Jeremiah 8:1-3

Jeremiah 7:29 to Jeremiah 8:3. Mourning for Judah's Dead. Let Jerusalem mourn, and raise a dirge on the heights (where she sinned by her idolatry), because of the near approach of the punishment for the desecration of Yahweh's house, and for the offering of human sacrifice, which Yahweh never ordered. The land shall be full of corpses (Jeremiah 7:32 mg.), and all joy shall cease. The valley of Hinnom shall be renamed Slaughter, and burials will have to be made even in the (unclean) Topheth. Even those who have died previously shall be dishonoured by exposure to the sun, moon, and stars, which they have worshipped, whilst the living shall wish themselves dead.

Jeremiah 7:29. The hair was shorn, as a mourning custom; cf. Micah 1:16; Job 1:20.

Jeremiah 7:31. the valley of the son of Hinnom: Heb. Gç -ben-Hinnom, whence Gehenna (Mark 9:43 *); near Jerusalem, but exact site disputed. Recent excavations have shown the frequency of the sacrifice of children in Palestine, a practice which is condemned in Deuteronomy 18:10; it is probable that such sacrifices were offered to Yahweh as king (Melek), i.e. that Molech in this connexion is a title, rather than a proper name. For what is known of this Molech cult, see EBi, Molech, and cf. Micah 6:7; Genesis 22:13; Exodus 13:13; Leviticus 8:21 *, 2 Kings 16:3; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Kings 23:10; Deuteronomy 12:31; Jeremiah 19:5; Ezekiel 20:26.* Topheth: 2 Kings 23:10; supposed to be the Aramaic word for fireplace, revocalised to suggest bosheth, i.e. shame, a word sometimes substituted for Baal (1 Samuel 14:47 *, 1 Kings 16:32 *)

Jeremiah 8:2. the host of heaven: (Genesis 2:1 *) as in Deuteronomy 4:19, etc., with reference to Assyrio-Babylonian star worship. The significance of this dishonourable treatment of the dead lies in the belief that the shades in Sheol suffer with their bodies; an enemy's ghost is still vulnerable through his corpse (Job 14:22 *).

Jeremiah 8:3. Omit which remain, with LXX and Syr.