פֶּחָר (pe.char)
pe.char
potter
A:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun peḥar refers simply to a potter, one who shapes clay into vessels. This word appears only once in the entire Old Testament, found in Daniel 2:41 within Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue with feet of iron mixed with clay.
In this specific context, the term highlights the fragility of a divided kingdom. The mixing of iron and clay suggests a union that cannot hold together, much like a potter’s work that fails to fuse properly before firing. The image underscores the instability of political powers that lack true unity.
While the word itself is rare, its presence in Daniel emphasizes God’s sovereignty over human empires. Just as a potter controls the clay, God determines the rise and fall of kingdoms, rendering their strength insufficient against His plan.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word peḥar appears only once in Scripture, nestled in Daniel’s interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. It describes a potter shaping clay mixed with iron. This unusual combination creates a material that looks strong but is actually fragile and divided. The image reminds us that human power, no matter how impressive, often lacks true unity.
For your faith, this offers a quiet comfort. While empires rise and fall based on unstable alliances, God remains sovereign over history. He sees the cracks in our own lives and the world around us. You can trust that He holds the ultimate plan, even when things seem disjointed or broken.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a potter1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פֶחָר֙1×
Key Verses
-
Daniel 2:41
Whereas you saw the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay and part of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but there will be in it of the strength of the iron, because you saw the iron mixed with miry clay.
This verse uses peḥar to describe the mixed material of the statue's feet, illustrating a kingdom that is divided yet retains some strength from iron.