Lexical Summary stamnos: Jar, pot Original Word: στάμνος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance jar, potFrom the base of histemi (as stationary); a jar or earthen tank -- pot. see GREEK histemi NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as histémi Definition an earthen jar (for racking off wine) NASB Translation jar (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4713: στάμνοςστάμνος, σταμνου (ὁ) ἡ (from ἵστημι (cf. Curtius, § 216)), among the Greeks an earthen jar, into which wine was drawn off for keeping (a process called κατασταμνίζειν), but also used for other purposes. The Sept. employ it in Exodus 16:33 as the rendering of the Hebrew צִנְצֶנֶת, that little jar (or pot) in which the manna was kept, laid up in the ark of the covenant; hence, in Hebrews 9:4, and Philo de congr. erud. grat. § 18. Cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 400; (Winer's Grammar, 23). STRONGS NT 4713a: στασιαστήςστασιαστής, στασιαστου, ὁ (στασιάζω), the author of or a participant in an insurrection: Mark 15:7 L T Tr WH ((Diodorus from 10, 11, 1, p. 171, 6 Dindorf; Dionysius Halicarnassus, ii. 1199); Josephus, Antiquities 14, 1, 3; Ptolemy). The earlier Greeks used στασιώτης (Moeris, under the word). Strong’s Greek 4713 (stamnos) designates a storage jar or pot. In the Greek New Testament it appears once, in Hebrews 9:4, where the writer recalls “the gold jar holding the manna” that was placed inside the Ark of the Covenant. Although the term itself is rare in the New Testament, it is familiar from the Septuagint’s description of the jar in which Moses preserved an omer of manna (Exodus 16:33 LXX). Old Testament Background Exodus 16:32-34 records the divine command: “‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness…’ So Aaron placed it before the Testimony to be preserved”. Numbers 17:10 later adds Aaron’s budding staff to the same sacred space. Initially, therefore, three memorials rested before or within the Ark: the stone tablets of the covenant, Aaron’s rod, and the stamnos of manna. By Solomon’s day only the tablets remained (1 Kings 8:9; 2 Chronicles 5:10), suggesting that the jar had either been removed in accordance with divine purpose or lost during Israel’s turbulent history. Symbolism and Typological Significance Provision. The contents of the stamnos testified to God’s daily sustenance of Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 16:35). Preserved “for the generations to come,” the manna within a golden vessel proclaimed the unchanging faithfulness of the LORD. Incarnation and Atonement. The jar sat beneath the atonement cover, overshadowed by the cherubim—an arrangement that later writers saw as prefiguring the incarnate Christ, the “bread of God… who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:33). The gold container spoke of glory; the manna inside spoke of grace. Perpetuity of the Word. Like the tablets of stone, the jar witnessed to the enduring reliability of divine revelation. As bread sustained the body, so every word from God sustains the soul (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4). Hidden Manna. Jesus promises the overcomer “the hidden manna” (Revelation 2:17). The Ark’s concealed stamnos supplies the background for this promise, linking eternal fellowship with Christ to the ancient provision in the wilderness. Liturgical and Apostolic Reflection The writer of Hebrews cites the jar while contrasting earthly and heavenly sanctuaries (Hebrews 9:1-5). By locating the stamnos in a discussion about Christ’s high-priestly ministry, he anchors Christian worship in the continuity of divine revelation: what was foreshadowed in gold is fulfilled in glory. The single mention in Hebrews thus serves as both historical reminder and theological hinge, moving the reader from Mosaic typology to Messianic reality. Doctrinal and Pastoral Applications 1. Assurance of Providence: Just as God preserved manna for Israel, He preserves His people today (Philippians 4:19). Related Biblical Imagery • Vessels of honor (2 Timothy 2:21) Each image reinforces the principle that God places heavenly realities within earthly containers so that His glory may be recognized. Summary Although Strong’s 4713 occurs only once in the Greek New Testament, the stamnos of manna stands as a multi-layered witness: historically, to God’s provision in the Exodus; ceremonially, to Israel’s covenant worship; typologically, to the person and work of Christ; and pastorally, to the believer’s ongoing reliance on the living Bread from heaven. |
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