Jeremiah 18:6

6 House of Israel, can't I deal with you like this potter, declares the LORD? Like clay in the potter's hand, so are you in mine, house of Israel!

Jeremiah 18:6 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 18:6

O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith
the Lord
Make, and mar, and remake at pleasure? certainly he could. God is a sovereign Being, and has a sovereign and uncontrollable power over his creatures; he has an indisputable right unto them, and can dispose of them as he pleases; he has as good a right to them, and as great power over them, as the potter has to and over his clay, and a better and greater; since they are made by him, and have their all from him, their being, life, and motion; whereas the clay is not made by the potter; it is only the vessel that is made of the clay by him, which has its form from him; if therefore the potter has such power over the clay, which he did not make, as to cast it into another forth as it pleases him, and especially when marred; the Lord has an undoubted power over men, and a just right to change their, state and circumstances as he pleases; nor have they any reason to complain of him, especially when they have marred themselves by their own sins and transgressions; which was the present case of the house of Israel, or the Jews; see ( Isaiah 29:16 ) ( 45:9 ) ( Romans 9:20 Romans 9:21 ) ; behold, as the clay [is] in the potter's hand;
and he can form and fashion it as he pleases, and it is not in the power of the clay to resist and hinder him: so [are] ye in mine hand, O house of Israel;
and I can dispose of you as I please, and put you in what circumstances it seems good unto me, drive you from your land, and scatter you among the nations; nor can you hinder me from doing this, or whatever else is my pleasure. And this his sovereign power and pleasure, and as exercised in a way of mercy and equity, are exemplified in the following cases.

Jeremiah 18:6 In-Context

4 But the piece he was making was flawed while still in his hands, so the potter started on another, as seemed best to him.

5 Then the LORD's word came to me:

6 House of Israel, can't I deal with you like this potter, declares the LORD? Like clay in the potter's hand, so are you in mine, house of Israel!

7 At any time I may announce that I will dig up, pull down, and destroy a nation or kingdom;

8 but if that nation I warned turns from its evil, then I'll relent and not carry out the harm I intended for it.