Jeremiah 31:40 - Exposition

The southern boundary of the city. The whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes; rather,… even the dead bodies and the ashes. It is assumed by most that Jeremiah means the valley of Hinnom, which, after its defilement by Josiah ( 2 Kings 23:10 ), had become a receptacle of rubbish and offal. It is, however, against this view that the word for "valley" is not gai (elsewhere connected with Hinnom), but emek , i.e. "deep lying plain." The "dead bodies" are the corpses of men and animals, destroyed by the judgment of God, and lying unburied; but where, seems uncertain. Ashes . Wood ashes are not here meant, but those of flesh and fat, which remained after the burning of a sacrificial victim (see Le Jeremiah 1:16 ; and comp. Jeremiah 4:12 ). The horse gate. Mentioned in Nehemiah 3:28 . Holy unto the Lord. The unclean spots in the neighbourhood having been transformed. The expression reminds us of Exodus 28:36 (the legend on the forefront of the high priest's mitre).