Logos Bible Study

Jeremiah 10:12–16

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10:12The Lord is the one who24 by his power made the earth.

He is the one who by his wisdom established the world.

And by his understanding he spread out the skies.

10:13When his voice thunders,25 the heavenly ocean roars.

He makes the clouds rise from the far-off horizons.26

He makes the lightning flash out in the midst of the rain.

He unleashes the wind from the places where he stores it.27

10:14All these idolaters28 will prove to be stupid and ignorant.

Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made.

For the image he forges is merely a sham.29

There is no breath in any of those idols.30

10:15They are worthless, mere objects to be mocked.31

When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed.

10:16The Lord, who is the inheritance32 of Jacob’s descendants,33 is not like them.

He is the one who created everything.

And the people of Israel are those he claims as his own.34

He is known as the Lord who rules over all.”35

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Footnotes

  1. 24 The words “The Lord is” are not in the text. They are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation here because of the possible confusion of who the subject is due to the parenthetical address to the people of Israel in v. 11. The first two verbs are participles and should not merely be translated as the narrative past. They are predicate nominatives of an implied copula intending to contrast the Lord as the one who made the earth with the idols which did not.
  2. 25 Heb “At the voice of his giving.” The idiom “to give the voice” is often used for thunder (cf. 679 נָתַן Qal.1.x).
  3. 26 Heb “from the ends of the earth.”
  4. 27 Heb “he brings out the winds from his storehouses.”
  5. 28 Heb “Every man.” But in the context this is not a reference to all people without exception but to all idolaters. The referent is made explicit for the sake of clarity.
  6. 29 Or “nothing but a phony god”; Heb “a lie/falsehood.”
  7. 30 Heb “There is no breath in them.” The referent is made explicit so that no one will mistakenly take it to refer to the idolaters or goldsmiths.
  8. 31 Or “objects of mockery.”
  9. 32 The words “The Lord who is” are not in the text. They are supplied in the translation for clarity. For the significance of the words that follow them see the study note that follows. The phrase the portion of Jacob’s descendants, which is applied to God here, has its background in the division of the land where each tribe received a portion of the land of Palestine except the tribe of Levi whose “portion” was the Lord. As the other tribes lived off what their portion of the land provided, the tribe of Levi lived off what the Lord provided, i.e., the tithes and offerings dedicated to him. Hence to have the Lord as one’s portion is to have him provide for all one’s needs (see Ps 16:5 in the context of vv. 2, 6 and Lam 3:24 in the context of vv. 22–23).
  10. 33 Heb “The Portion of Jacob.” “Descendants” is implied, and is supplied in the translation for clarity.
  11. 34 Heb “And Israel is the tribe of his possession.”
  12. 35 Heb “Yahweh of armies is his name.” For this rendering of the name for God and its significance see 2:19 and the study note there.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

It is he who made the earth by his power,

who established the world by his wisdom,

and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.

When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,

and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.

He makes lightning for the rain,

and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

Every man is stupid and without knowledge;

every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,

for his images are false,

and there is no breath in them.

They are worthless, a work of delusion;

at the time of their punishment they shall perish.

Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob,

for he is the one who formed all things,

and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance;

the Lord of hosts is his name.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

But God made the earth by his power;

he founded the world by his wisdom

and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

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.

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.

They are worthless, the objects of mockery;

when their judgment comes, they will perish.

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.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

He made the earth by his power,

established the world by his wisdom,

and spread out the heavens by his understanding.

When he thunders,

the waters in the heavens are in turmoil,

and he causes the clouds to rise

from the ends of the earth.

He makes lightning for the rain

and brings the wind from his storehouses.

Everyone is stupid and ignorant.

Every goldsmith is put to shame

by his carved image,

for his cast images are a lie;

there is no breath in them.

They are worthless, a work to be mocked.

At the time of their punishment

they will be destroyed.

Jacob’s Portion is not like these

because he is the one who formed all things.

Israel is the tribe of his inheritance;

the Lord of Armies is his name.

NLTNew Living Translation

But the Lord made the earth by his power,

and he preserves it by his wisdom.

With his own understanding

he stretched out the heavens.

When he speaks in the thunder,

the heavens roar with rain.

He causes the clouds to rise over the earth.

He sends the lightning with the rain

and releases the wind from his storehouses.

The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge!

The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make,

for their carefully shaped works are a fraud.

These idols have no breath or power.

Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies!

On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed.

But the God of Israel is no idol!

He is the Creator of everything that exists,

including Israel, his own special possession.

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name!

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

He is the maker of the earth by his power,

who created the world by his wisdom,

and by his understanding he stretched out heaven.

When he utters his voice there is a noise of water in the heavens,

and he causes the mist to rise from the ends of the earth.

He makes lightning for the rain,

and he causes the wind to go out from his storehouses.

Everyone is stupid, without knowledge,

every goldsmith is ashamed by his divine image,

for his cast image is an illusion,

and there is no breath in them.

They are vanity, a work of mockery,

at the time of their punishment, they will perish.

The portion of Jacob is not like these,

for he is the creator of everything,

and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance,

Yahweh of hosts is his name.

KJV 1900King James Version

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.

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.

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.

They are vanity, and the work of errors:

In the time of their visitation they shall perish.

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.