Potsherds, fragments of broken pottery, are mentioned several times in the Bible, often symbolizing destruction, humility, or suffering. In the ancient Near East, pottery was a common household item, and its fragments, or potsherds, were readily available and often used for various practical purposes, such as scraping or writing.

Symbolism and Usage in Scripture

1. Symbol of Destruction and Judgment: Potsherds are frequently used in the Bible to symbolize destruction and the fragility of human life. In Isaiah 30:14 , the prophet describes the breaking of a potter's jar as a metaphor for the shattering of a nation: "It will break in pieces like pottery, shattered so that no fragment can be found among the pieces to take coals from a hearth or scoop water from a cistern." This imagery underscores the completeness of the destruction and the inability to salvage anything useful from the broken pieces.

2. Expression of Suffering and Humility: In the Book of Job, potsherds are associated with suffering and humility. Job, in his affliction, uses a potsherd to scrape his sores, as described in Job 2:8 : "And Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he sat among the ashes." This act reflects Job's profound physical and emotional suffering, as well as his humble acceptance of his condition.

3. Metaphor for Human Frailty: The fragility of potsherds is often used metaphorically to describe human frailty and the transient nature of life. In Psalm 22:15 , the psalmist laments, "My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; You lay me in the dust of death." Here, the potsherd symbolizes the psalmist's weakened state and vulnerability.

4. Illustration of Divine Sovereignty: The imagery of the potter and the clay, which includes the concept of potsherds, is used to illustrate God's sovereignty over creation. In Isaiah 45:9 , the prophet warns against questioning God's purposes: "Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker—one clay pot among many. Does the clay say to the potter, 'What are you making?' Does your work say, 'He has no hands'?" This passage emphasizes the Creator's authority and the futility of human resistance.

Cultural and Archaeological Context

In the ancient world, pottery was an essential part of daily life, used for storage, cooking, and serving. The abundance of potsherds in archaeological sites provides valuable insights into the daily lives and cultures of biblical peoples. These fragments often bear inscriptions or markings, offering clues about language, trade, and social practices.

Theological Implications

The biblical use of potsherds serves as a powerful reminder of human mortality and the need for humility before God. It calls believers to recognize their dependence on the Creator and to trust in His sovereign will, even amidst suffering and brokenness. The imagery of potsherds invites reflection on the themes of judgment, redemption, and the hope of restoration through God's grace.Potsherds

Broken pieces of earthenware, Job 2:8 Isaiah 30:14, fit types of the worthlessness and fragility of man, Psalm 22:15 Proverbs 26:23 Isaiah 45:9. The ruins of many of the most ancient cities in the world show little but such fragments of pottery covering the ground; it is usually coarse in grain, but well glazed. Such fragments are used by the poor in various ways, if not utterly broken in to bits, Isaiah 30:14. At this day it is common to find pieces of broken jars at eastern wells and pools, to drink from and to see hot embers and coals carried in them from one spot to another.

2789. cheres -- earthenware, earthen vessel, sherd, potsherd
... earthen (1), earthen vessel (1), earthenware (8), earthenware vessel (1), earthenware
vessel the vessels (1), fragments (1), potsherd (2), potsherds (1), sherd ...
/hebrew/2789.htm - 6k

What are the Clouds?
... Beloved, I always think, "let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth,"
and"as a good old friend of mine says"let them crack themselves, too ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/what are the clouds.htm

King of Kings and Lord of Lords
... In the Scriptural language, men, whether high or low, rich or poor, one with another,
are compared to worms and potsherds of the earth; but they are by nature ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 2/sermon xxxviii king of kings.htm

Thirtieth Day. Not of the World.
... have a nobler heritage to care for than the transitory glories which encircle "an
indivisible point, a fugitive atom." How can I mix with the potsherds of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macduff/the mind of jesus/thirtieth day not of the.htm

The Crowning with Thorns.
... stood the fragment of a pillar, and on it was placed a very low stool which these
cruel men maliciously covered with sharp flints and bits of broken potsherds. ...
/.../chapter xxvi the crowning with.htm

The Eternity and Unchangeableness of God.
... than in all others; but a "natural man" cannot behold it, for it is "spiritually
discerned." "Let the potsherd," saith he, "strive with the potsherds of the ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture viii the eternity and.htm

The Persecutions.
... faith. In Egypt the Christians were mangled with potsherds, and every torture
was invented that could shake their constancy. Each ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson xxv the persecutions.htm

I Know that My Redeemer Liveth
... deformed. The vessel so daintily wrought upon the potter's wheel, is cast
away upon the dunghill with the vilest potsherds. Cruel ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 9 1863/i know that my redeemer.htm

Philip and the Desposyni
... He would watch the doves settle upon some dusty heap of the village potsherds, and
then reflect the sunshine from every varying plume' as they soared upwards ...
/.../chapter lxiv philip and the.htm

The Names on Aaron's Breastplate
... Jewels were chosen to symbolise the tribes. Bits of tin, potsherds, or anything
else that one could have scratched letters upon, would have done quite as well. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the names on aarons breastplate.htm

The Song of the Redeemed
... of God, while others live and die in the love and service of sin, do not make
themselves to differ (I Corinthians 4:7) . It becomes the potsherds of the earth ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 2/sermon xlviii the song of.htm

Potsherds (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Potsherds (2 Occurrences). Job 41:30 His undersides are
like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge. ...
/p/potsherds.htm - 7k

Potsherd (6 Occurrences)
... the Revised Version (British and American) renders the word in Proverbs 26:23,
"an earthen vessel," and in Job 41:30 substitutes "sharp potsherds" for "sharp ...
/p/potsherd.htm - 9k

Pottage (7 Occurrences)

/p/pottage.htm - 9k

Stone (290 Occurrences)
... from one another by dots, and the curved forms of some of the letters (b, k, l,
margin, n) presuppose writing with ink upon papyrus, parchment or potsherds. ...
/s/stone.htm - 54k

Potter (14 Occurrences)
... broken. As a consequence the ground in the vicinity of a pottery is always
strewn with potsherds (see also separate article). The ...
/p/potter.htm - 28k

Pottery (11 Occurrences)
... broken. As a consequence the ground in the vicinity of a pottery is always
strewn with potsherds (see also separate article). The ...
/p/pottery.htm - 27k

Undersides (1 Occurrence)
... Undersides (1 Occurrence). Job 41:30 His undersides are like sharp potsherds,
leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge. (WEB NIV). ...
/u/undersides.htm - 6k

Underparts (1 Occurrence)
... Underparts (1 Occurrence). Job 41:30 His underparts are 'like' sharp potsherds:
He spreadeth 'as it were' a threshing-wain upon the mire. (ASV NAS RSV). ...
/u/underparts.htm - 6k

Jagged (1 Occurrence)
... Jagged (1 Occurrence). Job 41:30 His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving
a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge. (See NIV). ...
/j/jagged.htm - 6k

Fashioneth (5 Occurrences)
... (KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS). Isaiah 45:9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!
Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. ...
/f/fashioneth.htm - 8k

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