Focused Passage

Jeremiah 18:5-10

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

5Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

6“O house of Israel, declares the LORD, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay? Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.

7At any time I might announce that a nation or kingdom will be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed.

8But if that nation I warned turns from its evil, then I will relent of the disaster I had planned to bring.

9And if at another time I announce that I will build up and establish a nation or kingdom,

10and if it does evil in My sight and does not listen to My voice, then I will relent of the good I had intended for it.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 5

Original words

Then the wordדְבַר־H1697Noun - masculine singular constructof the LORDיְהוָ֖הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularcameוַיְהִ֥יH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularto meאֵלַ֥יH413Preposition | first person common singularsayingלֵאמֽוֹר׃H559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Verse 6

Cross-references

Isaiah 64:8Classic cross-references Romans 9:20Classic cross-references Jeremiah 18:4Classic cross-references Isaiah 45:9Classic cross-references Matthew 20:15Classic cross-references

Original words

O houseבֵּ֥יתH1004Noun - masculine singular constructof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singulardeclaresנְאֻם־H5002Noun - masculine singular constructthe LORDיְהוָ֑הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularcanאוּכַ֨לH3201Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularI notלֹא־H3808Adverb - Negative particletreatלַעֲשׂ֥וֹתH6213Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructyouלָכֶ֛םPreposition | second person masculine pluralas thisהַזֶּ֜הH2088Article | Pronoun - masculine singularpotter [treats his clay]הֲכַיּוֹצֵ֨רH3335Preposition-k, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularJustהִנֵּ֤הH2009Interjectionlike clayכַחֹ֙מֶר֙H2563Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singularin the potter’sהַיּוֹצֵ֔רH3335Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularhandבְּיַ֣דH3027Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular constructsoכֵּן־H3651Adverbare youאַתֶּ֥םH859Pronoun - second person masculine pluralin My handבְּיָדִ֖יH3027Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularO houseבֵּ֥יתH1004Noun - masculine singular constructof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃סH3478Noun - proper - masculine singular

Verse 7

Cross-references

Joel 2:13Classic cross-references Jeremiah 1:10Classic cross-references Isaiah 45:7Classic cross-references Ecclesiastes 3:2Classic cross-references Jonah 3:4Classic cross-references

Original words

At any timeרֶ֣גַעH7281Noun - masculine singularI might announceאֲדַבֵּ֔רH1696Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singularthatעַל־H5921Prepositiona nationגּ֖וֹיH1471Noun - masculine singular. . .וְעַל־H5921Conjunctive waw | Prepositionor kingdomמַמְלָכָ֑הH4467Noun - feminine singularwill be uprootedלִנְת֥וֹשׁH5428Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructtorn downוְלִנְת֖וֹץH5422Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructand destroyedוּֽלְהַאֲבִֽיד׃H6Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct

Verse 8

Cross-references

Jonah 3:10Classic cross-references Ezekiel 18:21Classic cross-references Jonah 4:2Classic cross-references Jeremiah 26:13Classic cross-references Jeremiah 36:3Classic cross-references

Original words

But if thatהַה֔וּאH1931Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singularnationהַגּ֣וֹיH1471Article | Noun - masculine singularI warnedדִּבַּ֖רְתִּיH1696Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singularעָלָ֑יועָלָ֑יוH5921Preposition | third person masculine singularturnsוְשָׁב֙H7725Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularfrom its evilמֵרָ֣עָת֔וֹH7451Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular-אֲשֶׁ֥רH834Pronoun - relativethen I will relentוְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙H5162Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularofעַל־H5921Prepositionthe disasterהָ֣רָעָ֔הH7451Article | Adjective - feminine singular-אֲשֶׁ֥רH834Pronoun - relativeI had plannedחָשַׁ֖בְתִּיH2803Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularto bringלַעֲשׂ֥וֹתH6213Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Verse 9

Cross-references

1 Samuel 2:30Classic cross-references Jeremiah 31:28Classic cross-references 2 Samuel 7:10Classic cross-references Amos 9:11Classic cross-references Numbers 14:34Classic cross-references

Original words

And if at another timeוְרֶ֣גַעH7281Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularI announceאֲדַבֵּ֔רH1696Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular. . .עַל־H5921Prepositionthat I will build upלִבְנֹ֖תH1129Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructand establishוְלִנְטֹֽעַ׃H5193Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructa nationגּ֖וֹיH1471Noun - masculine singular. . .וְעַל־H5921Conjunctive waw | Prepositionor kingdomמַמְלָכָ֑הH4467Noun - feminine singular

Verse 10

Cross-references

1 Samuel 2:30Classic cross-references Ezekiel 33:18Classic cross-references 1 Samuel 13:13Classic cross-references Ezekiel 18:24Classic cross-references 1 Samuel 15:11Classic cross-references

Original words

and if it doesוְעָשָׂ֤הH6213Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularevilהָרָעָהH7451Article | Adjective - masculine singularin My sightבְּעֵינַ֔יH5869Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | first person common singularand does notלְבִלְתִּ֖יH1115Preposition-llistenשְׁמֹ֣עַH8085Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructto My voiceבְּקוֹלִ֑יH6963Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularthen I will relentוְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙H5162Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularofעַל־H5921Prepositionthe goodהַטּוֹבָ֔הH2896Article | Noun - feminine singular-אֲשֶׁ֥רH834Pronoun - relativeI had intended for itאָמַ֖רְתִּיH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular. . .לְהֵיטִ֥יבH3190Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct-אוֹתֽוֹ׃סH853Direct object marker | third person masculine singular

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