Potter

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

Potter —‘The Potter’s Field’ was the name of the property in the purchase of which the chief priests spent the thirty pieces of silver returned by Judas, and which they proposed to use as a burial-place for strangers ( Matthew 27:7).  Matthew 27:8 states that this spot came in consequence to be known as ‘the field of blood—that is, the field bought with the price of blood; but a different reason for that name is given in  Acts 1:18-19, where Judas himself purchases the field, and commits suicide in it. The ‘field of blood,’ or Akeldama (חֲקֵלדְּמָא), is generally identified with a spot in which there are numerous tombs, and where also clay is found, lying to the south of Jerusalem, in the valley of Hinnom, not far from the point where it joins the valley of the Kidron (Baedeker, p. 103). St. Matthew believes that this incident of the purchase of the field happened in fulfilment of  Zechariah 11:12-13; which he reads as a prediction, and ascribes to Jeremiah. This may be a mere slip due to the mention in the Book of Jeremiah of the potter’s house ( Jeremiah 18:2) and the Potsherd Gate ( Jeremiah 19:2), just as in  Jeremiah 27:1 Jehoiakim is a slip for Zedekiah . Or, as Mede (d. 1638) supposed, Jeremiah may actually have been the author of these chapters. It is agreed that they are not by Zechariah. Although, however, there is no doubt that St. Matthew has this passage in his mind, his citation of it is quite free, and diverges largely from the Hebrew, and even more from the Greek, in which v. 13 becomes an injunction to throw the silver into the smelting-pit (χωνεντήριον, thus reading some derivative of יָצַק or of צָרַף) in order to prove whether it were genuine. Neither does the Targum come any nearer to the text of Matthew. The Syr. [Note: Syriac.] of Zech. instead of ‘potter’ (יוצר) reads ‘treasury’ (אוצר), which is generally accepted as correct.

Literature.—Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible, artt. ‘Potter,’ ‘Akeldama’; Edersheim, LT [Note: T Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah [Edersheim].] ii. 575 f. The difficulties of  Matthew 27:7-10 are discussed with especial fulness in the Comm . of Meyer and Morison.

T. H. Weir.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

A — 1: Κεραμεύς (Strong'S #2763 — Noun Masculine — kerameus — ker-am-yooce' )

"a potter" (from kerannumi, "to mix," akin to keramos, "potter's clay"), is used (a) in connection with the "potter's field,"  Matthew 27:7,10; (b) illustratively of the "potter's" right over the clay,  Romans 9:21 , where the introductory "or" suggests the alternatives that either there must be a recognition of the absolute discretion and power of God, or a denial that the "potter" has power over the clay. There is no suggestion of the creation of sinful beings, or of the creation of any simply in order to punish them. What the passage sets forth is God's right to deal with sinful beings according to His own counsel.

B — 1: Κεραμικός (Strong'S #2764 — Adjective — keramikos — ker-am-ik-os' )

denotes "of (or made by) a potter" (Eng., "ceramic"), "earthen,"  Revelation 2:27 .

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A maker of earthenware,  Genesis 24:14-15;  Judges 7:16,19;  Psalm 2:9 . Ancient Egyptian paintings represent the potter turning and shaping, on his small and simple wheel made to revolve rapidly by the foot, the lump of clay, which he had previously kneaded with his feet. A pan of water stands by his side, with which he kept the clay moist. After the body of the vessel was worked into shape and beauty, the handle was affixed to it, devices traced upon it, and after drying a little, it was carefully taken to the oven and baked. The potter's control over the clay illustrates the sovereignty of God, who made us of clay, and forms and disposes of us as he deems good: "O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, saith the Lord,"  Jeremiah 18:1-6 . "Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?"  Romans 9:20-21 .

Morrish Bible Dictionary

Of the potter scripture says he treadeth the clay to make it pliable,  Isaiah 41:25; and he forms his vessel on a wheel.  Jeremiah 18:3 . Much of the ordinary pottery in the East is made in a very simple way: the workman turns the wheel with his feet, and with his hands he forms the vessel as it pleases him. This common pottery of the East is very fragile, and as such is often alluded to in scripture. The Lord Jesus will subdue all His enemies: will dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.  Psalm 2:9 ,  Isaiah 30:14;  Revelation 2:27 .

The potter making his vessels as it pleases him, is a beautiful illustration of the power of God as Creator, and is applied to Israel: "as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel."  Jeremiah 18:2-6 . It also illustrates God's sovereignty: "Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?" The potter has full power over the clay.  Romans 9:20,21 .

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( n.) One who pots meats or other eatables.

(2): ( v. i.) To busy one's self with trifles; to labor with little purpose, energy, of effect; to trifle; to pother.

(3): ( v. i.) To walk lazily or idly; to saunter.

(4): ( n.) One whose occupation is to make earthen vessels.

(5): ( n.) The red-bellied terrapin. See Terrapin.

(6): ( v. t.) To poke; to push; also, to disturb; to confuse; to bother.

(7): ( n.) One who hawks crockery or earthenware.

Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types

 Psalm 2:9 (b) This type represents GOD in His terrible fury breaking the nations of the earth because they have no value to Him, and are an offense to Him. (See also  Isaiah 30:14;  Jeremiah 19:11;  Revelation 2:27).

 Lamentations 4:2 (a) Those in Israel who should have been as wonderful golden vessels are classed as men of common clay because they had forsaken GOD, and lived in wickedness.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

Frequent mention is made of the potter in Scripture,  Jeremiah 18:3; Sir_38:29-30 . Homer says, that the potter turns his wheel with his hands. But at the present day, the wheel on which the work is formed is turned by another.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Potter,  Jeremiah 18:2;  Lamentations 4:2, and pottery are frequently alluded to in Scripture, showing that the art was known at an early period.

King James Dictionary

POT'TER, n. form pot. One whose occupation is to make earthen vessels.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Fig. 295—Modern Egyptian Potter

The potter, and the produce of his labors, are often alluded to in the Scriptures. The fragility of his wares, and the ease with which they are destroyed, supply apt emblems of the facility with which human life and power may be broken and destroyed. It is in this figurative use that the potter's vessels are most frequently noticed in Scripture . In one place, the power of the potter to form with his clay, by the impulse of his will and hand, vessels either for honorable or for mean uses, is employed with great force by the apostle to illustrate the absolute power of God in molding the destinies of men according to His pleasure . The first distinct mention of earthenware vessels is in the case of the pitchers in which Gideon's men concealed their lamps, and which they broke in pieces when they withdrew their lamps from them . Pitchers and bottles are indeed mentioned earlier; but the 'bottle' which contained Hagar's water was undoubtedly of skin; and although Rebekah's pitcher was possibly of earthenware , we cannot be certain that it was so.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

Bibliography Information McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Potter'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/p/potter.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.