Vessel

ves´el: Is used freely in English Versions of the Bible to translate כּלי, k^elı̄, the Aramaic מאן, mā’n, and σκεῦος, skeúos, words all meaning “an implement or utensil” of any kind, when the context shows that a hollow utensil is meant. In 1Sa 21:5, however, the translation of the plural of k^elı̄ by “vessels” is dubious. English Versions of the Bible evidently intended something in the nature of provision wallets, and the “holiness” of such objects finds partial parallels in Num 19:15; Lev 11:32-34, etc. But in 1Sa 21:8, in the immediate context of the verse above, k^elı̄ certainly means “weapons,” and this translation is quite intelligible in 1Sa 21:5 also. For war among the Hebrews was a holy function, calling for extreme ceremonial purity (Deu 23:9-14). See the commentaries. and especially RS2, 455-56. In addition, “vessel” appears in Isa 30:14 for נבל, nebhel, “jar”; in Mat 13:48 for ἄγγος, ággos, “vessels”; and in Sirach 21:14; Mat 25:4 for ἀγγεῖον, aggeı́on, a diminutive form of aggos. A different use is that of The Wisdom of Solomon 14:1, where “vessel” represents πλοῖον, ploı́on, “a boat,” while The Wisdom of Solomon 14:5, 6 the King James Version has “weak vessel” for σχεδία, schedı́a, “raft” (so the Revised Version (British and American)). Vessels of all sorts and kinds and for all sorts of uses were so familiar as to make them natural illustrations for different sorts of human beings (Hos 8:8; Isa 22:24; Jer 22:28, etc.; see POTTER), and through Act 9:15 the word “vessel” has passed into Christian theology as signifying simply a human being. But the figure of such “vessels” as (passively) filled with different contents is not Biblical. In 1Th 4:4 “vessel” may be taken as a figure for either the man’s own body or for his wife. Between these possibilities the commentaries are almost equally divided.

Though the drift of the passage ‘That each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honour’ (1Th_4:4) is clear, the exact meaning to be attached to ‘vessel’ (óêåῦïò) has long been a matter of dispute. Some take it to refer to the body; others interpret it as meaning ‘wife.’ The first interpretation is adopted by many early writers, and is found as far back as Tertullian (de Resurrectione Carnis, 16): ‘Caro … vas vocatur apud Apostolum, quam jubet in honore tractari.’ This meaning is adopted by Chrysostom, Theodoret, Calvin, Beza, and many others.

No objection can be raised to this sense of óêåῦïò. The term ‘vessel of the soul’ is applied to the body by classical writers, e.g. Lucretius, iii. 441: ‘corpus, quod vas quasi constitit ejus (sc. animae)’; and the passage 2Co_4:7 gives the same idea: Ἔ÷ïìåí äὲ ôὸí èçóáõñὸí ôïῦôïí ἐí ὀóôñáêßíïéò óêåýåóéí. But this interpretation forces an unnatural meaning on êôᾶóèáé, which can mean only ‘to acquire,’ not ‘to possess’ or ‘to keep.’ Chrysostom, who saw this difficulty, tried to get over it by explaining êôᾶóèáé as equivalent to ‘gain the mastery over’: ἡìåῖò áὐôὸ êôþìåèá, ὅôáí ìÝíῃ êáèáñüí êáὶ ἔóôéí ἐí ἁãéáóìῷ· ὅôáí äὲ ἀêÜèáñôïí, ἁìáñôßá. But this meaning does not fit in with ἐí ἁãéáóìῷ, etc.

The interpretation of óêåῦïò as ‘wife’ is held by Augustine: ‘ut sciret unusquisque eorum suum possidere vas, hoc est, uxorem’ (circa, about Jul. IV. x. 56). With this agree Schott, de Wette, and many German commentators, and, among English, Alford, Jowett, and Ellicott. Lightfoot seems unable to decide.

Hence neither word presents any difficulty, as êôᾶóèáé is used of marrying a wife: êáß ãå Ῥïὺè ôὴí Ìùáâåῖôéí ôὴí ãõíáῖêá Ìááëὼí êÝêôçìáé ἐìáõôῷ åἰò ãõíáῖêá (Rth_4:10 Septuagint ); ὁ êôþìåíïò ãõíáῖêá ἐíÜñ÷åôáé êôÞóåùò (Sir 36:29).

The sense of the passage, then, will be that men should avoid fornication, and that, if a man cannot exercise continence, he should marry. The same thought occurs in 1Co_7:2 : äéὰ äὲ ôὰò ðïñíåßáò ἕêáóôïò ôὴí ἑáõôïῦ ãõíáῖêá ἐ÷Ýôù. The objection which has been raised, that the injunction would thus be made to apply to men only, is not serious, for, as is often the case, the corresponding obligation on the part of the woman is implied. Lightfoot considers it a more serious objection that by using such an expression as óêåῦïò êôᾶóèáé the Apostle would seem to be lowering himself to the sensual view of the marriage relation, and adopting the depreciatory estimate of the woman’s position which prevailed among both Jews and heathen at the time, whereas it is his constant effort to exalt both the one and the other. But is it the fact that the term óêåῦïò was necessarily depreciatory?

On the whole, the second interpretation seems to harmonize the better with the context and to avoid the difficulty of a strained interpretation of êôᾶóèáé, but it must not be overlooked that many names of weight are in favour of the first.

Morley Stevenson.

Psa 31:12 (a) It is used by David to describe his feelings of weakness and unfitness for the great position he occupied as a leader of GOD’s people.

Pro 25:4 (b) GOD will remove evil things from our lives in order to make us fit for the Master’s use.

Isa 66:20 (a) The teaching is that Israel will again become the repository of GOD’s truth.

Jer 18:4 (a) Israel has been marred by sinful practices, and individuals have suffered in the same way. GOD would like to make each of His children a vessel meet for His purposes and use, but wicked ways and sinful practices hinder. (See also Jer 22:28). (See also Rom 9:22-23).

Jer 48:11 (a) Moab had one success after another and had not been defeated nor suffered from other calamities. For this reason he became full of pride and self-sufficiency. The vessels evidently represent troubles of different kinds. Moab had experienced none of them.

Jer 51:34 (a) This king had taken away the wealth of Israel and ruined the crops. Israel is the vessel mentioned in the passage.

Hos 8:8 (a) It describes the failure of Israel to be a receptacle for GOD’s glory and GOD’s Word.

Hos 13:15 (b) These vessels represent the excellent qualities of the leaders of Israel which GOD would take away and destroy.

Mat 13:48 (c) This probably is descriptive of Heaven and the various mansions into which GOD’s people will be gathered when they go to be with the Lord.

Mat 25:4. (b) It may mean that these wise virgins were really in touch with Heaven, and all of GOD’s supply of the Spirit. The other five had simply been worked upon by the Spirit, whereby certain good results had been obtained, but not that complete act of linking them with Heaven and GOD, called the "new birth."

Luk 8:16 (a) No real Christian will hide his light, nor smother his testimony under his business enterprises, nor in laziness. (See also Mat 5:15; Mar 4:21).

Act 9:15 (a) This is a beautiful type of Paul, and of any other believer into whom the Lord has put His Spirit. GOD makes the believer the receptacle for the gifts and graces of the Spirit for the use and glory of His great name. (See also 2Co 4:7).

2Ti 2:20 (a) These vessels represent people. The vessels unto honor are those in the parlor, made of gold, silver and expensive china. The vessels unto dishonor are those in the kitchen that are used for cooking and other purposes. These represent two kinds of Christians; the beautiful ones with lovely attractive lives are like the vase in the parlor and have little value to the household, and are not usually useful. Those in the kitchen attract little attention, if any, but they are of the most use to the family. It would be easier to get along without those in the parlor than those in the kitchen. The Lord is telling us that if we purge ourselves from the evils described in the first part of the chapter, then we shall be clean vessels that are fit for GOD’s use and will be beautiful in His sight.

1Pe 3:7 (a) It is emblematic of the position occupied by the wife in whom reposes precious graces which she sweetly expresses in her home to make the presence of GOD felt there.

Rev 2:27 (a) The Lord compares His destruction of the enemy to that destruction which the potter executes upon a vessel that is not made right.