Focused Passage

Jeremiah 18:18-23

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

18Then some said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor an oracle to the prophet. Come, let us denounce him and pay no heed to any of his words.”

19Attend to me, O LORD. Hear what my accusers are saying!

20Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them.

21Therefore, hand their children over to famine; pour out the power of the sword upon them. Let their wives become childless and widowed; let their husbands be slain by disease, their young men struck down by the sword in battle.

22Let a cry be heard from their houses when You suddenly bring raiders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet.

23But You, O LORD, know all their deadly plots against me. Do not wipe out their guilt or blot out their sin from Your sight. Let them be overthrown before You; deal with them in the time of Your anger.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 18

Cross-references

Jeremiah 11:18BSB references 1 John 5:16Classic cross-references Psalms 52:2Classic cross-references 2 Timothy 4:3Classic cross-references James 3:5Classic cross-references Jeremiah 11:19Classic cross-references

Original words

Then [some] saidוַיֹּאמְר֗וּH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralComeלְכ֨וּH1980Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plurallet us make plansוְנַחְשְׁבָ֣הH2803Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural. . .מַחֲשָׁבוֹת֒H4284Noun - feminine pluralagainstעַֽל־H5921PrepositionJeremiahיִרְמְיָהוּ֮H3414Noun - proper - masculine singularforכִּי֩H3588Conjunctionthe lawתּוֹרָ֜הH8451Noun - feminine singularwill neverלֹא־H3808Adverb - Negative particlebe lostתֹאבַ֨דH6Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularto the priestמִכֹּהֵ֗ןH3548Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singularnor counselוְעֵצָה֙H6098Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularto the wiseמֵֽחָכָ֔םH2450Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singularnor an oracleוְדָבָ֖רH1697Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularto the prophetמִנָּבִ֑יאH5030Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singularComeלְכוּ֙H1980Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plurallet us denounce himוְנַכֵּ֣הוּH5221Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural | third person masculine singular. . .בַלָּשׁ֔וֹןH3956Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singularand pay noוְאַל־H408Conjunctive waw | Adverbheedנַקְשִׁ֖יבָהH7181Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluraltoאֶל־H413Prepositionanyכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructof his wordsדְּבָרָֽיו׃H1697Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular

Verse 19

Cross-references

2 Timothy 4:14Classic cross-references Jeremiah 20:12Classic cross-references Nehemiah 6:9Classic cross-references Jeremiah 17:18Classic cross-references Micah 7:8Classic cross-references

Original words

Attendהַקְשִׁ֥יבָהH7181Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singularto meאֵלָ֑יH413Preposition | first person common singularO LORDיְהוָ֖הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularHearוּשְׁמַ֖עH8085Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularwhat my accusersיְרִיבָֽי׃H3401Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singularare sayingלְק֥וֹלH6963Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct

Verse 20

Cross-references

Jeremiah 15:1Classic cross-references Psalms 35:12Classic cross-references 1 Samuel 19:4Classic cross-references Psalms 35:7Classic cross-references Psalms 38:20Classic cross-references

Original words

Should goodטוֹבָה֙H2896Noun - feminine singularbe repaidהַיְשֻׁלַּ֤םH7999Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine singularwithתַּֽחַת־H8478Prepositionevilרָעָ֔הH7451Adjective - feminine singularYetכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctionthey have dugכָר֥וּH3738Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plurala pitשׁוּחָ֖הH7745Noun - feminine singularfor meלְנַפְשִׁ֑יH5315Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularRememberזְכֹ֣ר׀H2142Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularhow I stoodעָמְדִ֣יH5975Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singularbefore Youלְפָנֶ֗יךָH6440Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singularto speakלְדַבֵּ֤רH1696Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive constructgoodטוֹבָ֔הH2896Noun - feminine singularon their behalfעֲלֵיהֶם֙H5921Preposition | third person masculine pluralto turnלְהָשִׁ֥יבH7725Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct-אֶת־H853Direct object markerYour wrathחֲמָתְךָ֖H2534Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singularfrom themמֵהֶֽם׃Preposition-m | Pronoun - third person masculine plural

Verse 21

Cross-references

Isaiah 9:17Classic cross-references Jeremiah 11:22Classic cross-references Jeremiah 15:7Classic cross-references Lamentations 5:3Classic cross-references Psalms 109:9Classic cross-references

Original words

Thereforeלָכֵן֩H3651Adverbhand their childrenבְּנֵיהֶ֜םH1121Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluraloverתֵּ֨ןH5414Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerto famineלָרָעָ֗בH7458Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singularpour outוְהַגִּרֵם֮H5064Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person masculine pluralthe powerיְדֵי־H3027Noun - feminine dual constructof the swordחֶרֶב֒H2719Noun - feminine singularupon themעַל־H5921PrepositionLet their wivesנְשֵׁיהֶ֤םH802Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine pluralbecomeוְתִֽהְיֶ֨נָהH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine pluralchildlessשַׁכֻּלוֹת֙H7909Adjective - feminine pluraland widowedוְאַלְמָנ֔וֹתH490Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plurallet their husbandsוְאַ֨נְשֵׁיהֶ֔םH582Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural. . .יִֽהְי֖וּH1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralbe slainהֲרֻ֣גֵיH2026Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural constructby diseaseמָ֑וֶתH4194Noun - masculine singulartheir young menבַּח֣וּרֵיהֶ֔םH970Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralstruck downמֻכֵּי־H5221Verb - Hofal - Participle - masculine plural constructby the swordחֶ֖רֶבH2719Noun - feminine singularin battleבַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃H4421Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular

Verse 22

Cross-references

Psalms 124:7Classic cross-references Jeremiah 5:26Classic cross-references Jeremiah 6:26Classic cross-references Psalms 140:5Classic cross-references Psalms 142:3Classic cross-references

Original words

Let a cryזְעָקָה֙H2201Noun - feminine singularbe heardתִּשָּׁמַ֤עH8085Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularfrom their housesמִבָּ֣תֵּיהֶ֔םH1004Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralwhenכִּֽי־H3588ConjunctionYou suddenlyפִּתְאֹ֑םH6597Adverbbringתָבִ֧יאH935Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singularraidersגְּד֖וּדH1416Noun - masculine singularagainst themעֲלֵיהֶ֛םH5921Preposition | third person masculine pluralforכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctionthey have dugכָר֤וּH3738Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plurala pitשִׁיחָהH7882Noun - feminine singularto capture meלְלָכְדֵ֔נִיH3920Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singularand have hiddenטָמְנ֥וּH2934Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralsnaresוּפַחִ֖יםH6341Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine pluralfor my feetלְרַגְלָֽי׃H7272Preposition-l | Noun - feminine dual construct | first person common singular

Verse 23

Cross-references

Nehemiah 4:5Classic cross-references Psalms 109:14Classic cross-references Psalms 64:2Classic cross-references Psalms 35:4Classic cross-references Psalms 69:22Classic cross-references

Original words

But Youוְאַתָּ֣הH859Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine singularO LORDיְ֠הוָהH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularknowיָדַ֜עְתָּH3045Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular-אֶֽת־H853Direct object markerallכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructtheir deadlyלַמָּ֔וֶתH4194Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singularplotsעֲצָתָ֤םH6098Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine pluralagainst meעָלַי֙H5921Preposition | first person common singularDo notאַל־H408Adverbwipe outתְּכַפֵּר֙H3722Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular. . .עַל־H5921Prepositiontheir guiltעֲוֺנָ֔םH5771Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural[or]אַל־H408Adverbblot outתֶּ֑מְחִיH4229Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular. . .וְהָיוּH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine pluraltheir sinוְחַטָּאתָ֖םH2403Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine pluralfrom Your sightמִלְּפָנֶ֣יךָH6440Preposition-m, Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singularLet them be overthrownמֻכְשָׁלִים֙H3782Verb - Hofal - Participle - masculine pluralbefore Youלְפָנֶ֔יךָH6440Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singulardealעֲשֵׂ֥הH6213Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularwith themבָהֶֽם׃סPreposition | third person masculine pluralin the timeבְּעֵ֥תH6256Preposition-b | Noun - common singular constructof Your angerאַפְּךָ֖H639Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular

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