Jeremiah 10:16
in Jeremiah 10The Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance—the LORD of Hosts is His name.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The portion of Jacob is not like these; for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance: Jehovah of hosts is his name.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Jeremiah 10
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe Portion of Jacob is not like them - Every nation had its tutelary god; this was its portion; in reference to this God says Deu 4:19, “He has divided the sun, moon, and stars, to all the nations under the heaven.” And the Lord had taken the Israelites to be his portion; for “the Lord’s portion is his people,” Deu 32:9, and David says, “The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance,” Psa 16:5; Psa 119:67. And hence Isaiah terms the smooth stones of the brook, to which Divine honors were paid, the portion of those idolaters, Isa 57:
This site's exposition
every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols
on Jeremiah 10:14-16
The words “every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols” make the craftsman the idol's accuser, for “there is no breath in them”. Verse 16 answers with “The Portion of Jacob”, the God who is “the Maker of all things”, and Israel is “the tribe of His inheritance”.
This site's exposition
The Portion of Jacob
Each nation claimed a guardian god as its portion, Clarke notes, and Deuteronomy 4:19 speaks of the sun, moon and stars allotted to the peoples. Israel's portion is the LORD, and Deuteronomy 32:9 calls his people his portion in return. The belonging runs both ways.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The portion of Jacob is not like them,....
This is the name by which they know him, which they first give him the glory of and then take to themselves the comfort of. [4.] Herein God's people are happy above all other people, happy indeed, bona si sua norint--did they but know their blessedness.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
portion--from a Hebrew root, "to divide." God is the all-sufficient Good of His people (Nu 18:20; La 3:24). not like them--not like the idols, a vain object of trust (De 32:31). former of all things--the Fashioner (as a potter, Isa 64:8) of the universe. rod of his inheritance--The portion marked off as His inheritance by the measuring rod (Eze 48:21).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The portion, of Jacob - i. e., Yahweh. He is not like gods made by a carpenter and goldsmith. Of all things - literally, of the all, the universe. The rod of his inheritance - See Psa 74:2; compare Isa 63:17. The rod is the scepter, and Israel the people over whom Yahweh especially rules.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| כְאֵ֜לֶּה | kheeleh | [is] like these | H428 → | 746 times |
| חֵ֣לֶק | chelek | [the] portion of | H2506 → | |
| יַעֲקֹ֗ב | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יוֹצֵ֤ר | yotzer | [is [the] one who] formed | H3335 → | 62 times |
| הַכֹּל֙ | hakol | <of the> everything | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| ה֔וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וְיִ֨שְׂרָאֵ֔ל | veyisrael | and Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| שֵׁ֖בֶט | shevet | [is] [the] tribe of | H7626 → | |
| נַֽחֲלָת֑וֹ | nachalato | inheritance his | H5159 → | 222 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | [is] Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צְבָא֖וֹת | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
| שְׁמֽוֹ׃ ס | shemo | name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
כְאֵ֜לֶּה[is] like these
kheelehH428 →746 times
חֵ֣לֶק[the] portion of
chelekH2506 →
יַעֲקֹ֗בJacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יוֹצֵ֤ר[is [the] one who] formed
yotzerH3335 →62 times
הַכֹּל֙<of the> everything
hakolH3605 →5413 times
ה֔וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
וְיִ֨שְׂרָאֵ֔לand Israel
veyisraelH3478 →2507 times
שֵׁ֖בֶט[is] [the] tribe of
shevetH7626 →
נַֽחֲלָת֑וֹinheritance his
nachalatoH5159 →222 times
יְהוָ֥ה[is] Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צְבָא֖וֹתof hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 times
שְׁמֽוֹ׃ סname his
shemoH8034 →864 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
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 119:57The LORD is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words.
it leads to
- Lamentations 3:24
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”
- Psalms 16:5
The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure.
- Psalms 142:5
I cry to You, O LORD: “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”
- Psalms 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
- Lamentations 3:24
Through
Jeremiah 10:12The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.
it leads to
- Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
- Job 9:8
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
- Proverbs 3:19
The LORD founded the earth by wisdom and established the heavens by understanding.
- Genesis 1:1
Through
Deuteronomy 32:9But the LORD’s portion is His people, Jacob His allotted inheritance.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:9–10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
- 1 Peter 2:9–10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Jeremiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.