Jeremiah 10:1-16 NIV

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 10:1

Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you - Dr. Dahler supposes this discourse to have been delivered in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim. It contains an invective against idolatry; showing its absurdity, and that the Creator alone should be worshipped by all mankind. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 10:2

Learn not the way of the heathen - These words are more particularly addressed to the ten tribes scattered among the heathen by the Assyrians, who carried them away captive; they may also regard those in the land of Israel who still had the customs of the former heathen settlers before their eyes. Be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed - The Chaldeans and Egyptians were notoriously addicated to astrology; and the Israelites here are cautioned against it. The... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 10:3

The customs of the people are vain - חקות chukkoth ; the statutes and principles of the science are vain, empty, and illusory. They are founded in nonsense, ignorance, idolatry, and folly. One cutteth a tree out of the forest - See the notes on Isaiah 40:19 ; (note), and Isaiah 44:9 ; (note), etc., which are all parallel places and where this conduct is strongly ridiculed. read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 10:1

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 10:2

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 10:3

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