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

5 Then 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.

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

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

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

10 and 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 word דְבַר־ H1697 Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular came וַיְהִ֥י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to me אֵלַ֥י H413 Preposition | first person common singular saying לֵאמֽוֹר׃ H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Verse 6

Cross-references

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

Original words

O house בֵּ֥ית H1004 Noun - masculine singular construct of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָ֑ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular can אוּכַ֨ל H3201 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular I not לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle treat לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת H6213 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct you לָכֶ֛ם Preposition | second person masculine plural as this הַזֶּ֜ה H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular potter [treats his clay] הֲכַיּוֹצֵ֨ר H3335 Preposition-k, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Just הִנֵּ֤ה H2009 Interjection like clay כַחֹ֙מֶר֙ H2563 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular in the potter’s הַיּוֹצֵ֔ר H3335 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular hand בְּיַ֣ד H3027 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct so כֵּן־ H3651 Adverb are you אַתֶּ֥ם H859 Pronoun - second person masculine plural in My hand בְּיָדִ֖י H3027 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular O house בֵּ֥ית H1004 Noun - masculine singular construct of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ס H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular

Verse 7

Cross-references

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

Original words

At any time רֶ֣גַע H7281 Noun - masculine singular I might announce אֲדַבֵּ֔ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular that עַל־ H5921 Preposition a nation גּ֖וֹי H1471 Noun - masculine singular . . . וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition or kingdom מַמְלָכָ֑ה H4467 Noun - feminine singular will be uprooted לִנְת֥וֹשׁ H5428 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct torn down וְלִנְת֖וֹץ H5422 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct and destroyed וּֽלְהַאֲבִֽיד׃ H6 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct

Verse 8

Cross-references

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

Original words

But if that הַה֔וּא H1931 Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular nation הַגּ֣וֹי H1471 Article | Noun - masculine singular I warned דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי H1696 Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular עָלָ֑יו עָלָ֑יו H5921 Preposition | third person masculine singular turns וְשָׁב֙ H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular from its evil מֵרָ֣עָת֔וֹ H7451 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative then I will relent וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ H5162 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular of עַל־ H5921 Preposition the disaster הָ֣רָעָ֔ה H7451 Article | Adjective - feminine singular - אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative I had planned חָשַׁ֖בְתִּי H2803 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular to bring לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת H6213 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Verse 9

Cross-references

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

Original words

And if at another time וְרֶ֣גַע H7281 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular I announce אֲדַבֵּ֔ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular . . . עַל־ H5921 Preposition that I will build up לִבְנֹ֖ת H1129 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct and establish וְלִנְטֹֽעַ׃ H5193 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct a nation גּ֖וֹי H1471 Noun - masculine singular . . . וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition or kingdom מַמְלָכָ֑ה H4467 Noun - feminine singular

Verse 10

Cross-references

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

Original words

and if it does וְעָשָׂ֤ה H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular evil הָרָעָה H7451 Article | Adjective - masculine singular in My sight בְּעֵינַ֔י H5869 Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | first person common singular and does not לְבִלְתִּ֖י H1115 Preposition-l listen שְׁמֹ֣עַ H8085 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct to My voice בְּקוֹלִ֑י H6963 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular then I will relent וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ H5162 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular of עַל־ H5921 Preposition the good הַטּוֹבָ֔ה H2896 Article | Noun - feminine singular - אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative I had intended for it אָמַ֖רְתִּי H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular . . . לְהֵיטִ֥יב H3190 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct - אוֹתֽוֹ׃ס H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine singular

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