Matthew Poole and continuators on Jeremiah 1:13

13 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 towards the north .

After the smaller punishment from the Lord, follows this of the boiling pot, by which understand Iudea, and Ier[illegible: 1 letter]salem, as may appear by the application, that they themselves make of it in a way of scorn and derision, Ezek. 11.37. some put the face of the pot for the pot it self; as the face of the cold, the face of his anger for Cold, and Anger it self, q. d. I see a pot coming, meaning the Babylonian Army flowing in upon them, like boiling, or scalding water, as some interpret it; but this seems not to be so congruous to the Vision; but rather thus the Babylonians should besiege, as a fire playes round the furna[illegible: 1 letter]e, when it is to be made boil, so should these Chaldeans begirt it, as ver. 15. and reduce the inhabitants to most miserable extremities, with unspeakable cruelty, as if they were like flesh roasting by the fire, or boyling in a pot, as their sufferings are described, Mic. 3.3.

Or front of the pot, or furnace, the place where the fire was put in, or blowed up to make it boyl, as a pot, hanged in the form of a [illegible: 1 letter]urnace, seems to be all but one and the same pot or vessel, the face of which may be easily conceived to stand toward the north, not the mouth of the pot; for that looks directly upward, unless we conceive it to be represented in the Vision leaning, of which conceit there is no need.

Indicating from whence their misery should come, ver. 14. viz. from Chaldea which lay north from Ierusalem.

Marginal references: Heb. from the face of the north.