Jeremiah 13:6 kjv
And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there.
Jeremiah 13:6 nkjv
Now it came to pass after many days that the LORD said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the sash which I commanded you to hide there."
Jeremiah 13:6 niv
Many days later the LORD said to me, "Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there."
Jeremiah 13:6 esv
And after many days the LORD said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there."
Jeremiah 13:6 nlt
A long time afterward the LORD said to me, "Go back to the Euphrates and get the loincloth I told you to hide there."
Jeremiah 13 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 18:6 | "Can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel." | Directly analogous to the potter's actions and Israel's condition. |
| Isaiah 64:8 | "But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand." | Emphasizes God's role as Creator and the dependence of humanity. |
| Romans 9:20-21 | "But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, 'Why have you made me like this?' Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?" | Jesus quoting Isaiah to affirm God's sovereignty in choosing recipients of His mercy. |
| Job 10:9 | "Remember that you fashioned me like clay; and will you then turn me back to dust?" | Job questions God's dealings but acknowledges His creative power. |
| Psalm 2:9 | "You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." | Prophetic of judgment upon rebellious nations, likening them to fragile pottery. |
| Isaiah 45:9 | "Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or, ‘It has no hands’?" | Condemnation of those who question God's divine authority and plan. |
| Jeremiah 19:1 | "Thus says the Lord, 'Go, buy a potter's earthenware jar, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests.'" | Direct command in the context of a judgment prophecy that parallels this experience. |
| 1 Samuel 15:22 | "And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.'" | Connects disobedience to the spiritual condition of the "clay." |
| John 11:4 | "When Jesus heard this, he said, 'This sickness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.'" | God's permissive will allowing difficult situations for a greater divine purpose. |
| 2 Timothy 2:20-21 | "But in a large house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and earthenware, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable use. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart, sanctified, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work." | Elaborates on different types of vessels and the human responsibility in becoming useful. |
| Romans 11:33-36 | "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 'For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?' 'For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen.'" | Reflects on God’s unfathomable wisdom and sovereignty in His dealings with creation. |
| Isaiah 29:16 | "You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, 'He did not make me'; or that the thing formed should say of him who formed it, 'He has no understanding'?" | Highlights the folly of questioning the Creator. |
| Matthew 19:4-6 | "He answered, 'Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?' So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." | Jesus references the Creator's design and authority over human relationships. |
| Acts 17:28-29 | "for 'in him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we are indeed his offspring.' Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the nature of God is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man." | Underscores humanity's complete dependence on God for existence and essence. |
| Ecclesiastes 11:5 | "As you do not know the way of the wind, or how the bones are formed in the womb of a pregnant woman, so you do not know the working of God who makes everything." | Further illustrates the mystery of God's workings. |
| Isaiah 41:14 | "Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel." | God identifies Himself as the Redeemer even of the weakest, a people treated as insignificant like clay. |
| Jeremiah 1:12 | "Then the Lord said to me, 'You have seen well, for I am watchful to perform my word.'" | Confirms God's commitment to His prophetic pronouncements. |
| Revelation 4:11 | "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." | Ascribes ultimate worthiness and creative power to God. |
| Jeremiah 18:7-10 | "If at any time I speak concerning a nation or a kingdom, to build and to plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not obeying my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. Now, therefore, speak to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Turn back, each from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.' But they say, 'It is no use! We will follow our own plans, and each will do as his stubborn evil will.'" | Directly explains the potter analogy concerning nations' accountability and God's response to repentance or persistence in sin. |
Jeremiah 13 verses
Jeremiah 13 6 Meaning
Jeremiah is instructed to go down to the potter's house, where he will receive a divine message. This experience serves as a living parable illustrating God's sovereignty and His right to mold, shape, and repurpose His creation, just as a potter works with clay. If the clay resists or is flawed, the potter can rework it into something else, signifying God's ability to deal with His people similarly when they prove disobedient or corrupted.
Jeremiah 13 6 Context
This chapter (Jeremiah 18) depicts God directing Jeremiah to visit a potter's workshop to witness a demonstration of His sovereign power over His creation. This visit occurs during a period when the nation of Judah is facing impending judgment due to their persistent idolatry and disobedience. The potter's work with the clay, reshaping a marred vessel, serves as a powerful metaphor for God's dealings with Israel. Just as the potter has the absolute right to decide the fate of his clay, God, as the Creator of Israel, has the prerogative to judge, discipline, or restore them according to His divine will and their response to His Word. This message is a stark reminder of their accountability and the consequences of turning away from God.
Jeremiah 13 6 Word Analysis
- "Go" (Hebrew: לך, leḵ): An imperative command, emphasizing immediate action and obedience to the divine directive. It sets the stage for a participatory experience of prophecy.
- "Down" (Hebrew: רדה, reḏe ā): Implies descending to a place, often a lower or a more grounded location, here to the "potter's house." It suggests a movement towards a more tangible illustration of God's power.
- "Potter's house" (Hebrew: ביתה, ' $ bayit hap-pōreś): The place where clay is transformed into vessels. It is the locus of divine demonstration, representing a workshop where creation and re-creation are in process. The potter symbolizes God Himself as the Maker.
- "Behold" (Hebrew: והנה, wə-hinnē): An interjection drawing attention to something significant and observable, signaling that a crucial visual lesson is about to unfold. It commands the prophet to pay close attention.
- "I am working there" (Hebrew: ושׁם אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה, wə-šām 'ănî ‘ōśeh): God reveals His active presence and operation at the potter's house. He is not distant but is the very agent behind the shaping of the clay. This links the potter's actions directly to God's.
- "Clay" (Hebrew: חֹמֶר, ḥōme r): The raw material, representing humanity, specifically the nation of Israel, malleable yet capable of imperfection. It highlights their dependence and susceptibility to God's power.
- "Vessel" (Hebrew: כלי, kəlî): The product of the potter's labor, symbolizing individuals or the collective nation as created by God, intended for a purpose.
- "Work" (Hebrew: מְלָאכָה, məla’ḵāh): The craft or activity of making. Here it refers to God's divine activity of shaping, forming, and possibly remolding.
Word Group Analysis:
- "Go down to the potter's house": This directive places Jeremiah in a context of manual creation, allowing him to observe firsthand the power and process of a craftsman. It’s an experiential prophecy, not just a verbal one.
- "Behold, I am working there": This declaration is critical, directly identifying God as the one actively engaged in the reshaping of the clay. The potter is a representation of God's divine action and will.
Jeremiah 13 6 Bonus Section
The imagery of God as the Potter is prevalent throughout Scripture, reinforcing His role as the sovereign Creator who has the right and wisdom to mold humanity according to His will. This divine right is not arbitrary but is exercised in justice and mercy. The "molding" and "reworking" speak to both God's judgment (reshaping due to sin) and His potential for restoration (reworking after repentance or through His sovereign grace). The obedience of Jeremiah to go and observe is itself a parabolic act, demonstrating the prophet's willingness to submit to God's instructive methods.
Jeremiah 13 6 Commentary
Jeremiah is called to witness a tangible demonstration of God’s absolute sovereignty over His creation. The potter, in shaping his clay, whether making a new vessel or reworking a marred one, has complete authority. This parallels God's authority over Israel. As the Creator, God has the right to shape, discipline, and even remake His people. The lesson is a profound reminder that God's plans are not thwarted by human imperfection or failure; He can use even marred humanity for His purposes or judge them for their persistent disobedience, much like a potter might repurpose or discard flawed clay. This visit foreshadows the judgment and potential restoration for Judah, emphasizing God's prerogative in dealing with the sin and repentance of nations and individuals alike.