Jeremiah 10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 10:7

Who would not fear thee, O King of nations ?.... Not that the fear of him among the nations was general, or that he was owned by them as their King; but inasmuch as of right he was their King, so he ought to have been feared and reverenced by them; and it was an instance of great stupidity and ingratitude not to do it. The Targum renders it, "King of all people;' and the Syriac version, "King of all worlds"; some reference seems to be had to this passage in Revelation 15:3 , where,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 10:8

But they are altogether brutish and foolish ,.... In comparison of the Lord, there is no knowledge and wisdom in them, this is a certain fact; they are verily brutish and foolish; or they are one and all so, there is not a wise man among them: or, "in one thing they are brutish" F18 ובאחת יבערו "in hoc uno Munster", Tigurine version; "et certe in una quadem re obbrutescunt", Piscator. So Jarchi and Abarbinel. , &c.; namely, in their idolatry; however wise they may be in other... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 10:9

Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish ,.... In Cilicia, where the Apostle Paul was born; according to Josephus, as Jerom says, it was a country in India. The Targum renders it, from Africa, and calls it silver "rolled up", or "covered"; so the Vulgate Latin; such was beaten with a hammer into plates, and might be rolled up for better convenience of shipment; and with which they covered and decked their idols, to make them look glittering and pompous, and command some awe and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 10:10

But the Lord is the true God ,.... In opposition to all nominal and fictitious deities, which are not by nature God, only by name, and in the foolish imagination of the people: or, "the Lord God is truth" F20 אלהים אמת "Deus veritas", Pagninus, Montanus, Coceeius. ; that cannot lie, is true to his covenant and promises, and will never deceive those that worship and serve him, and rely upon him: he is the living God ; that has life in himself, and is the author and giver of life... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 10:11

Thus shall ye say unto them ,.... The godly Jews to the idolatrous Chaldeans; and therefore this verse alone is written in the Chaldee language. The Targum prefaces it thus, "this is the copy of the letter, which Jeremiah the prophet sent to the rest of the elders of the captivity in Babylon; and if the people among whom you are should say unto you, serve idols, O house of Israel; then shall ye answer, and so shall ye say unto them, the idols whom ye serve are errors, in whom there is no... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 10:12

He hath made the earth by his power ,.... The Targum considers these words as a continuation of the answer of the Jews to the Chaldeans, paraphrasing them thus, "and so shall ye say unto them, `we worship him who hath made the earth by his power':' who stands opposed to the gods that made not the heavens and the earth, that had no title to deity, nor right to worship; but the true God has both; and his making the earth out of nothing, and hanging it upon nothing, and preserving it firm... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 10:13

When he uttereth his voice ,.... Declares his will and pleasure, issues out his commands; or when he thunders, for thunder is his voice, Job 37:2 , there is a multitude of waters in the heavens ; they are covered with clouds, and these clouds full of water; which is brought about by the following means: and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth ; from the north and south, as Kimchi observes from the philosophers; or from all parts of the earth, the most... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 10:14

Every man is brutish in his knowledge ,.... Or science of making an idol, whether it be of wood, or of gold, or silver, or brass; he is no better than a brute, if he thinks, when he has made it, he has made a god: or, "because of knowledge" F23 מדעת "propter scientiam", Pagninus, Montanus; "a scientia", Calvin, Grotius, Schmidt. ; for want of it; being without the knowledge of God and divine things, he is like the beasts that perish, Psalm 49:20 , every founder is confounded by... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 10:15

They are vanity ,.... They are the fruit of the vain imagination of men; to worship them shows the vanity of the human mind; and they are vain things to trust to: and the work of errors ; of erroneous men, and which lead men into errors; and are worthy to be laughed at, as the Targum paraphrases it. In the time of their visitation they shall perish ; or in the time that I shall visit upon them their sins, as the Targum; that is, when Babylon should be destroyed by the Medes and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 10:16

The portion of Jacob is not like them ,.... Like those idols, vain, and the work of errors, or shall perish; even the true God, who is the portion of his people, of Jacob, whom he has chosen and redeemed; who call themselves by the name of Jacob, and are Israelites indeed, and plain hearted ones; and who have seen the insufficiency of all other portions, and the excellency of this; for there is none like it, none so large, so rich, so satisfying, and so durable; for God is the portion of... read more

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