Jeremiah 10:14
12 The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.
13 When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.
Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.
15 They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.
16 The Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance— the LORD of Hosts is His name.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.
- KJV
- Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
- WEB
- Every man has become brutish and without knowledge. Every goldsmith is disappointed by his engraved image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
- ASV
- Every man is become brutish [and is] without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his graven image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
- DARBY
- Every man is become brutish, bereft of knowledge; every founder is put to shame by the graven image, for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
- BLB
- All mankind has become stupid in knowledge! Every refiner is put to shame by an idol; for his molten image [is] falsehood, and there is not breath in them.
- ÅB
- Hvert menneske blir ufornuftig, uten forstand, hver gullsmed har skam av det utskårne bilde; for hans støpte bilder er løgn, og det er ingen ånd i dem.
- OTB
- Hver person er ufornuftig, uten kunnskap; hver gullsmed blir til skamme av sine avguder, for hans bilder er en svindel, og det er ingen ånd i dem.
- B1930
- Hvert menneske blir ufornuftig, uten forstand, hver gullsmed har skam av det utskårne billede; for hans støpte billeder er løgn, og det er ingen ånd i dem.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Psalms 135:16–18
They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see;
Read in contextPsalms 115:4–8
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
Read in contextIsaiah 46:7–8
They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.
Read in contextHabakkuk 2:18–19
What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it— or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.
Read in contextIsaiah 44:18–20
They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.
Read in contextRomans 1:22–23
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,
Read in contextJeremiah 51:17–18
Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.
Read in contextIsaiah 42:17
But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.
Read in context