H6353 H6353
potter (Aramaic loanword for one who works with clay)
An Aramaic noun appearing in Daniel 2:41, referring to a potter—one who works with clay. The word is a loanword, likely from Assyrian, reflecting the linguistic environment of the Aramaic portions of Daniel. In Nebuchadnezzar's dream, the image has feet partly of iron and partly of 'potter's clay,' representing a divided kingdom. The term situates Daniel's text in its Babylonian context, where Aramaic was the lingua franca and vocabulary crossed linguistic boundaries.
Senses
1. sense 1 — An Aramaic noun meaning 'potter,' one who works with clay, appearing in Daniel 2:41. The term is a loanword (likely from Assyrian paḫâru) used in the Aramaic section of Daniel. In the context of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, 'potter's clay' symbolizes the fragile, divided nature of a future kingdom—clay mixed with iron that won't cohere. Multilingual glosses (Spanish alfarero, French potier) preserve this artisan designation, connecting the symbolic vision to concrete material reality. 1×
AR["فَخَّارٍ"]·ben["কুমোরের"]·DE["[פחר]"]·EN["potter"]·FR["potier"]·heb["יוצר"]·HI["कुम्हार"]·ID["tukang-periuk"]·IT["[פחר]"]·jav["tukang-kundi"]·KO["도공의"]·PT["oleiro"]·RU["-горшечная"]·ES["alfarero"]·SW["mfinyanzi"]·TR["çömlekçinin"]·urd["کمہار-کی"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† פֶּחָר n.m. potter (= paḫḫâr, 𝔗 פַּחָר (also clay), Syriac ܦܰܚܳܪܳܐ; prob. loan-wd. from Assyrian paḫâru, potter, cf. Brock ZimBuhl);—abs. פ׳ Dn 2:41.