Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 18:3
Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
3. the potter’s house ] The likening (as in Jer 18:6) of man to the clay and God to the potter was familiar. See on Jer 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 pressing the edges of the revolving cone between his hands. As it enlarged and became thinner, he gave it whatever shape he pleased with the utmost ease and expedition.”
the wheels ] Two discs, the upper smaller than the lower, were placed on the same vertical axle, and the lower one turned by the foot. Cp. description in Sir 38:29 f.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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 it with his fingers as it revolved rapidly.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. He wrought a work on the wheels.] 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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Jeremiah yields a present and free obedience to the command of God, though he did not know Gods 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.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. wheelsliterally, “onboth stones.” The potter’s horizontal lathe consisted oftwo round plates, the lower one larger, the upper smaller; of stoneoriginally, but afterwards of wood. On the upper the potter mouldedthe clay into what shapes he pleased. They are found represented inEgyptian remains. In Ex 1:16alone is the Hebrew word found elsewhere, but in a differentsense.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole 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, from whence he might learn instruction for himself and others:
and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels; the Targum renders it “upon a seat”; or “his seats”, as Junius and Tremellius; but it signifies not the instrument on which the potter sat while he worked, but that on which he did his work. The Septuagint version renders it, “on stones” n; and R. Jonah o says, that in some countries the potter’s instrument is in the likeness of two millstones, the lowermost is the greatest, and the uppermost is the least. Or rather the word may signify “frames”, or “moulds” p, made of stone, in which the potter put his clay, and fashioned it: though I see no reason to depart from the signification of “wheels”, which are used in the potter’s work, even two of them; and so the word here is of the dual number; though one is more properly called the “wheel”, and the other the “lathe”, and are described as follows:
“The “potter’s wheel” consists principally in its nut, which is a beam or axis, whose foot or pivot plays perpendicularly on a free stone sole, or bottom; from the four corners atop of this beam, which does not exceed two feet in height, arise four iron bars, called the spokes of the wheel; which forming diagonal lines with the beam, descend, and are fastened at bottom to the edges of a strong wooden circle, four feet in diameter, perfectly like the felloes of a coach wheel; except that it hath neither axis nor radii; and is only joined to the beam, which serves it as an axis, by the iron bars. The top of the nut is flat, of a circular figure, and a foot in diameter. On this is laid a piece of the clay, or earth, to be turned and fashioned. The wheel thus disposed is encompassed with four sides of four different pieces of wood, sustained in a wooden frame: the hind piece, which is that whereon the workman sits, is made a little inclining towards the wheel: on the fore piece are placed the pieces of prepared earth: lastly, the side pieces serve the workman to rest his feet against; and are made inclining, to give him more or less room, according to the size of the vessels to be turned; by his side is a trough of water, wherewith from time to time he wets his hands, to prevent the earth sticking to them.—-The potter having prepared his clay or earth, and laid a piece of it suitable to the work he intends on the top of the beam, sits down; his thighs and legs much expanded, and his feet rested on the side pieces, as is most convenient. In this situation he turns the wheel round, till it has got the proper velocity; when, wetting his hands in the water, he bores the cavity of the vessel, continuing to widen it from the middle; and thus turns it into form, turning the wheel afresh, and wetting his hands from time to time.—-The potter’s “lathe” is also a kind of “wheel”, but simpler and slighter than the former; its three chief members are an iron beam or axis, three feet and a half high, and two inches in diameter; a little wooden wheel, all of a piece, an inch thick, and seven or eight in diameter, placed horizontally atop of the beam, and serving to form the vessel on; and another larger wooden wheel, all of a piece, three inches thick, and two or three feet broad, fastened to the same beam at the bottom, parallel to the horizon. The beam, or axis, turns by a pivot at bottom, in an iron stand. The workman gives the motion to the lathe with his feet, by pushing the great wheel alternately with each foot; still giving it a lesser or greater degree of motion, as his work requires q.”
Thus Jeremiah saw the potter work, or somewhat like this; for, no doubt, pottery, as other things, has been improved since his time.
n , Sept. “super lapide, [vel] typo”, Calvin. o Apud Kimchi Ben Melech in loc. p “Lapideos typos”, Calvin “super formas”, Montanus. q Chambers’s Cyclopaedia, in the word “Pottery”.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(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 Gods creative work in Isa. 29:16; Isa. 45:9; Isa. 64:8.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Wheels Literally, the two wheels. The potter’s lathe consisted of two frames or wheels revolving horizontally. Of these the lower was the larger, and was worked by the foot to give motion to the upper one. Upon this the potter placed his clay, and shaped it, as it rapidly revolved, with his fingers.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 18:3. On the wheels Upon the stones. This is the literal signification of al haabnaiim, which the LXX. also render . There can be no doubt that the machine is intended, on which the potters formed their earthen vessels; and the appellation, , “the stones,” will appear very proper, if we consider this machine as consisting of a pair of circular stones placed upon one another like milstones; of which the lower was immoveable, but the upper one turned upon the foot of a spindle or axis, and had motion communicated to it by the feet of the potter sitting at his work; as may be learned from Sir 38:29. Upon the top of this upper stone, which was flat, the clay was placed, which the potter, having given the stone the due velocity, formed into shape with his hands. The principal difference between this and the wheel in present use seems to be, that, instead of the upper stone, a nut or beam is used of about two feet in length, and one in diameter, the foot of which plays perpendicularly upon the nether stone. This beam serves for an axis to a circular wooden frame, like a wheel, joined to it at the lower end; and on the top of this beam, which is flat, the clay is placed, and the motion given, and the operation performed in the manner above described. It is probable that the upper stone was for convenience shaped not unlike this wheel and beam; and might not improperly have given the name of “the wheel” to the whole machine; but not of “the wheels,” as in our English version; there being but one of the stones which had the resemblance of a wheel.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Reader! Was not our nature marred by sin after it came out of the hands of our Almighty Potter? Did the Lord throw it away? No! He new made it in Christ Jesus. Oh! what numberless, sweet instructions, arise out of this view of the subject. Blessed Jesus! thou hast not only made thy people new creatures in thee; but by virtue of their union and oneness with thee, they are holier than they were before. And not only so, but from the same source they are now secure, and which as it proved, they were not before, from all possibility of any future marring. Sweet thought!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 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.] a 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.
“ Amphora coepit
Institui, currente rota, cur urceus exit? ”
– Hor. De Art. Poet.
a Officiose paret.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
I went: Jon 1:3, Joh 15:14, Act 26:19
wheels: or, frames, or seats
Reciprocal: Job 10:8 – yet thou Rom 9:21 – the potter
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 18:3. The wheels is a part of a potters machine and may be likened to the turntable of a phonograph. A lump of clay is placed on this platform which is revolving. The potter works this clay by pressing it between the fingers of both hands until it is of the shape and thickness desired. As the platform is revolving, the potter needs to work at one spot in the circle only, the circular motion having the effect of making the shape and thickness of the vessel uniform throughout its entire circuit.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
The prophet observed the potter making a vessel on his wheel. As he worked, the vessel became damaged, so he made it into a different vessel. Ancient potter’s wheels consisted of two disc-like stones with a connecting vertical axle. The potter spun the one below by kicking it with his feet, and the stone on top served as a rotating table on which he formed his art (cf. Ecc 2:18-23; Ecc 8:17; Ecc 9:10; Ecc 10:8-9; Ecc 11:6). [Note: See R. H. Johnston, "The Biblical Potter," Biblical Archaeologist 37:4 (1974):86-106.]