John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 43:9

"Take great stones in thy hand, and hide them in mortar in the brickwork, which is at the entry of Pharaoh`s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;" — Jeremiah 43:9 (ASV)

Take great stones in your hand
In both his hands, as big as he could carry: and hide them in the clay in the brick kiln; there was much clay in Egypt, through the overflowing of the Nile, and particularly at this place Tahpanhes, which had its name of Pelusiae from hence; and here was a brick kiln; not a place where bricks were burnt, but where they were foraged; and so here was the clay of which they were made, and in which these stones were to be hid: which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes; this brick kiln stood not directly at the entrance into the king's palace, but at the door of a wall of a park or garden, which belonged to the palace, from where there was an open way to it; here the stones were to be laid.

Since a brick kiln so near a king's palace seems not agreeable, Gussetius ^F8 thinks (Nblm) signifies a poplar walk, from (hnbl), a poplar tree, whose shade is very grateful, (Hosea 4:13); to which the courtiers betook themselves at certain times, and walked in for pleasure;

in the sight of the men of Judah; not in the sight of the Egyptians, who would not understand the design of it, nor were they to be instructed by it; but in the sight of the Jews, who would at once imagine that something was intended, being used to such symbols, and would inquire the meaning of it; and which is explained in (Jeremiah 43:10).

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FOOTNOTES:

• F8: Ebr. Comment. p. 470.