clay and its uses in the Bible
Hebrew: חֹמֶר —transliteration: chomer
Greek: πηλός —transliteration: pēlos (pelos)
Clay is fine-grained natural soil. Its particles are very small and densely packed, making it difficult for air or water to pass through it.
The first use of this word in biblical history is in the ancient, post-Flood book of Job.
…those who dwell in houses of clay… —Job 4:19
Remember now, that You [Yahweh] have made me as clay;
And would You turn me into dust again? —Job 10:9
The word clay is used of sediment found in pits or in streets (Isaiah 57:20, and of dust mixed with spittle (John 9:6).
Clay, an illustration of our humble relationship to our Creator
But now, O Yahweh, You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all of us are the work of Your hand. —Isaiah 64:8 LSB
“Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares Yahweh. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. —Jeremiah 18:6 LSB
King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream
Daniel’s prophetic interpretation of this dream said,The head of that image was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors… —Daniel 2:32-35 excerpt
Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces. Now in that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron; it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay; they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not cling to one another, even as iron does not combine with clay. —Daniel 2:40-43
Biblical uses for clay
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pottery
Potter’s clay is mentioned in Isaiah 41:25; Nahum 3:14; Jeremiah 18:1-6; and Romans 9:21.
Some potters used their feet to tread on their clay to increase its placticy and malleability. This helped reduce wrist strain and pain.
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Clay tablets
These were used in great numbers by scribes and merchants to document people, places, things and events. Ancient libraries were filled with them.
What is CUNEIFORM WRITING?
Tablets in the Bible
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Sealing
Clay was used for making seals (Job 38:14; Jeremiah 32:14).
The practice of sealing doors with clay is still common in the East.
Our Lord’s tomb may have been sealed with clay (Matthew 27:66).
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Mortar
Clay was used in ancient times for mortar between stones and bricks (Genesis 11:3).
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Moulds for casting metals
“Clay ground” was used in producing the large metal vessel castings for the temple (1 Kings 7:46; 2 Chronicles 4:17). The expression literally rendered is, “in the thickness of the ground,” meaning, “in stiff ground” or in clay.
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Clay brick making
Treading was used mixing clay with water, and in mixing clay and straw to make various types of bricks.
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A miracle of Christ
Jesus Christ “spat on the ground, made clay of the saliva, and rubbed the clay” on the eye of a blind man (John 9:6, 11, 14-15).
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Other uses in biblical times
- Waterproof roofing tiles made of fired clay
These were common in ancient Greece and Rome and proved more durable than wooden shingles. Romans used them not only on grand temples and government buildings, but even on their humble outbuildings.
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Medicinal uses
Clay was used in medicinal formulations (topical, oral, gastronintestinal, anti-diarrheal, and skin protection).
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Cosmetics
Clay was also used in ancient cosmetics.
- Waterproof roofing tiles made of fired clay