Jamieson, Fausset and Brown on Jeremiah 1:13

13. 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 Jr 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 (Jr 39:5; 52:9).