Jeremiah 10:11
in Jeremiah 10Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, these shall perish from the earth, and from under the heavens.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Jeremiah 10
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
This verse is (in the original) in Chaldee. It was probably a proverbial saying, which Jeremiah inserts in its popular form.
This site's exposition
will perish from this earth and from under these heavens
Verse 11 alone in the book is written in Aramaic. A sentence against the nations' gods is carried in the nations' tongue, so a Babylonian captor could read his gods' doom in his own script. The exiles are given it to speak back to their captors.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
(Verse 11) So you shall say to them: The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth, let them perish from the earth and from those things that are under the heavens. These things must be said about false gods and those that are artificially composed. For they neither made the heavens nor the earth. Those who are co-workers of Christ are called gods: and by the teaching of the Church, they assist greatly in building the house.
Next, he adduces what indeed is the greatest token of divinity; "of Whom are all things." For this implies also that those others are not gods. For it is said, "Let the gods who made not the heaven and the earth perish." Then he subjoins what is not less than this, "and we unto Him." For when he saith, "of Whom are all things," he means the creation and the bringing of things out of nothing into existence. But when he saith, "and we unto Him," he speaks of the word of faith and mutual appropriation, as also he said before, "but of Him are ye also in Christ Jesus."
But if heretics deny that either the heavens or the earth were made by you, O Lord, let them take heed of the abyss into which they are hurling themselves by their own madness. The prophet writes, "Perish the gods that have not made heaven and earth." Shall he then perish, O Arian, who had found and saved that which had perished?
In reading what is said in this Psalm of Christ and of the Church, he would find that what is there foretold is fulfilled in the present state of the world. He would see the idols of the nations perishing from off the earth, and he would find that this is predicted by the prophets, as in Jeremiah, "Then shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth, and from under heaven;" and again, "O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto Thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods? Therefore, behold, I will at that time cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that I am the Lord." Hearing these prophecies, and seeing their actual fulfillment, I need not say that he would be affected; for we know by experience how the hearts of believers are confirmed by seeing ancient predictions now receiving their accomplishment.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
While we have him to worship who made heaven and earth, it is very absurd to worship any other. (2.) "They are condemned deities. They shall perish; the time shall come when they shall be no more respected as they are now, but shall be buried in oblivion, and they and their worshippers shall sink together.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
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 Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This verse is in Chaldee, Jeremiah supplying his countrymen with a formula of reply to Chaldee idolaters in the tongue most intelligible to the latter.
Thus shall ye say unto them - This is the message you shall deliver to the Chaldean idolaters. The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish - Both they and their worshippers shall be destroyed; and idolatry shall finally be destroyed from the earth; and the heavens shall look no more on so great an abomination. It is suffered for a while: but in the end shall be destroyed. This verse is written in a sort of Hebraeo-Syriaco-Chaldee; such a dialect as I suppose was spoken at that time in Babylon, or during the captivity. As it is a message to the Babylonians therefore, it is given in their own language. The Chaldee makes it the beginning of the copy of the epistle which the Prophet Jeremiah sent to the rest of the elders of the captivity who were in Babylon. All the ancient Versions acknowledge this verse; and it is found in all MSS. hitherto collated, except one of Dr. Kennicott’s numbered 526; and he has included it between lines, as doubting its authenticity. Dr. Blayney supposes that some public teacher during the captivity, deducing it by direct inference from the prophet’s words, had it inserted in the margin, and perhaps usually read together with this section, in the assemblies of the people, in order that they might have their answer always ready, whenever they were molested on the point of religion, or importuned to join the idolatrous worship of the Chaldeans. Dahler has left it entirely out of the text, and introduces it in a note thus: - “After Jer 10:10 the Hebrew text is interrupted by a verse written in the Chaldean or Babylonish tongue. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
So shall you say to them This is a letter that Jeremiah sent to Jeconiah and those exiled with him in exile, to reply to the Chaldees in Aramaic, a reply if they tell them to worship idols.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
But the Lord God is true Why? Because He is a living God and the King of the world. Therefore, He can make His words come true.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּדְנָה֙ | kidnah | like this | H1836 → | |
| תֵּאמְר֣וּן | temrun | you will say | H560 → | |
| לְה֔וֹם | lehom | to <the> them | ||
| אֱלָ֣הַיָּ֔א | ʾelahaiya' | gods the | H426 → | |
| דִּֽי־ | di- | who | H1768 → | |
| שְׁמַיָּ֥א | shemaiya' | heavens the | H8065 → | |
| וְאַרְקָ֖א | vearka' | and earth the | H778 → | |
| לָ֣א | la' | not | H3809 → | |
| עֲבַ֑דוּ | ʾavadu | they made | H5648 → | |
| יֵאבַ֧דוּ | yevadu | may they perish | H7 → | |
| מֵֽאַרְעָ֛א | meara' | from earth the | H772 → | |
| וּמִן־ | umin- | and from | H4481 → | |
| תְּח֥וֹת | techot | under | H8460 → | |
| שְׁמַיָּ֖א | shemaiya' | heavens the | H8065 → | |
| אֵֽלֶּה׃ ס | ʾeleh | these | H429 → |
כִּדְנָה֙like this
kidnahH1836 →
תֵּאמְר֣וּןyou will say
temrunH560 →
לְה֔וֹםto <the> them
lehom
אֱלָ֣הַיָּ֔אgods the
ʾelahaiya'H426 →
דִּֽי־who
di-H1768 →
שְׁמַיָּ֥אheavens the
shemaiya'H8065 →
וְאַרְקָ֖אand earth the
vearka'H778 →
לָ֣אnot
la'H3809 →
עֲבַ֑דוּthey made
ʾavaduH5648 →
יֵאבַ֧דוּmay they perish
yevaduH7 →
מֵֽאַרְעָ֛אfrom earth the
meara'H772 →
וּמִן־and from
umin-H4481 →
תְּח֥וֹתunder
techotH8460 →
שְׁמַיָּ֖אheavens the
shemaiya'H8065 →
אֵֽלֶּה׃ סthese
ʾelehH429 →
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 96:5For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is the LORD who made the heavens.
it leads to
- Psalms 115:15
May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
- Isaiah 42:5
This is what God the LORD says—He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and life to…
- Psalms 115:15
Through
Zephaniah 2:11The LORD will be terrifying to them when He starves all the gods of the earth. Then the nations of every shore will bow in worship to Him, each in its own place.
it leads to
- Zechariah 13:2
And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Micah 4:1–3
In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to…
- Zechariah 14:9–21
On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone.
- Zechariah 13:2
Through
Jeremiah 10:15They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.
it leads to
- Isaiah 41:24
Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable.
- Jeremiah 14:22
Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O LORD our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have…
- Isaiah 41:24
Through
Lamentations 3:66You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them from under Your heavens, O LORD.
it leads to
- Psalms 8:3
When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place—
- Psalms 8:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Jeremiah
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, Exposition of the Christian Faith 4.4.48; Augustine of Hippo, REPLY TO FAUSTUS THE MANICHAEAN 13:7; Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON 1 CORINTHIANS 20:5; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.