POTTER (p6t'ter), (Heb. yaw-tsar', to mold; Gr. nepaaeth, ker-am-yooce', fashioner, pot ter).
The potter, and the produce of his labors, are often alluded to in the Scriptures. The first dis tinct mention of earthenware vessels is in tin_ 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 (Judg. vii: r6, 19). Pitchers and bottles are indeed mentioned earlier ; but the 'bottle' which contained Hagar's water (Gen. xxi:i4, is) was undoubtedly of skin; and although Rebekah's pitcher was possibly of earthenware (Gen. xxiv :14, is), we cannot be certain that it was so.
The potter's wheel is mentioned only once in the Bible (Jer. xviii:2) ; but it must have been fallen being disintegrated, and worn at the sur face by the action of the weather, bring to view and leave exposed the broken pottery, which is not liable to be thus dissolved and washed away.
This explanation was suggested by the actual survey of such ruins; and we know not that a better has yet been offered in any other quarter. It is certainly remarkable that of the more mighty cities of old time, nothing but potsherds now re main visible at the surface of the ground.
Towns built with stone, or kiln-burnt bricks, do not exhibit this form of ruin, which is, there fore, not usually met with in Palestine.
Scraping the boil (see Job ii :8) with a potsherd will not only relieve the intolerable itching, but also remove the matter.
Figurative. Potsherd is figuratively used in Scripture to denote a thing worthless and in significant (Ps. xxii :15 ; Is. xlv :9). Hypocritical professions of friendship are likened to "a pots herd covered with silver dross" (Prov. xxvi :23). It is worthless pretense.