Matthew Poole and continuators on Jeremiah 43:9

9 Take great stones in thy hand, and hide them in the clay in the brick-kiln, which is at the entry of Pharaohs house, in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah .

God commandeth the Prophet to take these Stones, and to place them in the Clay, &c. for a sign of what we shall meet with expounded in the next verse, it is plain from hence that the King of Egypt, called Pharaoh, either resided, or at least had a Royal Palace in Tahpanhes, Ieremiah is directed to fix these Stones at the entrance into this Palace. This hath made Interpreters divided about the true sense of the word, which is hear translated a Brick-kiln. That the word so signifies is out of doubt and is so translated, 2 Sam. 12.31. All that troubleth some, is, that they fancy there should not be a Brick-kiln so near the Kings Palace; but possibly those Learned men do not enough consider the difference of times and places. Great Princes Sons and Daughters, do not use in our age to keep sheep, which yet we know Iacobs sons and Labans daughters did, the Grandeur of Princes was not so great, but it might admit of as plain a thing as this. Others say the Palaces of their Princes were very vast, so that the Brick-kiln might be at a distance from the entry into the dwelling-house, though it was at the entry of the place called by the name of the Palace. Others think it might be an house used not for making, but polishing Earthen ware. But the most offensiveness of such Kil[illegible: 1 letter]s with us, is from the smoke, of which they had none, drying their Bricks in the Sun. But it is a nicety not worth so many guesses.