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

18 Then 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.”

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

20 Should 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.

21 Therefore, 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.

22 Let 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.

23 But 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

Original words

Then [some] said וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Come לְכ֨וּ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural let us make plans וְנַחְשְׁבָ֣ה H2803 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural . . . מַחֲשָׁבוֹת֒ H4284 Noun - feminine plural against עַֽל־ H5921 Preposition Jeremiah יִרְמְיָהוּ֮ H3414 Noun - proper - masculine singular for כִּי֩ H3588 Conjunction the law תּוֹרָ֜ה H8451 Noun - feminine singular will never לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle be lost תֹאבַ֨ד H6 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular to the priest מִכֹּהֵ֗ן H3548 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular nor counsel וְעֵצָה֙ H6098 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular to the wise מֵֽחָכָ֔ם H2450 Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singular nor an oracle וְדָבָ֖ר H1697 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular to the prophet מִנָּבִ֑יא H5030 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Come לְכוּ֙ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural let us denounce him וְנַכֵּ֣הוּ H5221 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural | third person masculine singular . . . בַלָּשׁ֔וֹן H3956 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular and pay no וְאַל־ H408 Conjunctive waw | Adverb heed נַקְשִׁ֖יבָה H7181 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural to אֶל־ H413 Preposition any כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct of his words דְּבָרָֽיו׃ H1697 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 19

Original words

Attend הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה H7181 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular to me אֵלָ֑י H413 Preposition | first person common singular O LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular Hear וּשְׁמַ֖ע H8085 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular what my accusers יְרִיבָֽי׃ H3401 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular are saying לְק֥וֹל H6963 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Verse 20

Original words

Should good טוֹבָה֙ H2896 Noun - feminine singular be repaid הַיְשֻׁלַּ֤ם H7999 Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine singular with תַּֽחַת־ H8478 Preposition evil רָעָ֔ה H7451 Adjective - feminine singular Yet כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction they have dug כָר֥וּ H3738 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural a pit שׁוּחָ֖ה H7745 Noun - feminine singular for me לְנַפְשִׁ֑י H5315 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular Remember זְכֹ֣ר׀ H2142 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular how I stood עָמְדִ֣י H5975 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular before You לְפָנֶ֗יךָ H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular to speak לְדַבֵּ֤ר H1696 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct good טוֹבָ֔ה H2896 Noun - feminine singular on their behalf עֲלֵיהֶם֙ H5921 Preposition | third person masculine plural to turn לְהָשִׁ֥יב H7725 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker Your wrath חֲמָתְךָ֖ H2534 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular from them מֵהֶֽם׃ Preposition-m | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Verse 21

Original words

Therefore לָכֵן֩ H3651 Adverb hand their children בְּנֵיהֶ֜ם H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural over תֵּ֨ן H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker to famine לָרָעָ֗ב H7458 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular pour out וְהַגִּרֵם֮ H5064 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person masculine plural the power יְדֵי־ H3027 Noun - feminine dual construct of the sword חֶרֶב֒ H2719 Noun - feminine singular upon them עַל־ H5921 Preposition Let their wives נְשֵׁיהֶ֤ם H802 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural become וְתִֽהְיֶ֨נָה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine plural childless שַׁכֻּלוֹת֙ H7909 Adjective - feminine plural and widowed וְאַלְמָנ֔וֹת H490 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural let their husbands וְאַ֨נְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם H582 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural . . . יִֽהְי֖וּ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural be slain הֲרֻ֣גֵי H2026 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural construct by disease מָ֑וֶת H4194 Noun - masculine singular their young men בַּח֣וּרֵיהֶ֔ם H970 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural struck down מֻכֵּי־ H5221 Verb - Hofal - Participle - masculine plural construct by the sword חֶ֖רֶב H2719 Noun - feminine singular in battle בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃ H4421 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 22

Original words

Let a cry זְעָקָה֙ H2201 Noun - feminine singular be heard תִּשָּׁמַ֤ע H8085 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular from their houses מִבָּ֣תֵּיהֶ֔ם H1004 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural when כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction You suddenly פִּתְאֹ֑ם H6597 Adverb bring תָבִ֧יא H935 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular raiders גְּד֖וּד H1416 Noun - masculine singular against them עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם H5921 Preposition | third person masculine plural for כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction they have dug כָר֤וּ H3738 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural a pit שִׁיחָה H7882 Noun - feminine singular to capture me לְלָכְדֵ֔נִי H3920 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular and have hidden טָמְנ֥וּ H2934 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural snares וּפַחִ֖ים H6341 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural for my feet לְרַגְלָֽי׃ H7272 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine dual construct | first person common singular
Verse 23

Original words

But You וְאַתָּ֣ה H859 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine singular O LORD יְ֠הוָה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular know יָדַ֜עְתָּ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular - אֶֽת־ H853 Direct object marker all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct their deadly לַמָּ֔וֶת H4194 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular plots עֲצָתָ֤ם H6098 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural against me עָלַי֙ H5921 Preposition | first person common singular Do not אַל־ H408 Adverb wipe out תְּכַפֵּר֙ H3722 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular . . . עַל־ H5921 Preposition their guilt עֲוֺנָ֔ם H5771 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural [or] אַל־ H408 Adverb blot out תֶּ֑מְחִי H4229 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular . . . וְהָיוּ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural their sin וְחַטָּאתָ֖ם H2403 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural from Your sight מִלְּפָנֶ֣יךָ H6440 Preposition-m, Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular Let them be overthrown מֻכְשָׁלִים֙ H3782 Verb - Hofal - Participle - masculine plural before You לְפָנֶ֔יךָ H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular deal עֲשֵׂ֥ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular with them בָהֶֽם׃ס Preposition | third person masculine plural in the time בְּעֵ֥ת H6256 Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct of Your anger אַפְּךָ֖ H639 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.