Pottery was in common use for both household and ceremonial utensils, though for sacred use precious metals were often preferred. Broken pottery symbolises worthlessness and judgment. The potter formed clay with his hands on a wheel which he turned with his feet. The descriptions of God as a potter and of his people as clay emphasise God's sovereignty and also his concern for what he has made.
Potters in Scripture
Examples of potters
Jeremiah 18:2 See also 1 Chronicles 4:23; Jeremiah 19:1; Zechariah 11:13 Potters may have been associated with the temple, possibly because of the continuing need for new vessels to be used in religious ceremonies; Matthew 27:7
“Go down at once to the potter’s house, and there I will give you My message.”
Description of the potter's work
Proverbs 26:23; Jeremiah 18:3–4
God depicted as a potter
God's authority over what he has made
Jeremiah 18:6 See also Isaiah 29:16, Isaiah 45:9–10; Romans 9:20–21
“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.
God's concern for what he has made
Isaiah 64:8–9 See also Genesis 2:7–8 “Formed” commonly describes the action of the potter. God “formed” both individuals and the nation; Job 10:8–9; Psalm 103:14, Psalm 119:73; Isaiah 43:1
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand. Do not be angry, O LORD, beyond measure; do not remember our iniquity forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray; we are all Your people!
Broken pottery
Contaminated pottery to be broken
Leviticus 11:33–35, Leviticus 15:12
Broken pottery as a symbol of judgment
Jeremiah 19:10–11 See also Psalm 2:9; Revelation 2:27; Isaiah 30:14; Jeremiah 25:34, Jeremiah 48:12
Then you are to shatter the jar in the presence of the men who accompany you, and you are to proclaim to them that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: I will shatter this nation and this city, like one shatters a potter’s jar that can never again be repaired. They will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room to bury them.
Broken pottery as a symbol of worthlessness
Psalm 31:12 See also Jeremiah 22:28, Jeremiah 19:2 The Potsherd Gate was so called because it overlooked the dump for broken pottery.
I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind. I am like a broken vessel.
Pottery of little value
Lamentations 4:2 See also Psalm 60:8 parallel Psalm 108:92 Corinthians 4:7 Valuables were often concealed in apparently worthless clay jars which did not attract attention.
How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in pure gold, are now esteemed as jars of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!
Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.
Examples of items of pottery
See also 2 Samuel 17:28; 2 Timothy 2:20
Cooking pots
Judges 6:19; 1 Samuel 2:14; 2 Kings 4:38–41; Job 41:20; Micah 3:3
Pitchers to carry water
Genesis 24:17–20; Judges 7:16; Mark 14:13 parallel Luke 22:10; John 4:28
Water jugs
1 Samuel 26:11–12; 1 Kings 17:10, 1 Kings 19:6
Drinking vessels
Judges 5:25; Jeremiah 35:5; Matthew 26:27–28 parallels Mark 14:23–24, Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25
Other pottery containers
1 Kings 14:3; 2 Kings 4:3–4, 2 Kings 21:13; Jeremiah 32:14 Documents could be kept intact in clay jars for many years; Matthew 26:23; John 13:5
Household lamps
Pottery used in religious rituals
Basins to hold the blood of sacrifices
Exodus 12:21–22 See also Exodus 24:6; Leviticus 14:5, Leviticus 14:50
Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and told them, “Go at once and select for yourselves a lamb for each family, and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a cluster of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin, and brush the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out the door of his house until morning.
Utensils to cook or bake offerings
Leviticus 6:28 The sin offering was cooked in a pot which was then broken. See also Leviticus 2:5 The grain offering might be baked on a clay griddle; Leviticus 6:21, Leviticus 7:9
The clay pot in which the sin offering is boiled must be broken; if it is boiled in a bronze pot, the pot must be scoured and rinsed with water.
Clay water jars
Lamps
Exodus 25:37 A clay lamp was held on each of the golden lampstand's seven branches. See also Exodus 27:21, Exodus 30:8; Leviticus 24:3–4; 1 Samuel 3:3; 1 Kings 7:49
Make seven lamps and set them up on the lampstand so that they illuminate the area in front of it.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.