seething [05301] pot [05518]; and the face [06440] thereof is toward [06440] the north [06828].