Jeremiah 10:1-16

Jeremiah 10:1-16

[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 heathen,  and be not dismayed  at the signs  of heaven;  for the heathen  are dismayed  at them.  [3] For the customs  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  [5] They are upright  as the palm tree,  but speak  not: they must needs  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 wise  men of the nations,  and in all their kingdoms,  there is none like 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 work  of cunning  [10] But the LORD  is the true  God,  he is the living  God,  and an everlasting  king:  at his wrath  the earth  shall tremble,  and the nations  shall not be able to abide  his indignation.  [11] Thus  shall ye say  unto them, The gods  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 treasures.  [14] 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. [15] They are vanity,  and the work  of errors:  in the time  of their visitation  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. 

What does Jeremiah 10:1-16 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

This scathing expos of the folly of idolatry resembles several polemics in Isaiah (cf. Isaiah 40:18-20; Isaiah 41:6-7; Isaiah 44:9-20; Isaiah 46:5-7). Jeremiah 10:12-16 appear again in Jeremiah 51:15-19.
"Why did so easy a target as idolatry need so many attacks in the Old Testament? Jeremiah 10:9 suggests one reason: the appeal of the visually impressive; but perhaps Jeremiah 10:2 goes deeper, in pointing to the temptation to fall into step with the majority." [1]
A study of the architecture of the passage reveals alternating assertions about idols ( Jeremiah 10:2-5; Jeremiah 10:8-9; Jeremiah 10:11; Jeremiah 10:14-15) and Yahweh ( Jeremiah 10:6-7; Jeremiah 10:10; Jeremiah 10:12-13; Jeremiah 10:16). The effect produced by this structure is contrast.
"Theologically these verses are of great significance, for they set Yahweh apart from every other object of worship.... As Lord of the covenant Yahweh demanded total unswerving loyalty from his subjects. Any attempt to share allegiance to him with another merited judgment, for it amounted to a rejection of the covenant. In that case the curses of the covenant became operative." [2]