The roofs were flat, with access from outside the house, and were designed to accommodate various activities. As such, they were ideal locations for offering incense (see 1.16) and drink offerings (see 7.18).

The expression incense has been burned can be rendered “incense has been burned as an offering” or “offerings have been made.”

The host of heaven refers to “the stars” (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). See 8.2.

For other gods, see 1.16.

Shall be defiled is the rendering given by most versions (compare Luther 1984, New American Bible, Good News Translation, An American Translation). However, in place of shall be defiled the Hebrew text has “the defiled ones” (see Traduction œcuménique de la Bible “the defiled houses of Jerusalem and of the kings of Judah shall be as the valley of Topheth…”). The rendering of Revised English Bible (“Because of their defilement the houses … will be like the site of Topheth”) apparently represents the Septuagint. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project makes no comment on this problem, and translators are advised to follow the interpretation of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

Like the place of Topheth: See 7.32 for a discussion of Topheth. Since it is used in a comparison here, it may be necessary to provide the basis of the comparison, as in “… unclean as Topheth, where sacrifices are burned” or “… be a place of fire, like Topheth.”

The verse may be awkward in some languages. Some translators have restructured it as follows:

• You have burned incense on the roofs of the houses of Jerusalem and of the houses of the kings of Judah, making offerings to the stars, and you have poured out wine as an offering to other gods. All those houses will be as unclean as Topheth [or, all those unclean houses will be like Topheth].

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .