Romans 9:22-23

9:22 But what if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects ¹  of wrath ²  prepared for destruction? ³  9:23 And what if he is willing to make known the wealth of his glory on the objects ⁴  of mercy that he has prepared beforehand for glory –

Jeremiah 22:28

22:28 This man, Jeconiah, will be like a broken pot someone threw away.

He will be like a clay vessel ⁵  that no one wants. ⁶ 

Why will he and his children be forced into exile?

Why will they be thrown out into a country they know nothing about? ⁷ 

Hosea 8:8

8:8 Israel will be swallowed up among the nations;

they will be like a worthless piece of pottery.

Acts 9:15

9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument ⁸  to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel. ⁹ 

Acts 9:2

9:2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues ¹⁰  in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, ¹¹  either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners ¹²  to Jerusalem. ¹³ 

Acts 2:20-21

2:20 The sun will be changed to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the great and glorious ¹⁴  day of the Lord comes.

2:21 And then ¹⁵  everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ¹⁶ 

[9:22]  ¹ tn Grk “vessels.” This is the same Greek word used in v. 21.

[9:22]  ² tn Or “vessels destined for wrath.” The genitive ὀργῆς (orghs) could be taken as a genitive of destination.

[9:22]  ³ tn Or possibly “objects of wrath that have fit themselves for destruction.” The form of the participle could be taken either as a passive or middle (reflexive). ExSyn 417-18 argues strongly for the passive sense (which is followed in the translation), stating that “the middle view has little to commend it.” First, καταρτίζω (katartizw) is nowhere else used in the NT as a direct or reflexive middle (a usage which, in any event, is quite rare in the NT). Second, the lexical force of this verb, coupled with the perfect tense, suggests something of a “done deal” (against some commentaries that see these vessels as ready for destruction yet still able to avert disaster). Third, the potter-clay motif seems to have one point: The potter prepares the clay.

[9:23]  ⁴ tn Grk “vessels.” This is the same Greek word used in v. 21.

[22:28]  ⁵ tn The word translated “clay vessel” occurs only here. Its meaning, however, is assured on the basis of the parallelism and on the basis of the verb root which is used for shaping or fashioning in Job 10:8. The KJV renders it as “idol,” but that word, while having the same consonants, never appears in the singular. The word is missing in the Greek version but is translated “vessel” in the Latin version. The word “clay” is supplied in the translation to clarify what sort of vessel is meant; its inclusion is justified based on the context and the use of the same verb root in Job 10:8 to refer to shaping or fashioning, which would imply clay pots or vessels.

[22:28]  ⁶ tn Heb “Is this man, Coniah, a despised, broken vessel or a vessel that no one wants?” The question is rhetorical expecting a positive answer in agreement with the preceding oracle.

[22:28]  ⁷ sn The question “Why?” is a common rhetorical feature in the book of Jeremiah. See Jer 2:14, 31; 8:5, 19, 22; 12:1; 13:22; 14:19. In several cases like this one no answer is given, leaving a sense of exasperation and hopelessness with the sinfulness of the nation that calls forth such punishment from God.

[9:15]  ⁸ tn Or “tool.”

[9:15]  ⁹ tn Grk “the sons of Israel.” In Acts, Paul is a minister to all nations, including Israel (Rom 1:16-17).

[9:2]  ¹⁰ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[9:2]  ¹¹ sn The expression “the way” in ancient religious literature refers at times to “the whole way of life fr. a moral and spiritual viewpoint” (BDAG 692 s.v. ὁδός 3.c), and it has been so used of Christianity and its teachings in the book of Acts (see also 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). It is a variation of Judaism’s idea of two ways, the true and the false, where “the Way” is the true one (1 En. 91:18; 2 En. 30:15).

[9:2]  ¹² tn Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “bring someone as prisoner” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά (dedemenon agein tina) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.

[9:2]  ¹³ sn From Damascus to Jerusalem was a six-day journey. Christianity had now expanded into Syria.

[2:20]  ¹⁴ tn Or “and wonderful.”

[2:21]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “And it will be that.”

[2:21]  ¹⁶ sn A quotation from Joel 2:28-32.