Old Testament Commentary - Jeremiah 10

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 10 Learn not the way of the heathen—Their gods are idols and molten images—The Lord is the true and living God.
1 HEAR ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: 2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the ^aheathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3 For the ^acustoms of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be ^aborne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
6 Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. 7 Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the ^awise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none ^blike unto thee. 8 But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.
9 Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the ^awork of ^bcunning men. 10 But the LORD is the true ^aGod, he is the ^bliving God, and an everlasting ^cking: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his ^dindignation. 11 Thus shall ye say unto them, The ^agods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.
12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. 13 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his ^atreasures. 14 Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven ^aimage: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
15 They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their ^avisitation they shall perish. 16 The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name.
17 ¶ Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress. 18 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so.
19 ¶ Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it. 20 My ^atabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains^a.	20^a to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains None of the priests of Judah of the Levites of Jeremiah's day were any longer worthy to perform the ordiances of the House of the LORD, whether it were that built Temple from Solomon's day or whether it be the tabernacle of the tent constructed in the days of Moses.
21 For the ^apastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered. 22 Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the ^anorth country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of ^bdragons.
23 ¶ O LORD, I know that the ^away of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 24 O LORD, ^acorrect me, but with ^bjudgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. 25 Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the ^afamilies that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.