What does Isaiah 64:8, "we are the clay, and thou our potter," mean?
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Whosoever Will, There Is No Calvinist Potter in the Bible: Isaiah 64:8. “But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” And the next verse, “Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever.” (Isaiah 64:9) The clay speaks to the potter. It calls Him Father. It asks for mercy. And it is not rebuked. So Isaiah 45 is not a rule that the clay may never address the potter. It is a rebuke of the posture of striving. The clay that comes as a child asking mercy is welcomed. Isaiah shows you both, in the same book. Scripture, King James Version: Isaiah 64:8, "But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand."; Isaiah 64:9, "Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.".
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Verified. Every scripture quotation on this page has been checked word-for-word against the King James text. Last reviewed 2026-10-18.
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What does Isaiah 64:8, "we are the clay, and thou our potter," mean? → wsb.bible/answers/what-does-isaiah-64-8-we-are-the-clay-and-thou-our-potter-mean
This answer is the short form. The argument is made at length in There Is No Calvinist Potter in the Bible: Now read every potter he could have quoted.