H2777 H2777
the Potsherd Gate, a gate in Jerusalem leading to the Hinnom Valley
This place name designates a specific gate in Jerusalem's wall, known for the pottery fragments discarded there. Jeremiah received divine instruction to perform a prophetic sign-act at this location, smashing a clay jar to symbolize Jerusalem's impending destruction (Jeremiah 19:2, 10-11). The gate led into the valley of Hinnom, which served as the city's refuse dump where broken pottery accumulated. Baldwin's research (PEF 1904) confirms archaeological evidence of potsherd deposits in Hinnom, validating the name's literal basis in the disposal practices of Jerusalem's inhabitants.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The two occurrences in Jeremiah 19:2 reflect a ketiv-qere textual variant (החרסות vs. החרסית), with both forms designating the same gate. The location's significance lies in its connection to the Hinnom Valley, where the broken jar symbolism gained potency from the surrounding heaps of discarded pottery. Spanish translators render this as "Olla" (pot) or "tiestos" (potsherds), while French and German preserve the transliterated form, recognizing the proper place-name function despite its transparent etymology. 2×
AR["الْخَزَفِ", "☐"]·ben["(মৃৎপাত্রের)", "[মৃৎপাত্রের]"]·DE["[(החרסית)]", "[[החרסות]]"]·EN["[K]", "the-Potsherd"]·FR["[(החרסית)]", "[[החרסות]]"]·heb["ה-חרסית", "החרסות"]·HI["[ठीकरों-के]", "ठीकरों-के"]·ID["(Tembikar)", "[beling]"]·IT["[(החרסית)]", "[[החרסות]]"]·jav["Harsit;", "[Potsyarda]"]·KO["(그-토기-문의)"]·PT["[Qere:", "o-Cacos;]"]·RU["[кетив]", "Горшечных"]·ES["(la-Olla)", "[los-tiestos]"]·SW["la-vigae"]·TR["[çanak-çömlek]", "Çanak-çömlek"]·urd["ٹھیکروں", "ٹھیکروں-کے"]
Related Senses
H6629 1. flock, sheep/goats (small livestock) (274×)H1241 1. cattle, herd (bovine livestock) (183×)H0352a 1. ram (male sheep) (156×)H6499 1. young bull, bullock (130×)H3532 1. lamb, young male sheep (105×)H2543 1. donkey (male ass) (96×)H7794 1. ox, bull (79×)H7462b 1. shepherd (agent noun) (76×)H5795 1. she-goat(s), female goat(s) (68×)H7462b 2. to shepherd, tend, pasture (60×)H1581 1. camel (domestic animal) (54×)H0738b 1. lion (46×)G4263 1. sheep (39×)H5739 1. flock or herd of livestock (38×)H5695 1. calf, young bull (35×)H0738a 1. lion (large predatory feline) (34×)H0860 1. female donkey (34×)H3611 1. dog (animal) (32×)H3715a 1. young lion, lion cub (31×)G0721 1. Lamb (29×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חרסות Kt, חַרְסִית Qr n.f.coll. potsherd—פֶּתַח שַׁעַר הַחַרְסִ֯ות Je 19:2, designation of a gate in Jerus.; opening of the gate of potsherds, i. e. where they were thrown (vid. v 10, 11 and Gf); it led into the valley of Hinnom; 𝔊 χαρσ(ε)ιθ favours Qr v. BaldenspergerPEF 1904, 136 on the crushing of potsherds in the Valley of Hinnom.