Jeremiah 18:3
Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
Original Language Analysis
וָאֵרֵ֖ד
Then I went down
H3381
וָאֵרֵ֖ד
Then I went down
Strong's:
H3381
Word #:
1 of 8
to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); cau
בֵּ֣ית
house
H1004
בֵּ֣ית
house
Strong's:
H1004
Word #:
2 of 8
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר
to the potter's
H3335
הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר
to the potter's
Strong's:
H3335
Word #:
3 of 8
to mould into a form; especially as a potter; figuratively, to determine (i.e., form a resolution)
עֹשֶׂ֥ה
he wrought
H6213
עֹשֶׂ֥ה
he wrought
Strong's:
H6213
Word #:
5 of 8
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
מְלָאכָ֖ה
a work
H4399
מְלָאכָ֖ה
a work
Strong's:
H4399
Word #:
6 of 8
properly, deputyship, i.e., ministry; generally, employment (never servile) or work (abstractly or concretely); also property (as the result of labor)
Historical Context
Ancient pottery wheels developed over millennia. By Jeremiah's time, the kick-wheel system was standard—allowing potters to spin clay at consistent speeds while using both hands to shape vessels. The process required years of training to master. Different clay qualities, water content, spinning speeds, and hand techniques produced various vessel types. The potter's intimate knowledge of his material parallels God's exhaustive knowledge of His creatures.
Questions for Reflection
- What does Jeremiah's immediate obedience teach about responding to God's direction in your life?
- How does observing God's work in ordinary circumstances prepare you to understand spiritual truth?
- In what ways does the image of God as potter both comfort and challenge you?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Jeremiah obeys: "Then I went down to the potter's house." His immediate compliance models prophetic faithfulness—he doesn't question or delay but promptly does as commanded. "Behold, he wrought a work on the wheels" directs attention to the potter actively engaged in his craft. The Hebrew oseh mela'kah (עֹשֶׂה מְלָאכָה, working a work) emphasizes skilled labor requiring expertise and judgment.
The potter's wheels (Hebrew ovnayim, אָבְנָיִם, literally "two stones") likely refers to the two-stone turntable system—a lower wheel turned by foot and an upper wheel where the clay was shaped. The potter's hands actively mold the spinning clay, demonstrating complete control over the material. This vivid image will become the basis for understanding God's sovereign work with nations and individuals.
Theological implications emerge: just as the potter has absolute authority over clay, God has absolute authority over His creation. This supports the Reformed doctrine of divine sovereignty—God is free to do as He pleases with His creatures (Rom 9:20-21). Yet the passage will also reveal divine responsiveness to human choices, balancing sovereignty with human responsibility.