Jeremiah 18:4
 Jeremiah 18:4 
New International Version (©2011)
But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

New Living Translation (©2007)
But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.

English Standard Version (©2001)
And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
But the jar that he was making from the clay became flawed in the potter's hand, so he made it into another jar, as it seemed right for him to do.

International Standard Version (©2012)
But the vessel he was working on with the clay was ruined in the potter's hand. So he remade it into another vessel that seemed appropriate to him.

NET Bible (©2006)
Now and then there would be something wrong with the pot he was molding from the clay with his hands. So he would rework the clay into another kind of pot as he saw fit.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Whenever a clay pot he was working on was ruined, he would rework it into a new clay pot the way he wanted to make it.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

American King James Version
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

American Standard Version
And when the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the vessel was broken which he was making with clay with his hands: and turning he made another vessel, as it seemed good in his eyes to make it.

Darby Bible Translation
And the vessel that he made was marred, as clay, in the hand of the potter; and he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make.

English Revised Version
And when the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make it.

World English Bible
When the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Young's Literal Translation
and marred is the vessel that he is making, as clay in the hand of the potter, and he hath turned and he maketh it another vessel, as it was right in the eyes of the potter to make.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

18:1-10 While Jeremiah looks upon the potter's work, God darts into his mind two great truths. God has authority, and power, to form and fashion kingdoms and nations as he pleases. He may dispose of us as he thinks fit; and it would be as absurd for us to dispute this, as for the clay to quarrel with the potter. But he always goes by fixed rules of justice and goodness. When God is coming against us in judgments, we may be sure it is for our sins; but sincere conversion from the evil of sin will prevent the evil of punishment, as to persons, and to families, and nations.


Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. - And the vessel that he made, etc.; rather, And whensoever the vessel... was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel


Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the vessel that he made of clay,.... Which is the matter the vessel is made of:

was marred in the hand of the potter; while he was working it; either it fell, as the Septuagint version renders it, out of his hands, or from the beam on which it was laid; or was spoiled by some means or other, so that it was not fit for the purpose he first intended it: or the words should be read, according to some copies, "and the vessel was marred which he made, as clay in the hand of the potter" (r); while it was clay; or moist, as Jarchi interprets it; and while it was in his hands, forming and fashioning it:

so he made it again another vessel; put it into another form and shape it would better serve:

as seemed good to the potter to make it; just as he pleased, and as his judgment in his art directed him; he having power over the clay to mould it as he would, and as it best answered so to do.

(r) "sed corruptum est vas quod ille ficiens (erat) sicud lutum (solet) in manu figuli", Schmidt, Montanus. So Abarbinel; and thus it is read in the margin of our Bibles.


Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

4. marred—spoiled. "Of clay" is the true reading, which was corrupted into "as clay" (Margin), through the similarity of the two Hebrew letters, and from Jer 18:6, "as the clay."


Jeremiah 18:4 Parallel Commentaries

Jeremiah 18:4 NIV
Jeremiah 18:4 NLT
Jeremiah 18:4 ESV
Jeremiah 18:4 NASB
Jeremiah 18:4 KJV

Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


The Potter and the Clay
3Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he worked a work on the wheels. 4And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, …

Jeremiah 18:3 So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel.
Jeremiah 18:5 Then the word of the LORD came to me.