Jeremiah 51:17
in Jeremiah 51Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Every man is become brutish and is without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
KJV
Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
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This verse in Jeremiah 51
Commentary
5 notes on this verseEvery man is brutish by his knowledge - He is brutish for want of real knowledge; and he is brutish when he acknowledges that an idol is any thing in the world. These verses, from fifteen to nineteen, are transcribed from Jer 10:12-16.
This site's exposition
The LORD made the earth by His power
on Jeremiah 51:15-19
This hymn repeats 10:12-16 almost word for word. It sets the Maker against idols: “his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.” Verse 19 closes, “The Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things.”
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The idols are falsehood, they are vanity, they are the work of errors; when they come to be visited (to be examined and enquired into) they perish, that is, their reputation sinks and they appear to be nothing; and those that make them are like unto them.
Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. See Gill on Jer 10:14.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Repeated from Jer 10:12-16; except that "Israel" is not in the Hebrew of Jer 51:19, which ought, therefore, to be translated, "He is the Former of all things, and (therefore) of the rod of His inheritance" (that is, of the nation peculiarly His own).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| נִבְעַ֤ר | nivar | he is stupid | H1197 → | 94 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אָדָם֙ | ʾadam | person | H120 → | 551 times |
| מִדַּ֔עַת | midaat | from knowledge | H1847 → | 92 times |
| הֹבִ֥ישׁ | hovish | he is put to shame | H954 → | 127 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| צֹרֵ֖ף | tzoref | metalsmith | H6884 → | 33 times |
| מִפָּ֑סֶל | mipasel | from [the] idol | H6459 → | |
| כִּ֛י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| שֶׁ֥קֶר | sheker | [is] deception | H8267 → | 113 times |
| נִסְכּ֖וֹ | nisko | molten image his | H5262 → | 64 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| ר֥וּחַ | ruach | breath | H7307 → | 378 times |
| בָּֽם׃ | bam | [is] in <the> them |
נִבְעַ֤רhe is stupid
nivarH1197 →94 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אָדָם֙person
ʾadamH120 →551 times
מִדַּ֔עַתfrom knowledge
midaatH1847 →92 times
הֹבִ֥ישׁhe is put to shame
hovishH954 →127 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
צֹרֵ֖ףmetalsmith
tzorefH6884 →33 times
מִפָּ֑סֶלfrom [the] idol
mipaselH6459 →
כִּ֛יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
שֶׁ֥קֶר[is] deception
shekerH8267 →113 times
נִסְכּ֖וֹmolten image his
niskoH5262 →64 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
ר֥וּחַbreath
ruachH7307 →378 times
בָּֽם׃[is] in <the> them
bam
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
Jeremiah 10:14Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.
it leads to
- Psalms 135:16–18
They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see;
- Psalms 115:4–8
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
- Isaiah 46:7–8
They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not…
- Habakkuk 2:18–19
What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.
- Isaiah 44:18–20
They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.
- Psalms 135:16–18
Through
Psalms 14:2The LORD looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God.
it leads to
- Romans 3:11
There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
- Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
- Psalms 33:13–14
The LORD looks down from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.
- Romans 3:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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.