Bible verses explained, part 2: mattocks, waterpots and a gnat
Some of the best lines in the Bible sound like they came from a hardware store receipt, a catering order or a complaint about insects. This is part 2 of our series on the little verses most people read right past (part 1 covered the food lines). This time the theme is objects: a sharpening file, six stone jars and one very small bug.
Each verse points to something true about God. Each one is also printed on something you can wear, drink from or hang on a wall, which makes this a handy list of Bible verse gifts for the person who has everything except a verse about a gnat.
Why a verse about a tool makes a good shirt
The name Manna’d comes from a question. When bread showed up on the ground in the wilderness, the people did not know what it was. The word manna comes from the Hebrew for “what is it?” and Exodus 16:15 reads, “It is manna: for they wist not what it was.” They named the bread after the question.
That is the whole idea here. A verse about a mattock or a waterpot is unexpected enough that a stranger will ask about it. Then you get to tell the story. If you want the longer version of how that works, it is on our story page.
A file for the mattocks
“Yet they had a file for the mattocks”
1 Samuel 13:21
A mattock is a heavy digging tool, a bit like a pick with a flat blade. A dull one makes for a long day in the field, and a file is what keeps it sharp. That is the verse in full: a line about tool maintenance, sitting in the middle of a war story.
What it means. The Philistines had banned blacksmiths in Israel so nobody could make a sword. Israel even had to pay the enemy to sharpen its farm tools. When war came, only Saul and his son Jonathan had swords. The whole army was two swords and a file.
Then Jonathan climbed a cliff with one helper, said there is no restraint to the LORD “to save by many or by few” (1 Samuel 14:6), and God routed the Philistines. Nobody in this story was well armed, and it turned out not to matter. God has never been waiting on better equipment.
The File for the Mattocks tee is $34, in sizes S to 4XL. Pick the Art or Text version, in Black or Bone. If you want something heavier, the hoodie is $65 in sizes S to 3XL, with the verse on the back.
Six waterpots of stone
“And there were set there six waterpots of stone”
John 2:6
This verse is the setup, and the punchline comes right after it. Six stone jars are standing around at a wedding, and nobody knows yet why they matter.
What it means. The wine ran out at the wedding, which was a huge embarrassment for the family. Jesus told the servants to fill the six big stone jars with water, well over 100 gallons in all. When they served it, it was wine, and the best wine of the whole party. It was His first miracle.
In plain words, Jesus doesn’t just cover what you are missing. He gives more than enough. Nobody at that party asked for well over 100 gallons, and they got it anyway.
The Six Waterpots tee is $34, and it looks good in Bone. For a wall, the framed print is $45. It is the meaning card at 8 x 10 in, with a black, white or red oak frame. It makes a quiet Christian gift for a kitchen, since the story involves a lot of wine and a very relieved host.
A gnat and a camel
“Which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.”
Matthew 23:24
This is probably the best known verse in this post, and still not everyone can say what it means. Most people know it as a saying and not as a thing Jesus said to a specific group of people.
What it means. Jesus was calling out religious leaders who gave God ten percent of even the mint and spices in their kitchens, but skipped justice, mercy and faithfulness. They strained their drinks through cloth so they wouldn’t swallow a gnat, which is an unclean bug. Jesus said they were swallowing the camel, which is also unclean, just bigger.
So the point is simple. If you are careful about the tiny rules and careless about mercy, you have swallowed a camel. You can be careful about everything except what matters.
The Gnat and Camel tee is $34 in the Text version, black. If you would rather give a mug, the Gnat and Camel mug is $18. It holds 11 oz, comes in white or black, and has the verse on one side and the answer on the other.
Who gets which gift
A few easy matches, if you are buying for someone who reads the Bible or someone who is about to be asked about it.
- For the coworker with a coffee habit: the gnat and camel mug, $18.
- For the friend who carries a bag everywhere: the Six Waterpots tote, $28. It is organic cotton twill, 16 x 14.5 in.
- For the student with a laptop to decorate: the File for the Mattocks stickers, $12. You get three vinyl stickers on one sheet, about 5.8 x 8.3 in.
- For the person with a blank wall: the Gnat and Camel poster, $28. It is the meaning card at 12 x 18 in, matte and unframed.
- For the one who is always cold: a hoodie at $65 or a crewneck at $50, both in sizes S to 3XL, with the verse on the back.
Every design comes with its own story card, so the person you give it to gets the explanation along with the verse. They don’t need to be a Bible scholar to answer when someone asks.
Wrap up
A file, six jars and a gnat sound like three unrelated things. They are all in there on purpose, and each one says something about God if you stop long enough to ask what it is. Part 3 is about a young man, a window and a very long sermon.
You can see every verse on the all shirts page. Outside the US? You can also find us on Etsy.
Now you’ve been Manna’d.
See all eleven verses