Focused Passage

Jeremiah 18:13-17

The Potter’s House, the Refused Return, and the Plot Against Jeremiah

The chapter moves from Jeremiah’s descent to the potter’s house, to the ruined vessel remade in the potter’s hands, to the LORD’s explanation of his sovereign and conditional dealings with nations, to Judah’s refusal to turn, to a creation-and-nations comparison exposing Judah’s unnatural apostasy, to the announcement of scattering and divine hiddenness, and finally to the people’s plot against Jeremiah and Jeremiah’s plea for vindication.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

13Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Inquire among the nations: Who has ever heard things like these? Virgin Israel has done a most terrible thing.

14Does the snow of Lebanon ever leave its rocky slopes? Or do its cool waters flowing from a distance ever run dry?

15Yet My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to worthless idols that make them stumble in their ways, leaving the ancient roads to walk on rutted bypaths instead of on the highway.

16They have made their land a desolation, a perpetual object of scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and shake their heads.

17I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 13

Cross-references

Jeremiah 5:30Classic cross-references Hosea 6:10Classic cross-references Isaiah 66:8Classic cross-references Jeremiah 2:10Classic cross-references Jeremiah 23:14Classic cross-references

Original words

Thereforeלָכֵ֗ןH3651Adverbthis is whatכֹּ֚הH3541Adverbthe LORDיְהוָ֔הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularsaysאָמַ֣רH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularInquireשַֽׁאֲלוּ־H7592Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural. . .נָא֙H4994Interjectionamong the nationsבַּגּוֹיִ֔םH1471Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine pluralWhoמִ֥יH4310Interrogativehas ever heardשָׁמַ֖עH8085Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularthings like theseכָּאֵ֑לֶּהH428Preposition-k | Pronoun - common pluralVirginבְּתוּלַ֖תH1330Noun - feminine singular constructIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃H3478Noun - proper - masculine singularhas doneעָשְׂתָ֣הH6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singulara mostמְאֹ֔דH3966Adverbterrible thingשַֽׁעֲרֻרִת֙H8186Adjective - feminine singular

Verse 14

Cross-references

Jeremiah 2:13Classic cross-references John 6:68Classic cross-references

Original words

Does the snowשֶׁ֣לֶגH7950Noun - masculine singular constructof Lebanonלְבָנ֑וֹןH3844Noun - proper - feminine singularever leaveהֲיַעֲזֹ֥בH5800Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularits rockyמִצּ֛וּרH6697Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular constructslopesשָׂדַ֖יH7704Noun - masculine singularOrאִם־H518Conjunctiondo its coolקָרִ֖יםH7119Adjective - masculine pluralwatersמַ֛יִםH4325Noun - masculine pluralflowingנוֹזְלִֽים׃H5140Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralfrom a distanceזָרִ֥יםH2114Adjective - masculine pluralever run dryיִנָּתְשׁ֗וּH5428Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural

Verse 15

Cross-references

Jeremiah 6:16Classic cross-references Isaiah 57:14Classic cross-references Jeremiah 2:32Classic cross-references Hosea 11:2Classic cross-references Psalms 9:17Classic cross-references

Original words

Yetכִּֽי־H3588ConjunctionMy peopleעַמִּ֖יH5971Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularhave forgotten Meשְׁכֵחֻ֥נִיH7911Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singularThey burn incenseיְקַטֵּ֑רוּH6999Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralto worthless idolsלַשָּׁ֣וְאH7723Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singularthat make them stumbleוַיַּכְשִׁל֤וּםH3782Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine pluralin their waysבְּדַרְכֵיהֶם֙H1870Preposition-b | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine plural[leaving] the ancientעוֹלָ֔םH5769Noun - masculine singularroadsשְׁבִילֵ֣יH7635Noun - masculine plural constructto walkלָלֶ֣כֶתH1980Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructon ruttedנְתִיב֔וֹתH5410Noun - feminine plural constructbypathsדֶּ֖רֶךְH1870Noun - common singularinstead ofלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particleon the highwayסְלוּלָֽה׃H5549Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular

Verse 16

Cross-references

Psalms 22:7Classic cross-references Jeremiah 19:8Classic cross-references Jeremiah 25:9Classic cross-references Ezekiel 27:36Classic cross-references Jeremiah 50:13Classic cross-references

Original words

They have madeלָשׂ֥וּםH7760Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructtheir landאַרְצָ֛םH776Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plurala desolationלְשַׁמָּ֖הH8047Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singulara perpetualעוֹלָ֑םH5769Noun - masculine singularobject of scornשְׁרוּקַתH8322Noun - feminine plural constructallכֹּ֚לH3605Noun - masculine singular constructwho passעוֹבֵ֣רH5674Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularbyעָלֶ֔יהָH5921Preposition | third person feminine singularwill be appalledיִשֹּׁ֖םH8074Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularand shakeוְיָנִ֥ידH5110Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singulartheir headsבְּרֹאשֽׁוֹ׃H7218Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular

Verse 17

Cross-references

Jeremiah 13:24Classic cross-references Jeremiah 2:27Classic cross-references Psalms 48:7Classic cross-references Hosea 13:15Classic cross-references Job 27:21Classic cross-references

Original words

I will scatter themאֲפִיצֵ֖םH6327Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine pluralbeforeלִפְנֵ֣יH6440Preposition-l | Noun - common plural constructthe enemyאוֹיֵ֑בH341Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularlike the eastקָדִ֥יםH6921Noun - masculine singularwindכְּרֽוּחַ־H7307Preposition-k | Noun - common singular constructI will show themאֶרְאֵ֖םH7200Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine pluralMy backעֹ֧רֶףH6203Noun - masculine singularand notוְלֹֽא־H3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particleMy faceפָנִ֛יםH6440Noun - masculine pluralin the dayבְּי֥וֹםH3117Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructof their calamityאֵידָֽם׃סH343Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural

Read full chapter context All Jeremiah chapters

<- Jeremiah 17 Jeremiah 18 Jeremiah 19 ->