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Jeremiah 18:6
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Commentary
- Keil-Delitzsch
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
In Jer 18:6-10 the Lord discloses to the prophet the truth lying in the potter's treatment of the clay. The power the potter has over the clay to remould, according to his pleasure, the vessel he had formed from it if it went wrong; the same power God possesses over the people of Israel. This unlimited power of God over mankind is exercised according to man's conduct, not according to a decretum absolutum or unchangeable determination. If he pronounces a people's overthrow or ruin, and if that people turn from its wickedness, He repeals His decree (Jer 18:7.); and conversely, if He promises a people welfare and prosperity, and if that people turn away from Him to wickedness, then too He changes His resolve to do good to it (Jer 18:9.). Inasmuch as He is even now making His decree known by the mouth of the prophet, it follows that the accomplishment of Jeremiah's last utterances is conditioned by the impression God's word makes on men. רגע, adv., in the moment, forthwith, and when repeated = now...now, now...again. Ng. maintains that the arrangement here is paratactic, so that the רגע does not belong to the nearest verb, but to the main idea, i.e., to the apodosis in this case. The remark is just; but the word does not mean suddenly, but immediately, and the sense is: when I have spoken against a people, and this people repents, then immediately I let it repent me. נחם על as in Joe 2:13, etc. With "to pluck up," etc., "to build," etc., cf. Jer 1:10. "Against which I spake," Jer 18:8, belongs to "that people," and seems as if it might be dispensed with; but is not therefore spurious because the lxx have omitted it. For הרעה the Keri has הרע, the most usual form, Jer 7:30, Num 32:13; Jdg 2:11, etc.; but the Chet. is called for by the following הטּובה and מרעתו. להיטיב הטּובה, to show kindness, cf. Num 10:32. The emblematical interpretation of the potter with the clay lays a foundation for the prophecy that follows, Jer 18:11-17, in which the people are told that it is only by reason of their stiffnecked persistency in wickedness that they render threatened judgment certain, whereas by return to their God they might prevent the ruin of the kingdom.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Refuting the Jews' reliance on their external privileges as God's elect people, as if God could never cast them off. But if the potter, a mere creature, has power to throw away a marred vessel and raise up other clay from the ground, a fortiori God, the Creator, can east away the people who prove unfaithful to His election and can raise others in their stead (compare Isa 45:9; Isa 64:8; Rom 9:20-21). It is curious that the potter's field should have been the purchase made with the price of Judas' treachery (Mat 27:9-10 : a potter's vessel dashed to pieces, compare Psa 2:8-9; Rev 2:27), because of its failing to answer the maker's design, being the very image to depict God's sovereign power to give reprobates to destruction, not by caprice, but in the exercise of His righteous judgment. Matthew quotes Zechariah's words (Zac 11:12-13) as Jeremiah's because the latter (Jer. 18:1-19:15) was the source from which the former derived his summary in Zac 11:12-13 [HENGSTENBERG].
John Gill Bible Commentary
If that nation against whom I have pronounced,.... Such a sentence as this, should immediately, upon the above declaration, do as Nineveh did: turn from their evil; their evil of sin, their evil ways and works, as an evidence of the truth of their repentance for former sins: I will repent of the evil that one thought to do unto them; as they change their course of life, God will change the dispensations of his providence towards them, and not bring upon them the evil of punishment he threatened them with; in which sense repentance can only be understood of God, he doing that which is similar to what men do when they repent of anything; they stop their proceedings, and change their outward conduct; so God proceeds not to do what he threatened to do, and changes his outward behaviour to men; he wills a change, and makes one in his methods of acting, but never changes his will.
Jeremiah 18:6
The Potter and the Clay
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.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Desperation, Resignation - Part 9
By Keith Daniel1.3K09:39PSA 46:10ISA 41:10JER 18:6ROM 8:282CO 12:9PHP 4:13HEB 13:5JAS 4:71PE 5:7This sermon emphasizes the importance of viewing the Old Testament not just as history but as the Word of God meant to speak to our hearts. It highlights how every incident and warning in the Old Testament is relevant to us today, revealing the heart and mind of God. The message encourages surrender and resignation to God's will, trusting in His promises and sovereignty even in times of weakness and distress.
The Towers Have Fallen (Sept 16 2001) - Part 4
By David Wilkerson86013:592CH 7:14JER 18:6ZEC 1:3ACT 3:19JAS 4:8This sermon emphasizes the importance of repentance and turning back to God, focusing on personal accountability and the need for individuals to examine their own hearts. It calls for a deep repentance, seeking forgiveness for neglecting God and His ways, and urges a return to a close relationship with Him. The message stresses the urgency of the times and the critical need for individuals to come back to God, highlighting the opportunity for a fresh start and reconciliation through Jesus Christ.
The Potter and the Clay. (Jer. 18:1-6)
By George Whitefield2JER 18:6JHN 3:3ROM 8:29ROM 9:212CO 5:17GAL 2:20EPH 2:10PHP 1:6TIT 3:51PE 1:3George Whitefield preaches on the analogy of the potter and the clay from Jeremiah 18:1-6, emphasizing God's sovereignty and transformative power over His people. He illustrates how God can reshape and renew individuals, just as a potter molds clay, highlighting the need for a spiritual rebirth and sanctification through the Holy Spirit. Whitefield urges the congregation to recognize their fallen nature and the necessity of being transformed by God to inherit eternal life, emphasizing the importance of repentance, faith, and experiencing the new birth in Christ.
Clay in the Potter's Hand
By G. Campbell Morgan0Sovereignty Of GodSubmission to God's WillPSA 139:14PRO 3:5ISA 64:8JER 18:6MAT 6:25ROM 9:212CO 4:7EPH 2:10PHP 2:131JN 4:19G. Campbell Morgan emphasizes the profound truth of God's sovereignty over our lives, likening us to clay in the potter's hand, as stated in Jeremiah 18:6. He explains that just as clay yields to the potter's will, we must acknowledge our weakness and submit to God's divine purpose, trusting in His love and wisdom. Morgan highlights that God's governance is rooted in love, and our understanding of His kingship leads to a deeper relationship with Him. He encourages believers to embrace God's will without resistance, recognizing that even through trials, God is shaping us for our good. Ultimately, the sermon calls for a complete surrender to God's will, affirming that true blessing comes from yielding to the Potter's hands.
The People Shall Be [A Freewill Offering]
By A.B. Simpson0Surrender to GodConsecrationSNG 6:3JER 18:6MAT 11:28JHN 15:5ROM 12:12CO 5:17GAL 2:20EPH 2:10PHP 1:61PE 2:9A.B. Simpson emphasizes the concept of consecration as a voluntary offering of oneself to God, motivated by love and faith. He illustrates that true surrender is not a loss but a safe embrace into the arms of a loving Father, leading to an infinite inheritance. Simpson likens this surrender to clay yielding to the potter, allowing God to shape us into vessels of honor. He encourages believers to trust in God's wisdom and love, which will transform them into what they aspire to be. Ultimately, he portrays surrender as a privilege that leads to a rich and fulfilling life in Christ.
You Have Missed It
By F.B. Meyer0TransformationSurrenderJER 18:6MAT 11:28ROM 12:1PHP 2:13F.B. Meyer emphasizes the necessity of yielding oneself completely to Christ in order to experience true fulfillment and transformation. He shares his personal journey of surrender, illustrating that while the initial step may be daunting, it leads to a life of beauty and happiness under God's guidance. Meyer encourages believers to confront their fears of total surrender, reminding them that God desires to remove harmful elements from their lives and replace them with blessings. He highlights the importance of prayer and seeking God in solitude, as many have found their breakthrough moments away from the crowd. Ultimately, Meyer calls for a willingness to be made willing, trusting in God's goodness and love.
Holiness Is a Life of Usefulness
By G. Campbell Morgan0Trust in GodHolinessEXO 33:13PSA 25:14ISA 52:11JER 18:6MAT 5:8ROM 12:12CO 6:172TI 2:21HEB 11:61PE 2:9G. Campbell Morgan emphasizes that God's unchanging purpose is fulfilled through His people, which is made possible by holiness of character. He stresses that only cleansed vessels can be used by God, urging believers to separate themselves from unclean things to become instruments of His will. Trust in God is paramount, as our confidence in Him reflects His confidence in us, and true trust manifests in a life of obedience. Morgan highlights that those who have received God's secrets are often those who have suffered for their faith, and through their trials, they contribute to the advancement of God's Kingdom. Ultimately, a life of holiness and usefulness is marked by a deep trust in God and a willingness to be shaped by Him.
No Second Best
By K.P. Yohannan0Divine CraftsmanshipTransformationPSA 139:14ISA 43:1ISA 64:8JER 18:6ROM 9:212CO 5:17EPH 2:10PHP 1:62TI 2:211PE 2:9K.P. Yohannan shares a powerful message about God's transformative work in our lives, likening it to a potter shaping clay. He emphasizes that, like the clay, we often become marred and flawed, yet God, the master potter, is never discouraged and can remold us into something beautiful. The sermon draws from Jeremiah 18, illustrating that despite our mistakes, God offers hope and the opportunity for renewal. Yohannan encourages us to trust in God's process, even when it involves pain and struggle, as He skillfully shapes us for His purpose. Ultimately, the message is one of resilience and divine craftsmanship in our spiritual journey.
- Keil-Delitzsch
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
In Jer 18:6-10 the Lord discloses to the prophet the truth lying in the potter's treatment of the clay. The power the potter has over the clay to remould, according to his pleasure, the vessel he had formed from it if it went wrong; the same power God possesses over the people of Israel. This unlimited power of God over mankind is exercised according to man's conduct, not according to a decretum absolutum or unchangeable determination. If he pronounces a people's overthrow or ruin, and if that people turn from its wickedness, He repeals His decree (Jer 18:7.); and conversely, if He promises a people welfare and prosperity, and if that people turn away from Him to wickedness, then too He changes His resolve to do good to it (Jer 18:9.). Inasmuch as He is even now making His decree known by the mouth of the prophet, it follows that the accomplishment of Jeremiah's last utterances is conditioned by the impression God's word makes on men. רגע, adv., in the moment, forthwith, and when repeated = now...now, now...again. Ng. maintains that the arrangement here is paratactic, so that the רגע does not belong to the nearest verb, but to the main idea, i.e., to the apodosis in this case. The remark is just; but the word does not mean suddenly, but immediately, and the sense is: when I have spoken against a people, and this people repents, then immediately I let it repent me. נחם על as in Joe 2:13, etc. With "to pluck up," etc., "to build," etc., cf. Jer 1:10. "Against which I spake," Jer 18:8, belongs to "that people," and seems as if it might be dispensed with; but is not therefore spurious because the lxx have omitted it. For הרעה the Keri has הרע, the most usual form, Jer 7:30, Num 32:13; Jdg 2:11, etc.; but the Chet. is called for by the following הטּובה and מרעתו. להיטיב הטּובה, to show kindness, cf. Num 10:32. The emblematical interpretation of the potter with the clay lays a foundation for the prophecy that follows, Jer 18:11-17, in which the people are told that it is only by reason of their stiffnecked persistency in wickedness that they render threatened judgment certain, whereas by return to their God they might prevent the ruin of the kingdom.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Refuting the Jews' reliance on their external privileges as God's elect people, as if God could never cast them off. But if the potter, a mere creature, has power to throw away a marred vessel and raise up other clay from the ground, a fortiori God, the Creator, can east away the people who prove unfaithful to His election and can raise others in their stead (compare Isa 45:9; Isa 64:8; Rom 9:20-21). It is curious that the potter's field should have been the purchase made with the price of Judas' treachery (Mat 27:9-10 : a potter's vessel dashed to pieces, compare Psa 2:8-9; Rev 2:27), because of its failing to answer the maker's design, being the very image to depict God's sovereign power to give reprobates to destruction, not by caprice, but in the exercise of His righteous judgment. Matthew quotes Zechariah's words (Zac 11:12-13) as Jeremiah's because the latter (Jer. 18:1-19:15) was the source from which the former derived his summary in Zac 11:12-13 [HENGSTENBERG].
John Gill Bible Commentary
If that nation against whom I have pronounced,.... Such a sentence as this, should immediately, upon the above declaration, do as Nineveh did: turn from their evil; their evil of sin, their evil ways and works, as an evidence of the truth of their repentance for former sins: I will repent of the evil that one thought to do unto them; as they change their course of life, God will change the dispensations of his providence towards them, and not bring upon them the evil of punishment he threatened them with; in which sense repentance can only be understood of God, he doing that which is similar to what men do when they repent of anything; they stop their proceedings, and change their outward conduct; so God proceeds not to do what he threatened to do, and changes his outward behaviour to men; he wills a change, and makes one in his methods of acting, but never changes his will.