1 The unequal comparison of God and idols. 17 The prophet exhorteth to flee from the calamity to come. 19 He laments the spoil of the tabernacle by foolish pastors. 23 He makes an humble supplication.
Idols and the Living God
Jer 10:1 Hear what the LORD says to you, people of Israel.
This expression is here used to denote the remnant of the Israelite nation, the kingdom of Judah, rather than the northern kingdom (see on ch. 4:1, 3).
Jer 10:2 This is what the LORD says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them.
Signs in the heavens.
The heathen made astrological calculations based on extraordinary appearances in the sky. Celestial phenomena, such as eclipses, comets, and particular conjunctions of the heavenly bodies, were frequently regarded as indications of national or individual fortunes (see Isa. 47:13).
The reason for the warning is the prevalence and seductive influence of idolatrous religious practices. That idolatry held a fascination for the Israelites is abundantly clear from the frequent warnings against it (see Ex. 23:24, 32, 33; Lev. 18:3; Deut. 7:1–5; Judges 2; 3).
Jer 10:3 For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.
Cut a tree. The worthlessness of the idols as gods is forcefully demonstrated by calling attention to the origin of these idols (see Isa. 40:20; 45:20).
Craftsman. Heb. charash,” from a verb meaning “to plow,” or “to devise.” In the hands of such a craftsman the forest tree becomes a work of art.
Jer 10:4 They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.
The idol is nailed to some wall or pillar to make it stand upright and to keep it from falling (see Isa. 41:7)
Jer 10:5 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm, nor can they do any good.”
A different interpretation has been suggested, based on a comment in the Apocryphal work, the Epistle of Jeremy, written in the Maccabean period. The Jeremy passage appears to have reference to this prophecy. Verse 70 of this epistle reads:
“For even as a scarecrow in a cucumber bed guards nothing, thus are their gods of wood, set in gold and silver.” Inasmuch as the translation “garden of cucumbers” can be supported by Isa. 1:8, it is possible that by the Heb. tomer the prophet meant to designate a scarecrow.
This would yield the interesting translation, “They are like a scarecrow in a garden of cucumbers.” A scarecrow in a vegetable garden is stiff, lifeless, and impotent. It is designated to frighten away the birds, but even they may become aware of its impotence.
Jer 10:6 No one is like you, LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.
He is presented as the incomparable One (see Ex. 15:11; Ps. 86:8, 10).
His name stands for His revealed character, His renown, His reputation (see on Ps. 31:3).
Jer 10:7 Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you.
God’s universal sovereignty is declared. He is more than the God of the Jews (see Rom. 3:29); He is the God of the whole world (see Ps. 22:28; 47:7, 8; 96:10).
Reverential fear should be given to Yahweh alone; it is not becoming to any other.
Jer 10:8 They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols.
Idol worshipers are described as dull hearted, unreceptive, gross, and stupid (see on Ps. 115:8; Jonah 2:8).
Jer 10:9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple— all made by skilled workers.
An outer shell of silver and gold covered the wooden image (see Isa. 30:22; 40:19; Jer. 10:4). The workmanship was entirely the result of human effort.
Jer 10:10 But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath.
The source of His existence is in His own being. All other living beings live “in Him” (see Acts 17:28).
In contrast to the powerlessness and temporary existence of all other objects of worship, God is the “king of eternity.” His domain is unlimited either by space or by time.
Jer 10:11 “Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.'”
This verse is written in Aramaic. It may be framed by the prophet in the current language of Babylon to be used when, after the Exile, the Babylonians should invite the Jews to join in idolatrous worship.
In the Aramaic (see above) there is a similarity of sound between the words for “to make” and “to perish.”
Jer 10:12 But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.
He alone has the right to claim worship, and that right is based upon the fact that He is the Creator. To Him all other beings owe their existence (see Ps. 96:5). The universe is the product of His creative energy (Isa. 40:22, 26; 42:5; 44:24; 45:12, 18; 51:13). Idols are made, but God makes. He is the Creator. Verses 12–16 of Jer. 10 appear in ch. 51:15–19 with slight variations.
Jer 10:13 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
The continuous activity of God is exhibited in the phenomena of nature (see Amos 5:8; 9:5, 6). The psalmist, too, saw in the thunderstorm a display of the majestic power of God. He termed thunder the voice of God (see on Ps. 29:3).
Jer 10:14 Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them.
The idol upon which the artisan has exhausted his skill remains a lifeless object.
Jer 10:15 They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish.
Idols themselves deserve only ridicule and mockery, though the sincere belief of even an idolater should not be made a subject of ridicule by a Christian.
In the time when the idol makers will be visited with punishment, the idols will perish (v. 11).
Jer 10:16 He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the people of his inheritance— the LORD Almighty is his name.
16. Portion of Jacob. Jehovah (see Ps. 16:5; 73:26; 119:57).
Like them. Like the perishable idols made by carpenters and goldsmiths.
This majestic name stands in sharp contrast to all the names of heathen gods.
Jer 10:17 Gather up your belongings to leave the land, you who live under siege.
After the digression in ch. 10:1–16, dealing with the folly of idolatry, the prophecy returns to the subject of ch. 9, namely, the impending desolation of the land and the exile of the inhabitants. In a dramatic way the prophet pictures the departure of the exiles. He admonishes the people hastily to gather a few articles and to prepare for immediate departure to Babylon (see Eze. 12:3).
Jer 10:18 For this is what the LORD says: “At this time I will hurl out those who live in this land; I will bring distress on them so that they may be captured.”
Hurl out. A figure emphasizing the violence of the expulsion (see Jer. 16:13; cf. 1 Sam. 25:29). God Himself is the speaker.
A On former occasions the invaders of Jerusalem had retired without success (2 Kings 16:5; 19:35, 36), or had been satisfied with plunder or tribute (2 Kings 14:14).
Jer 10:19 Woe to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to myself, “This is my sickness, and I must endure it.”
Woe is me. The nation, here personified, is pictured as lamenting her calamity, the ruin of her house and the loss of her children.
Endure. To recognize and to accept the affliction that one has brought upon himself by his evil course is the first step in reformation (see Lam. 3:39, 40).
The Jews of Jeremiah’s day rejected outright any suggestion that God’s repeated messages warning of the imminence of captivity could possibly come true (see Jer. 7:3; Eze. 11:3; 12:21–28). Even the devout soul of Jeremiah rebelled, at first, at the thought. He felt deeply wounded (chs. 4:19; 8:21; 15:18), wept (chs. 9:1; 13:17; 14:17), and prayed that captivity might be averted (chs. 7:16; 11:14; 14:11). He was slow to realize that it could not (see chs. 11:11; 14:19).
Jer 10:20 My tent is destroyed; all its ropes are snapped. My children are gone from me and are no more; no one is left now to pitch my tent or to set up my shelter.
My tent. A figure of Jerusalem or, perhaps, of the whole land of Judah.
Jer 10:21 The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the LORD; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered.
Jer 10:22 Listen! The report is coming— a great commotion from the land of the north! It will make the towns of Judah desolate, a haunt of jackals.
The phrase is literally, “a sound of a report,” or “Hark! News!” The commotion represents the marching of a great army going forth to battle (see chs. 6:23; 8:16).
Jer 10:23 LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.
The prophet is the speaker, but he speaks as Israel’s representative. Verses 23, 24 constitute a prayer of intercession, with an appropriate confession of sin and a petition for moderation in punishment (see ch. 18:20).
In and of himself man cannot properly determine where and how he should go. He needs divine guidance (see Ps. 37:23; Prov. 16:9; 20:24). The Israelites preferred their own way.
Direct his steps. Man needs divine guidance for each single step. God directs the steps of a good man (Ps. 37:23).
Jer 10:24 Discipline me, LORD, but only in due measure— not in your anger, or you will reduce me to nothing.
Discipline me. A confession of wrong and an admission of the need for correction. It is a hopeful sign when the sinner frankly admits the error of his ways and willingly submits himself to needed correction.
Jer 10:25 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland.
God permitted the heathen to punish His chosen people. Satan sought to take advantage of the occasion to destroy Israel completely (see Isa. 10:6, 7). The nations exceeded God’s permission (Isa. 47:6).