The emblem and its interpretation. - Jeremiah 18:2. "Arise and go down into the potter's house; there will I cause thee to hear my words. Jeremiah 18:3. And I went down into the potter's house; and, behold, he wrought on the wheels. Jeremiah 18:4. And the vessel was marred, that he wrought in clay, in the hand of the potter; then he made again another vessel of it, as seemed good to the potter to make. Jeremiah 18:5. Then came the word of Jahveh to me, saying: Jeremiah 18:6. Cannot I do with you as this potter, house of Israel? saith Jahveh. Behold, as the clay in the hand of the potter, so are ye in mine hand, house of Israel. Jeremiah 18:7. Now I speak concerning a people and kingdom, to root it out and pluck up and destroy it. Jeremiah 18:8. But if that people turns from its wickedness, against which I spake, the it repents me of the evil which I thought to do it. Jeremiah 18:9. And now I speak concerning a people and a kingdom, to build and to plant it. Jeremiah 18:10. If it do that which is evil in mine eyes, so that it hearkens not unto my voice, then it repents me of the good which I said I would do unto it."

By God's command Jeremiah is to go and see the potter's treatment of the clay, and to receive thereafter God's interpretation of the same. Here he has set before his eyes that which suggests a comparison of man to the clay and of God to the potter, a comparison that frequently occurred to the Hebrews, and which had been made to appear in the first formation of man (cf. Job 10:9; Job 33:6; Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 45:9; Isaiah 64:7). This is done that he may forcibly represent to the people, by means of the emblem, the power of the Lord to do according to His will with all nations, and so with Israel too. From the "go down," we gather that the potteries of Jerusalem lay in a valley near the city. האבנים are the round frames by means of which the potter moulded his vessels. This sig. of the word is well approved here; but in Exodus 1:16, where too it is found, the meaning is doubtful, and it is a question whether the derivation is from אבן or from אופן, wheel. The perfecta consec. ונשׁחת and ושׁב designate, taken in connection with the participle עשׂה, actions that were possibly repeated: "and if the vessel was spoilt, he made it over again;" cf. Ew. 342, b. עשׂה , working in clay, of the material in which men work in order to make something of it; cf. Exodus 31:4.

(Note: Instead of בּחמר several codd. and editt. have כּחמר, as in Jeremiah 18:6, to which Ew. and Hitz. both take objection, so that they delete כחמר (Ew.) or כּחמר בּיד היּוצר (Hitz.) as being glosses, since the words are not in the lxx. The attempts of Umbr. and Nag. to obtain a sense for כּחמר are truly of such a kind as only to strengthen the suspicion of spuriousness. Umbr., who is followed by Graf, expounds: "as the clay in the hand of the potter does;" whereto Hitz. justly replies: "but is then the (failure) solely its own doing?" Ng. will have כ to be the כ verit.: the vessel was marred, as clay in the hand of the potter, in which case the כחמר still interrupts. But the failure of the attempts to make a good sense of כחמר does in no respect justify the uncritical procedure of Ew. and Hitz. in deleting the word without considering that the reading is by no means established, since not only do the most important and correct editions and a great number of codd. read בּחמר, but Aquila, Theodot., the Chald, and Syr. give this reading; Norzi and Houbig. call it lectio accuratiorum codicum, and the Masora on Jeremiah 18:6 and Job 10:9 confirms it. Cf. de Rossi variae lectt. ad h. l. and the critical remarks in the Biblia Hal. by J. H. Michaelis, according to which כחמר plainly made its way into the present verse from Jeremiah 18:6 by the error of a copyist; and it can only be from his prejudice in favour of the lxx that Hitz. pronounces כחמר original, as being "the reading traditionally in use.")

Jeremiah 18:8 Parallel Commentaries

that nation.

Jeremiah 7:3-7 Thus said the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place...

Jeremiah 36:3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do to them; that they may return every man from his evil way...

Judges 10:15,16 And the children of Israel said to the LORD, We have sinned: do you to us whatever seems good to you; deliver us only, we pray you...

1 Kings 8:33,34 When your people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against you, and shall turn again to you...

2 Chronicles 12:6 Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD is righteous.

Isaiah 1:16-19 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil...

Ezekiel 18:21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right...

Ezekiel 33:11,13 Say to them, As I live, said the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked...

Jonah 2:5-10 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head...

Luke 13:3-5 I tell you, No: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish...

I will.

Jeremiah 15:6 You have forsaken me, said the LORD, you are gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against you, and destroy you...

Jeremiah 26:3,13 If so be they will listen, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil...

Jeremiah 42:10 If you will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up...

Exodus 32:12 Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains...

Deuteronomy 32:36 For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he sees that their power is gone...

Judges 2:18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge...

Psalm 90:13 Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent you concerning your servants.

Psalm 106:45 And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

Psalm 135:14 For the LORD will judge his people, and he will repent himself concerning his servants.

Hosea 11:8 How shall I give you up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver you, Israel? how shall I make you as Admah? how shall I set you as Zeboim?...

Joel 2:13,14 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn to the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger...

Amos 7:3-6 The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, said the LORD...

Jonah 3:9,10 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not...

Jonah 4:2 And he prayed to the LORD, and said, I pray you, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country?...