G L 18:1-4. Symbol. Potter's vessel.
M 18:5,6. Signification. House of Israel.
N 18:7-17. Threatening.
O 18:18. Enemies. Plot.
P 18:19-23. Jeremiah. Prayer.
L 19:1-10. Symbol. Potter's bottle.
M 19:11-13. Signification. People and city.
N 19:14,15. Threatening.
O 20:1-6. Enemies. Violence.
P 20:7-18. Jeremiah. Prayer.
Jeremiah 18)
1: The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
2: “Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” (note the lesson, set to Jeremiah there: that Yehovah never mends what man has marred. He always substitutes something new. The interpretation belongs to "The House of Israel", and that being "marred", the new "nation" is to be substituted. See Matt.21:43. Cp. Rom.11:7. Ezek.36:25-28. The applications belongs to (1) THE COVENANT, Deut. 6:25, but was marred, Jer. 31:32: for the New Covenant, see Heb. 8:7-13. (2) ORDINANCES, marred, Isa. 1:11-14; new, Heb. 10:6-9. Col. 2:14,17. Gal. 4:3, 8-11. (3) PRIESTHOOD, Heb. 7:11-28. (4) KING, 2 Sam. 7:12-16. Cp. Ps. 72. Isa. 9:6; 11:1-9; 32:1-8. Luke 1:31-33. (5) MAN, marred, Gen. 3. Rom. 8:7. Jer. 17:9. Ps. 14:2; 53:2. John 3:6; new, 2 Cor. 5:17,18. (6) THE BODY, marred, Gen. 3. Heb. 9:27; the new, 1 Cor. 15:35,44,46,47. (7) HE HEAVENS and THE EARTH, marred, Gen. 3. 2 Pet. 3:7; the new, 2 Pet. 3:13. Ps. 85:10,13. Isa. 65:17, &c. (8) THE CHURCH, marred, 2 Tim. 1:15 [Cp. Acts 19:10; 20:29]; 2:18; 3:8; 4:3,4; new, Eph. 2:20-22; 4:4)
3: Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was working a work on the wheels.
4: And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
N Q¹ 7-10. Declaration. Q² 11-17. Application.
Q¹ i 7. Concerning pulling down.
k 8. Condition. Repentance.
i 9. Concerning building up.
k 10. Condition. Repentance.7: At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to declare that it should be to plucked up (Heb. idio), and to pull down (some codices read, "tear away"), and to destroy it;
8: If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their calamity, I will repent of the calamity that I thought to do to them.
9: And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to declare that it should be built and planted;
10: If it do calamity in My sight, that it obey not My voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
Q² l 11. Threatening.
m 12. Departure.
m 13-16. Departure.
l 17. Execution.11: Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord; Behold, I work (as a potter) calamity against you, and devise a device against you: return you all now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.’ ”
12: And they said, “There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the stubbornness of his evil mind.”
13: Therefore thus says the Lord; “Ask you all now among the nations, who has heard such things: the virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.
14: Will [a man] leave the snow [water] of Lebanon for the rock of the field? (used for the mixing with wine; or for washing, as in Job 9:30) or shall the cold flowing waters that [be] forsaken for strange waters?
15: Because My people have forgotten Me (showing that the emphasis is on the leaving and forsaking of v.14), they have burned incense to vanity (used of idols), and they have caused them to stumble in their ways in that they forsook the ancient paths (cp.6:16), to walk in paths, in a way not cast up; (i.e. a causeway. Prov.15:19. Isa. 57:14; 62:10)
16: To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing (put for the contempt felt); every one that passes thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.
17: I will scatter them with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.”
18: Then said they, “Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest (see Lev.10:11), nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with hard words ("tongue" put for the hard words spoken by it), and let us not give heed to any of his words.”
P n 19,20. Complaint.
o 21,22. Imprecation.
n 23-. Complaint.
o -23. Imprecation.
19: Give heed to me, O Lord, and listen to the voice of them that contend with me.
20: Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have dug a pit for my soul (= me, emphatic). Remember that I stood before You to speak good for them, and to turn away Your wrath from them.
21: Therefore deliver up their sons to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their sons, and be widows; and let their mighty men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle.
22: Let a cry be heard from their houses, when You shall bring marauders suddenly upon them: for they have dug a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.
23: Yet, Lord, You know all their counsel against me to slay me:
forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from Your sight, but let them be overthrown before You; deal thus with them in the time of Your anger.