the Week of Proper 26 / Ordinary 31
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Bible Encyclopedias
Pot
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or a term applicable to so many sorts of vessels that it can scarcely be restricted to any one in particular. (See BASIN); (See CUP), etc. But from the places where the word is used we may collect the uses, and also in part the materials of the utensils implied. This vessel, so necessary in cooking and serving up food (Numbers 11:8; Judges 6:19; 1 Samuel 2:14; 2 Kings 4:38 sq.; 2 Chronicles 35:13; Isaiah 65:4; Micah 3:3; Ezekiel 11:3; Ezekiel 24:3 sq.), derives its ordinary names from its use in boiling. It was commonly, among the Israelites, made of clay (Heb. חֹמֶר, Gr. πήλος; comp. Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 45:9; Jeremiah 18:4). But there were also brazen pots (Leviticus 8:28), especially in the sanctuary (1 Kings 7:45; 2 Kings 25:14). The trade of the potters, called יֹצְרַים (comp. Gesenius, Monumenta Phoen. p. 161) or יֹצְדֵי חֶרֶשׁ (Jeremiah 19:1), in Greek κεραμεῖς , was a separate pursuit, to whose mysteries allusions are often made (Jeremiah 18:2 sq.; Sirach 38:30; Sirach cf., 33 sq.). It was necessary first to work the clay with the feet, to make it plastic (Isaiah 41:25), and then to shape it with the hand (Jeremiah 18:4; Jeremiah 18:6; Sirach 33:13; Sirach 38:30) and the Oriental potter's wheel ( אָבְנִיַם Jeremiah 18:3; see Gesenius, Thesaur. 1, 16). The vessels were glazed (Sirach 38:31; Proverbs 26:23), and then burned in the oven (κάμινος, Sirach, 1. c.). BAhr (Symbolik, 2, 293) and Sommer (Bibl. Abhandl. 1, 213) assume, indeed, that the Hebrews were ignorant of glazing, and explain the passages (Leviticus 6:21; Leviticus 11:33; Leviticus 15:12) which command the breaking of earthen vessels made unclean by this want of glazing. There are, indeed, no pots extant from Egyptian antiquity, but earthen figures show a glazing upon them; and it would be unreasonable to suppose that the Egyptians had failed to apply the art to their vessels. There is nothing inexplicable in the command to break the defiled vessels, inasmuch as they were of little value; and any of them might easily have lost part of its glazing, and so taken in some of the unclean substance; so that breaking was the safest method of disposing of them. Such a command would also produce more care in housekeeping to avoid uncleanness (comp. Descript. de l'Egypte, vol. 2, pl. 87 sq.; 5, pl. 75; Wilkinson, 1, 164). (See POTTERY).
The following are the words so rendered in the English Bible:
1. אָסוּךְ, asuk (Sept. ἀγγεῖον), applied to holding oil (2 Kings 4:2), probably was an earthen jar, deep and narrow, without handles, apparently like the Roman and Egyptian amphora, inserted in a stand of wood or stone (see Wilkinson, Anc. Egypt. 1, 47; Sandys, Trav, p. 150). (See PITCHER).
2. גָּבַיעִ, gabia (Sept. κεράμιον, Vulg. scyphaus, Jeremiah 35:5; elsewhere "bowl" or "cup"), probably a bulging jar or bowl for liquids. (See BOWL).
3. דּוּד , dud (Sept. κόφινος, Job 41:20; Psalms 81:6; elsewhere "basket," "caldron," "kettle"), a vessel for culinary purposes, mentioned (1 Samuel 2:14) in conjunction with "caldron" and "kettle," and so perhaps of smaller size. (See KETTLE).
4. חֶרֶשׂ, cheres ("potsherd," Job 2:8; Psalms 22:15; Proverbs 26:23; Isaiah 45:9; elsewhere "earthen," etc.), an earthen vessel for stewing or seething. Such a vessel was used for baking (Ezekiel 4:9). It is contrasted in the same passage (Leviticus 6:28) with a metal vessel for the same purpose. (See POTSHERD).
5. כְּלַי , keli (Sept. σκεῦος, Leviticus 6:28), a vessel of any kind (as usually elsewhere rendered). (See VESSEL).
6. כַּיר , kir (only once and in the dual, Leviticus 11:35, "ranges for pots"). (See RANGE).
7. סַיר , sir (Sept. λέβης, Vulg. olla, the most usual and appropriate word, Exodus 38:3; 2 Kings 4:38-41; 2 Kings 25:14; 2 Chronicles 4:11; 2 Chronicles 4:16; 2 Chronicles 35:13; Job 41:31; Psalms 58:9; Ecclesiastes 7:6; Jeremiah 1:13; Ezekiel 24:3; Ezekiel 24:6; Micah 3:3; Zechariah 14:10; Zechariah 14:21). It is also used, combined with other words. to denote special uses, as with נָפוּחִ (Jeremiah 1:13), "a seething-pot;" with בָּשָׂר . "flesh" (Exodus 16:3);
רָחִוֹ, "washing" (Psalms 60:8) מִצְרֵ, "fining-pot" (Proverbs 27:21). The blackness which such vessels would contract is alluded to in Joel 2:6. (See CALDRON).
8. פָּרוּר, parir (Sept. χαλκεῖον, Vulg. cacabus, Judges 6:19; 1 Samuel 2:14; "pan," Numbers 11:8), apparently an open flat vessel. (See PAN).
9. צַנְצֶנֶת, tsintse'neth (Sept. σταμνός, Vulg. vas, Exodus 16:33), a covered vessel for preserving things (comp. Hebrews 9:4). (See MANNA).
10. שְׁפִתִּיַם , shephatta'yim (Sept. κλῆρος, Psalms 68:13; "hooks," Ezekiel 40:43), opposite rows, as of sheepfolds.
11. ξέστης (Mark 7:4; Mark 7:8), properly a sextarius or sixteenth part of the uiedius or "bushel," =nearly one pint English; hence a cup generally. (See MEASURE).
12. στάμνος (Hebrews 9:4), an earthen jug or jar, = No. 9 above.
13. ὑδρία (John 2:6-7; John 4:28), a "water-pot" for any liquid. The water- pots of Cana appear to have been large amphorae, such as are in use at the present day in Syria (Fisher, Views, p. 56; Jolliffe, 1, 33). These were of stone or hard earthenware; but gold, silver, brass, or copper was also used for vessels both for domestic and also, with marked preference, for ritual use (1 Kings 7:45; 1 Kings 10:21; 2 Chronicles 4:16; 2 Chronicles 9:20; Mark 7:4; Michaelis, Laws of Moses, § 217, 3, 335, ed. Smith). The water-pot of the Samaritan woman may have been a leathern bucket, such as Bedawin women use (Burckhardt, Notes, 1, 45). (See WATER-POT).
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