“And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters’ vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit.”
And He will break it as a potter's vessel is broken, shattered so ruthlessly that among its fragments not a piece will be found with which to take fire from a hearth or to dip water from a cistern, establishing the totality and completeness of the destruction, that the judgment will leave nothing usable, not even fragments that might serve ordinary purposes. The potter's vessel imagery recalls earlier oracles about the relationship between potter and clay, suggesting complete destruction beyond any possibility of use or reconstruction. The specificity of the examples—taking fire and dipping water—emphasizes that even basic necessities will be impossible to obtain. The oracle's graphic imagery emphasizes the severity and completeness of the coming judgment. The shattering so ruthlessly suggests the violence and totality of the destruction, leaving no possibility of recovery or repair.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a note on this verse
0/2000
No notes on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!