חֲרָסוּת (char.sut)
char.sut
Potsherd (Gate)
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun charasut refers to a potsherd or broken piece of pottery. It appears only once in the Bible, serving as the name for a specific gate in Jerusalem mentioned in Jeremiah 19:2.
This rare usage gives a tangible sense of the city’s layout. By naming a gate after shards of clay, the text likely points to a location where broken vessels were common or discarded, perhaps near a marketplace or a place where pottery was made or mended.
The word highlights how everyday objects and materials shaped the identity of ancient places. In Jeremiah’s prophecy, this ordinary landmark becomes part of a powerful symbol of judgment, showing how God can use familiar, humble details to convey serious messages.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word charasut describes a simple shard of broken pottery. In ancient Jerusalem, these fragments were common sights, often discarded near gates or workshops where clay vessels were made and used daily. This ordinary detail grounds the biblical narrative in the real lives of people who relied on such items for water, food, and storage.
In Jeremiah 19:2, this humble object becomes part of a striking visual prophecy. The prophet is sent to the Potsherd Gate, a place likely associated with broken clay, to announce God’s message. It reminds us that God speaks through the familiar textures of our lives. Even in moments of judgment or difficulty, He uses what we know to reveal deeper truths about His heart and plans.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ potsherd1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַֽ/חַרְסִ֑ית1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 19:2
and go out to the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the gate Harsith, and proclaim there the words that I will tell you.
This verse uniquely identifies the Gate Harsith, linking the physical reality of broken pottery to a specific location in Jerusalem where Jeremiah delivered a prophecy of judgment.