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Jeremiah 18:3 — Word Study

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WLCוָאֵרֵ֖ד בֵּ֣ית הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר וְהִנֵּה־ה֛וּא עֹשֶׂ֥ה מְלָאכָ֖ה עַל־ הָאָבְנָֽיִם׃

BSASo I went downyârad [to a lower place, descended] to the potter’syâtsar housebayith [a place of craftsmanship, a workshop] and saw himhinnêh workingʻâsâh [doing, making, forming] atʻal the wheelʼôben [a stool, a turntable for shaping clay]

Word
Listen & take awayJeremiah 18
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 3 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (ha.'a.ve.Na.yim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Jeremiah 18:3quick helps
In a sentenceJeremiah visits a potter's house to observe the potter at work.
Who is speakingJeremiah, the prophet, recounting his experience.
Where we areThe context is a divine instruction leading Jeremiah to a lesson about Israel.
The hard wordיָרַד
Take awayJeremiah's observation serves as a metaphor for God's shaping of His people.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectעָשָׂה verbיָרַד The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Jeremiah 18:3

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Potter's Housegenerated

2“Go down at once to the potter’s house, and there I will reveal My message to you.”
3So I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working at the wheel.
4But the vessel that he was shaping from the clay became flawed in his hand; so he formed it into another vessel, as it seemed best for him to do.
5Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Jeremiah 18:3 describes the moment when God instructs Jeremiah to visit a potter's house. This visit is significant as it illustrates God's sovereignty and the power to reshape Israel, much like a potter reshapes clay. The surrounding verses (Jeremiah 18:2-4) emphasize the lesson learned from observing the potter's work, highlighting themes of creation and divine authority.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Jonah 1:3Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to sail for Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
2John 15:14You are My friends if you do what I command you.
3Acts 26:19So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word יָרַד, va.'e.Redgenerated

The verb יָרַד (yarad) means to go down or descend, indicating a movement to a lower place. It is a Qal verb in the sequential imperfect form, meaning it describes an action that is ongoing or incomplete at the time of speaking.

This word appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in contexts of physical descent, such as going down mountains or into valleys. Its use here suggests a literal descent to a physical location, the potter's house, which also carries metaphorical significance in the narrative.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse reads: 'So I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working at the wheel.' This wording is consistent across the KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE, all of which maintain similar phrasing.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb is וָאֵרֵ֖ד (va'eRed), meaning 'and I went down.' This verb governs the entire sentence, with a noun phrase following it, specifying the location — the potter's house — and a clause that describes what Jeremiah observed.

The structure emphasizes the sequential action of going down to the potter's house and then witnessing the potter at work. This progression highlights the importance of the observation in the context of the prophetic message.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָרַד as κατέβην (katebēn), which also means 'I went down.' This choice maintains the sense of descent and aligns closely with the Hebrew, emphasizing Jeremiah's physical movement.

This translation choice reflects the intent to convey the same action and significance found in the Hebrew text, underscoring the importance of the potter's work.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Jeremiah 18:3 recounts how Jeremiah went to the potter's house as instructed by God. There, he observed the potter working with clay, which serves as a powerful metaphor for God's ability to shape and mold His people.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What is the significance of the potter's house?

The potter's house symbolizes God's sovereignty and His ability to shape nations, as seen in the context of Jeremiah's prophetic message.

Why does Jeremiah go down to the potter's house?

Jeremiah is following God's command to observe the potter, which serves as a lesson about God's relationship with Israel.

What does the act of shaping clay represent?

Shaping clay represents God's power to form and reform His people, reflecting His authority and the potential for change.

How does this passage relate to the overall message of Jeremiah?

This passage illustrates the theme of judgment and restoration, emphasizing that God can reshape His people despite their flaws.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does it mean for God to shape us like a potter shapes clay?
  2. In what ways have I experienced God's shaping in my own life?
  3. How can I be more receptive to God's work in my life, similar to the clay in the potter's hands?
  4. What lessons can I learn from observing the potter at work?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Early Church Fathers referenced this verse to illustrate God's creative power and the transformation of humanity through Christ.

Methodius of OlympusON THE RESURRECTION 1:6-7 d. c. 311
The prophet Jeremiah addresses the Jews in these words: “And I went down to the potter’s house. Behold, he made a work on the stones. The vessel that he made in his hands was broken.
Early Church Fathers on Jeremiah 18 →
Tyrannius RufinusCOMMENTARY ON THE APOSTLES’ CREED 29 c. 344–411
By his passion, therefore, Christ made perfect that human flesh that had been brought down to death by the first man’s sin and restored it by the power of his resurrection. Sitting on God’s right hand, he placed it in the highest heavens.
Early Church Fathers on Jeremiah 18 →
JeromeSIX BOOKS ON Jeremiah 4:2.4-7 c. 347–420
Whatever is discerned by the eyes arrives to the judgment and understanding of the soul through every other sense, through hearing, smelling, tasting and touching, but is retained even more so by the mind.
Early Church Fathers on Jeremiah 18 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Jeremiah 18:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then I went down to the potter's house,.... He did as the Lord commanded him; he was obedient to the divine will; he went to hear what the Lord had to say to him there, and to observe such things,

Read John Gill on Jeremiah 18 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

Read Robert Jamieson on Jeremiah 18 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Jeremiah yields a present and free obedience to the command of God, though he did not know God’ s meaning in it, and findeth the potter at work upon wheels or frames which he formed his clay upon, to bring it into that form which he desired. For the true form of those frames or instruments it is hard to assert any thing, such kind of instruments differing not only according to several countries, but according to the several fancies of workmen, getting frames or engines made fitted to their own fancies and purposes.

Read Matthew Poole on Jeremiah 18 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Jeremiah 18:3 Then I went down to the potter’ s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. Ver. 3. Then I went down to the potter’ s house.] God’ s commands must be obeyed without sciscitation. Jeremiah saw that verbal teaching without signs would not work upon his hearers; he is therefore ready to do anything, or to go any whither, for their eternal good. And, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.] So the poet - “ Amphora coepit Institui, currente rota, cur urceus exit? ” - Hor. De Art. Poet. Officiose paret.

Read John Trapp on Jeremiah 18 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) He wrought a work on the wheels.—Literally, the two wheels. The nature of the work is described more graphically in Ecclus. xxxviii. 29, 30. The potter sat moving one horizontal wheel with his feet, while a smaller one was used, as it revolved, to fashion the shape of the vessel he was making with his hands. The image had been already used of God’s creative work in Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 45:9; Isaiah 64:8.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Jeremiah 18 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 3. He wrought a work on the wheels.] אל האבנים al haabnayim, upon the stones, the potter's wheel being usually made of such; the spindle of the moving stone being placed on a stone below, on which it turned, and supported the stone above, on which the vessel was manufactured, and which alone had a rotatory motion. The potter's wheel in the present day seems to differ very little from that which was in use between two and three thousand years ago.

Read AdamClarke on Jeremiah 18 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

3. the potter’s house] The likening (as in Jeremiah 18:6) of man to the clay and God to the potter was familiar. See on Jeremiah 18:4. The trade was a very early one. Thomson (The Land and the Book, p. 520) thus describes what he saw at Jaffa (Joppa): “There was the potter sitting at his ‘frame,’ and turning the ‘wheel’ with his foot. He had a heap of the prepared clay near him, and a pan of water by his side. Taking a lump in his hand, he placed it on the top of the wheel (which revolves horizontally) and smoothed it into a low cone, like the upper end of a sugar-loaf, then thrusting his thumb into the top of it, he opened a hole down through the centre, and this he constantly widened by…

Read Cambridge on Jeremiah 18 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The wheels - literally, “the two wheels.” The lower one was worked by the feet to give motion to the upper one, which was a flat disc or plate of wood, on which the potter laid the clay, and moulded

Read Albert Barnes on Jeremiah 18 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

So I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working at the wheel.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was making something on the wheels.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

So I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working at the wheel.

NETBNew English Translation2006

So I went down to the potter’s house and found him working at his wheel.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he was making a work on the wheels.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought his work on the wheels.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Then I went downe to the potters house, and behold, he wrought a worke on the wheeles.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And I went down to the potter's house; and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and I go down [to] the potter's house, and lo, he is doing a work on the stones,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and I go down [to] the potter’s house, and behold, he is doing a work on the stones,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Then went I down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was doing work on the wheels.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

So I went out to the potter's house, and behold! The potter was working on the potter's wheel.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And I went down into the potter’s house, and behold he was doing a work on the wheel.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

I went down to the potter's house and saw him working at his potter's wheel.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Then I went down to the potter's house, and he was doing his work on the stones.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וָandclauseverbאֵרֵ֖דI.went.downnoun phrase · adverbialבֵּ֣יתthe.housenoun phraseהַofיּוֹצֵ֑רthe.potterוְandclauseclauseהִנֵּהthereclausesubjectה֛וּאheverbעֹשֶׂ֥ה[was].doingobjectמְלָאכָ֖הworkprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַלonnoun phraseהָtheאָבְנָֽיִםstones

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with both versions conveying the same essential meaning and structure. The Septuagint's word order differs but matches the content closely.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וָאֵרֵ֖ד בֵּ֣ית הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר וְהִנֵּה־ה֛וּא עֹשֶׂ֥ה מְלָאכָ֖ה עַל־ הָאָבְנָֽיִם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וָאֵרֵ֖דκατέβηνבֵּ֣יתοἶκονהַיּוֹצֵ֑רκεραμέωςוְהִנֵּה־ה֛וּאἐποίειעֹשֶׂ֥הἔργονמְלָאכָ֖הἐπὶעַל־τῶνהָאָבְנָֽיִם׃λίθων

8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Jeremiah 18:3יָרַדand I went and I went downיָרַדבֵּית[the] house[the] house ofבֵּיתיָצַרthe potterthe potterיָצַרהִנֵּהand there! and there! - heהִנֵּהעָשָׂה[was] doing[was] doingעָשָׂהמְלָאכָהworkworkמְלָאכָהעַלononעַלאֹבֶןthe stonesthe stonesאֹבֶןבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהצָרַרbe distresbe distressedצָרַריָצַעto layto layיָצַעהֵןlook!look!הֵןמַלְאָךְmessengermessengerמַלְאָךְעַלheightheightעַלאֶ֫בֶןstone: weistone: weightאֶ֫בֶןשְׁאוֹלhell: Sheohell: Sheolשְׁאוֹלבּוֹרpitpitבּוֹראוֹצָרtreasuretreasureאוֹצָרחֶ֫רֶשׂearthenwarearthenwareחֶ֫רֶשׂחֹ֫מֶרclayclayחֹ֫מֶרנֶ֫גַעplagueplagueנֶ֫גַעחֲלוֹםdreamdreamחֲלוֹםמְלָאכָהworkworkמְלָאכָהתּוֹעֵבַהabominatioabominationתּוֹעֵבַהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהשָׁבַתto ceaseto ceaseשָׁבַת
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Jeremiah 18:3

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and I went down [the] house of the potter and there! - he [was] doing work on the stones
וָאֵרֵ֖דva.'e.Red and I went down H3381 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect first person common singular
381× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To go down or descend, like going to a lower place or falling. It appears in Genesis and Exodus, describing people and things moving downwards.
Amplified meaning
to a lower place, descended
Tyndale gloss
to go down
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word יָרַד (yarad) means to come or go down, covering various contexts such as descending from mountains, going to battle, or sinking in water. It can also refer to divine manifestations descending or being prostrated. The word has different forms including Qal, Hiphil, and Hophal, which indicate various nuances of bringing down or being brought down.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָרַד 380 vb. come or go down, descend

Qal 306

come or go down

go down (usu. from mountain or hill-country into plain), to battle

go down to (acc.) threshing-floor

go down (abs.) from Palestine to Egypt

from Jerusalem

from altar

go down

= sink, in water

go down to She’ôl

fig. going down (dissolving) in tears

= be prostrated

of divine manifestations: descend

of inanimate things

Hiph.

cause to come or go down

bring down

send down rain = cause to flow down

= lay prostrate to (acc.) threshing-floor

bring down to She’ôl

take down (from cart)

let down

Hoph.

be brought down

be taken down

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3381 יָרַד come or go down, descend .. . come or go down

. go down (usu. from mountain or hill-country into plain), to battle

. go down to (acc.) threshing-floor

. go down (abs.) from Palestine to Egypt

. from Jerusalem

. from altar

. go down

. = sink, in water

. go down to She’ôl

. fig. going down (dissolving) in tears

. = be prostrated

. of divine manifestations: descend

. of inanimate things

. . cause to come or go down . bring down

. send down rain = cause to flow down

. = lay prostrate to (acc.) threshing-floor

. bring down to She’ôl

. take down (from cart)

. let down

. . be brought down

. be taken down

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3381 yarad yaw-rad'

a primitive root; to descend (literally, to go downwards; or

conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary,

the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to

bring down (in all the above applications); -X abundantly,

bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down,

fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, X

indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to,

let) run down, sink, subdue, take down.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָרַד (ya.rad) — to go down.

1) to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go or come down

1a2) to sink

1a3) to be prostrated

1a4) to come down (of revelation)

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to bring down

1b2) to send down

1b3) to take down

1b4) to lay prostrate

1b5) to let down

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought down

1c2) to be taken down

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect first person common singular
Hc/Vqw1cs
and I went down [the] house of the potter and there! - he [was] doing work on the stones
בֵּ֣יתbeit [the] house of H1004 Noun common · masculine singular construct
2,049× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for house refers to a dwelling place, including a family home, temple, or even the human body. It appears in various contexts, such as the temple in Jerusalem or the household of a family. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a place of worship or a family's living space.
Amplified meaning
a place of craftsmanship, a workshop
Tyndale gloss
place
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בַּיִת (*bayith*) means 'house' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including dwelling, family, and place. It can refer to physical structures, such as homes and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like the body or household affairs. The word is built from the root related to 'between' and appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between

base

בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house

house

place

receptacle

of house as containing a family

household, family (592 t.)

house, including household affairs

lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards

מִבַּיִת

adv. on the inside

prep. within

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1004a בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between H1004b בַּ֫יִת house

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1004 bayith bah'-yith

probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest

variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court,

daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as

would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold),

inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet,

temple, web, + within(-out).

see HEBREW for 01129

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית (bet) — place.

nm

place, origin, between

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — house: home.

: home/temple/building

nm

1) house

1a) house, dwelling habitation

1b) shelter or abode of animals

1c) human bodies (fig.)

1d) of Sheol

1e) of abode of light and darkness

1f) of land of Ephraim

2) place

3) receptacle

4) home, house as containing a family

5) household, family

5a) those belonging to the same household

5b) family of descendants, descendants as organized body

6) household affairs

7) inwards (metaph.)

8) (TWOT) temple

adv

9) on the inside

prep

10) within

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(ashbea).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with ash.be.a (אַשְׁבֵּעַ "Ashbea" H0791)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth (Haggan).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with hag (גַּן "Haggan" H1588)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(togarmah).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and I went down [the] house of the potter and there! - he [was] doing work on the stones
הַיּוֹצֵ֑רhai.yo.Tzer the potter H3335 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
62× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to form or shape something, like a potter molding clay. It appears in Genesis 2:7, describing God's creation of humans, and in Isaiah 64:8, where God is compared to a potter.
Tyndale gloss
to form: formed
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word יָצַר (yatsar) means to form or fashion, often in the context of creation, whether by human or divine activity. It encompasses the act of shaping, as a potter does, and can refer to the formation of individuals or the people of Israel. The word also implies planning or preordaining in a figurative sense.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָצַר vb. form, fashion

Qal

of human activity

of divine activity

Niph. before me a god was not formed (created)

Pu. days (that) were pre-ordained (in divine purpose)

Hoph. any weapon that is formed against thee will not prosper.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3335 יָצַר form, fashion

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3335 yatsar yaw-tsar'

probably identical with 3334 (through the squeezing into

shape); ((compare 3331)); to mould into a form; especially as

a potter; figuratively, to determine (i.e. form a

resolution):--X earthen, fashion, form, frame, make(-r),

potter, purpose.

see HEBREW for 03334

see HEBREW for 03331

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָצַר (ya.tsar) — to form: formed.

: formed

1) to form, fashion, frame

1a) (Qal) to form, fashion

1a1) of human activity

1a2) of divine activity

1a2a) of creation

1a2a1) of original creation

1a2a2) of individuals at conception

1a2a3) of Israel as a people

1a2b) to frame, pre-ordain, plan (fig. of divine) purpose of a situation)

1b) (Niphal) to be formed, be created

1c) (Pual) to be predetermined, be pre-ordained

1d) (Hophal) to be formed

יָצַר (ya.tsar) — to form: potter.

: potter

1) to form, fashion, frame

1a) (Qal) to form, fashion

1a1) of human activity

1a2) of divine activity

1a2a) of creation

1a2a1) of original creation

1a2a2) of individuals at conception

1a2a3) of Israel as a people

1a2b) to frame, pre-ordain, plan (fig. of divine) purpose of a situation)

1b) (Niphal) to be formed, be created

1c) (Pual) to be predetermined, be pre-ordained

1d) (Hophal) to be formed

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | V-Qal — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A maker of earthenware, Ge 24:14-15; Jud 7:16,19; Ps 2:9. Ancient Egyptian paintings represent the potter turning and shaping, on his small and simple wheel made to revolve rapidly by the foot, the lump of clay, which he had previously kneaded with his feet. A pan of water stands by his side, with which he kept the clay moist. After the body of the vessel was worked into shape and beauty, the handle was affixed to it, devices traced upon it, and after drying a little, it was carefully taken to the oven and baked. The potter’s control over the clay illustrates the sovereignty of God, who made us of clay, and forms and disposes of us as he deems good: "O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord.…

and I went down [the] house of the potter and there! - he [was] doing work on the stones
וְהִנֵּה־ה֛וּאve.hi.neh-hu' and there! - he H2009 Conjunction · particle · pronoun
843× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is an expression that means 'behold' or 'look', often used to draw attention to something. It appears in Genesis and Isaiah, and is translated as 'behold' or 'lo' in the KJV.
Tyndale gloss
behold
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הִנֵּה (hinneh) is a Hebrew word meaning 'behold' or 'lo!' It serves as a demonstrative particle used to draw attention, appearing in contexts such as Genesis 19:2. The word is derived from a prolongation of another Hebrew term, but the entries do not provide further details on its usage beyond this.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הִנֵּה, once הִנֶּה־ Gn 19:2, demonstr.part. lo!, behold!

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2009 הִנֵּה, הִנֶּה־ lo!, behold!

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2009 hinneh hin-nay'

prolongation for 2005; lo!:--behold, lo, see.

see HEBREW for 02005

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הִנֵּה (hin.neh) — behold.

behold, lo, see, if

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Part | Suff — Conjunction · particle · pronoun
HC/Tj//Pp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ha: The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "h." It came also to be used for the number 5. For name, etc., see ALPHABET.

and I went down [the] house of the potter and there! - he [was] doing work on the stones
עֹשֶׂ֥ה'o.Seh [was] doing H6213 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
2,629× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to make or do something, and is used over 2,600 times in the Bible. It is first used in Genesis 1:7 to describe God's creation of the world and is also used in Exodus 31:5 to describe the work of skilled craftsmen.
Amplified meaning
doing, making, forming
Tyndale gloss
to make
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָשָׂה (asah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to do or make, encompassing a wide range of actions such as producing, preparing, and observing. It can refer to both concrete and abstract activities, including making offerings and attending to tasks. The verb also has forms indicating passive meanings, such as being made or offered. Notably, the Piel form refers to pressing or squeezing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָשָׂה 2622 vb. do, make

Qal 2524

do (1560 t.)

deal with

oft. in phr. do kindness with

abs. act, act with effect

make (670 t.)

produce, yield

prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food

make offering

attend to, put in order

observe, celebrate, religious festival

acquire property of various kinds

appoint priests

bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance

use

spend, pass, days of life

Niph.

97be done

be made, of concr. things

be produced from vine

be prepared, of food

be offered

be observed, passover

be used

Pu. I was made

base

[עָשָׂה] vb. Pi. press, squeeze

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6213a עָשָׂה do, make .. . do (1560 + t.)

. deal with

. oft. in phr. do kindness with

. abs. act, act with effect

. . make (670 + t.)

. produce, yield

. prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food

. make offering

. attend to, put in order

. observe, celebrate, religious festival

. acquire property of various kinds

. appoint priests

. bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance

. use

. spend, pass, days of life

. . be done

. . be made, of concr. things

. be produced from vine

. be prepared, of food

. be offered

. be observed, passover

. be used

. I was made

H6213b עָשָׂה Pi. press, squeeze

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6213 `asah aw-saw'

a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and

widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance,

appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth,

bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal

(with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in)

execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, +

finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go

about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X

indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain,

make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare,

bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure,

provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin,

spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be

(warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make: do.

: do/perform

1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to do, work, make, produce

1a1a) to do

1a1b) to work

1a1c) to deal (with)

1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect

1a2) to make

1a2a) to make

1a2b) to produce

1a2c) to prepare

1a2d) to make (an offering)

1a2e) to attend to, put in order

1a2f) to observe, celebrate

1a2g) to acquire (property)

1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute

1a2i) to bring about

1a2j) to use

1a2k) to spend, pass

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be done

1b2) to be made

1b3) to be produced

1b4) to be offered

1b5) to be observed

1b6) to be used

1c) (Pual) to be made

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to press.

(Piel) to press, squeeze

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make.

: make(OBJECT)

1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to do, work, make, produce

1a1a) to do

1a1b) to work

1a1c) to deal (with)

1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect

1a2) to make

1a2a) to make

1a2b) to produce

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
HVqrmsa
and I went down [the] house of the potter and there! - he [was] doing work on the stones
מְלָאכָ֖הme.la.Khah work H4399 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
167× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means work or employment, like a job or business, and is used to describe someone's occupation or the result of their labor, as seen in the Bible's description of various professions and industries.
Tyndale gloss
work
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְלָאכָה (mla'kah) refers to work or occupation, encompassing various aspects such as business, craftsmanship, and service. It can denote both the act of working and the products resulting from labor. The term also extends to public and political business. There is a slight variation in emphasis among lexicons, with some highlighting its non-servile nature.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְלָאכָה 167 n.f. occupation, work

occupation, business

property in which one is occupied

work as something done or made

workmanship

service, use

public business

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4399 מְלָאכָה occupation, work . occupation, business

. property in which one is occupied

. work as something done or made

. workmanship

. service, use

. public business

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4399 mla'kah mel-aw-kaw'

from the same as 4397; properly, deputyship, i.e. ministry;

generally, employment (never servile) or work (abstractly or

concretely); also property (as the result of

labor):--business, + cattle, + industrious, occupation,

(+ -pied), + officer, thing (made), use, (manner of)

work((-man), -manship).

see HEBREW for 04397

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְלָאכָה (me.la.khah) — work.

1) occupation, work, business

1a) occupation, business

1b) property

1c) work (something done or made)

1d) workmanship

1e) service, use

1f) public business

1f1) political

1f2) religious

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ See INDUSTRY

→ See LABOR

and I went down [the] house of the potter and there! - he [was] doing work on the stones
עַל־'al- on H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

On

Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See HELIOPOLIS.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

pain; force; iniquity

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and I went down [the] house of the potter and there! - he [was] doing work on the stones
הָאָבְנָֽיִם׃ha.'a.ve.Na.yim the stones H70 Particle · noun common masculine dual absolute
2× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for a wheel or a stool, like a potter's wheel used to shape clay or a midwife's stool for childbirth. It appears in the Bible as a symbol of creation and new life. In the book of Jeremiah, a potter's wheel is used to illustrate God's power.
Amplified meaning
a stool, a turntable for shaping clay
Tyndale gloss
wheel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֹבֶן (oben) refers to a wheel or disc, specifically a potter's wheel or a midwife's stool, which consists of two horizontal disks with a support in between. The word is derived from a root associated with a pair of stones and is noted for its dual form. It encompasses meanings related to both crafting and childbirth.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[אֹבֶן] n.[m.] wheel, disc.

potter’s wheel

prob. bearing-stool, midwife’s stool

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H70 [אֹבֶן] wheel, disc. . potter’s wheel

. prob. bearing-stool, midwife’s stool

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

70 'oben o'ben

from the same as 68; a pair of stones (only dual); a potter's

wheel or a midwife's stool (consisting alike of two horizontal

disks with a support between):--wheel, stool.

see HEBREW for 068

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֹבֶן (o.ven) — wheel.

1) wheel, disc

1a) potter's wheel

1b) bearing-stool, midwife's stool

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-md — Particle · noun common masculine dual absolute
HTd/Ncmda
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Smith's Bible Dictionary

Besides the ordinary uses to which stones were applied, we may mention that large stones were set up to commemorate any remarkable event. (Genesis 28:18; 35:14; 31:45; Joshua 4:9; 1 Samuel 7:12) Such stones were occasionally consecrated By anointing. (Genesis 28:18) Heaps of stones were piled up on various occasions, as in token of a treaty, (Genesis 31:47) or over the grave of some notorious offender. (Joshua 7:26; 8:29; 2 Samuel 18:17) The "white stone" noticed in (

→ Commandments engraved upon Ex 24:12; 31:18; 34:1-4; De 4:13; 5:22; 9:9-11; 10:1-3

→ The law of Moses written upon Jos 8:32

→ Houses built of Isa 9:10; Am 5:11

→ Temple built of 1Ki 5:17,18; 7:9-12; Mt 24:2; Lu 19:44; 21:5,6

→ Prepared in the quarries 1Ki 6:7

→ Hewn (cut) Ex 34:1; De 10:1;

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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