Jeremiah 10 11

Jeremiah 10:11 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.

Jeremiah 10:11 nkjv

Thus you shall say to them: "The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens."

Jeremiah 10:11 niv

"Tell them this: 'These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.'?"

Jeremiah 10:11 esv

Thus shall you say to them: "The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens."

Jeremiah 10:11 nlt

Say this to those who worship other gods: "Your so-called gods, who did not make the heavens and earth, will vanish from the earth and from under the heavens."

Jeremiah 10 11 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Deut 4:39Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.On the LORD's unique Godhood
Isa 44:6I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.On the LORD's uniqueness
Isa 45:5-6I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides me there is no God.On the LORD's sovereignty
Isa 45:21Have I not told you from of old? And I declare it.On God's eternal knowledge
Psa 18:31For who is God but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?On God's absolute power
Psa 86:10For you are great and do wonders; you alone are God.On God's greatness
1 Cor 8:4...that an idol is nothing in the world...On the nothingness of idols
1 Tim 2:5For there is one God and one Mediator...On the oneness of God
John 17:3And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God.On knowing the true God
Mark 12:29Jesus answered, "The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one."Christ affirming the Shema
Acts 17:24-25...the God who made the world and everything in it, since he is Lord of heaven and earth...God as Creator
Heb 1:10And, "In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth..."God as Creator
Rom 3:30...since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised by faith.On God's universal nature
Mal 2:10Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?On God as Father
John 4:24God is a Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.True worship
1 Chron 16:25For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.God's supremacy
Neh 9:6You alone are the LORD. You made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas, and all that is in them...God as sole Creator
Deut 32:39"See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me..."On God's uniqueness
Isa 43:10"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen..."God's witnesses
Isa 48:12"Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last."God's eternal nature

Jeremiah 10 verses

Jeremiah 10 11 Meaning

This verse declares that there is no other god besides the LORD. It specifically refutes the existence and power of idols, portraying them as inanimate objects made by human hands. The message is clear: the God of Israel is the one true God, supreme and without equal.

Jeremiah 10 11 Context

Jeremiah 10 is a powerful polemic against idolatry. The prophet is speaking to the exiles in Babylon, who are surrounded by pagan deities and tempted to adopt their practices. The preceding verses (Jeremiah 10:1-5) describe the foolishness and impotence of idols, highlighting that they are crafted by human hands from wood, silver, and gold. This verse directly confronts the superstitious belief that idols possessed divine power or had any existence beyond their material form. The message is designed to wean the Israelites away from the polytheistic practices of their captors and remind them of the exclusive sovereignty of the LORD.

Jeremiah 10 11 Word analysis

  • כֹּה (koh): "Thus" or "So." This is an adverb, indicating the manner or way something is done or declared. It acts as an introductory particle to the statement that follows, emphasizing the truth of what is about to be said.
  • אָמַר (amar): "Said" or "Declared." This is the perfect tense, third-person masculine singular of the verb "amar." It signifies a definitive statement or pronouncement. In this context, it refers to the pronouncements made about the idols by the surrounding nations or their worshipers.
  • יְהוָה (YHWH): "LORD" (in all caps, representing the Tetragrammaton). The personal covenantal name of God in the Old Testament. Its use here is crucial, connecting the condemnation of idols to the true God of Israel.
  • אֵין (ein): "There is not" or "There are not." A negative particle indicating absence or non-existence.
  • אֱלֹהִים (elohim): "God." This is the plural form of "El," used here generically for deity, but in this sentence it refers to the gods being contrasted with the LORD. The LORD is contrasted with the multiple, false gods claimed by other nations.
  • וְאֵין (wə'ein): "And there is not." A conjunctive particle "waw" (and) combined with the negative "ein" (there is not).
  • יֵשׁ (yesh): "There is" or "exists." In this negative context, "və'ein yesh" forms a strong negation, meaning "and there is not," reinforcing the previous statement of absence. It emphasizes that absolutely nothing else exists as a god.
  • אֲחֵרִים (’ăḥērîm): "Others." The masculine plural form of the adjective "acher" (other). This refers to other gods or deities besides the LORD. The word implies plurality and separation, which are attributed to false gods, not the one true God.

Words-group by words-group analysis

  • כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה (koh amar YHWH): "Thus said the LORD." This is a standard prophetic formula, establishing divine authority for the message that follows. It marks this statement as a direct communication from God himself.
  • אֵין אֱלֹהִים וְאֵין יֵשׁ אֲחֵרִים (ein elohim wə'ein yesh ’ăḥērîm): "There is no God, and there are no others." This phrase functions as a complete and forceful negation of polytheism. The construction "ein elohim" denies the existence of God, and then the phrase "wə'ein yesh acherim" specifically negates the existence of any other gods, leaving the LORD as the solitary and supreme deity. It is a powerful theological declaration of monotheism.

Jeremiah 10 11 Bonus section

This verse is unique in the Hebrew Bible as it is the only place where a sentence is spoken in Aramaic within an otherwise Hebrew prophetic text. The switch to Aramaic for this specific declaration highlights its foreignness and connects it directly to the idolatrous practices of the surrounding Gentile nations, from whom the exiles had likely picked up Aramaic. It emphasizes that the message condemning idols and asserting the LORD's sole deity is particularly relevant and necessary in the context of Babylonian polytheism, where Aramaic was a common language. This linguistic shift serves as a rhetorical device, alienating the foreign practice of idol worship from the authentic worship of the true God.

Jeremiah 10 11 Commentary

Jeremiah 10:11 is a pivotal verse in demonstrating the stark contrast between the God of Israel and the idols of the nations. It directly addresses and nullifies the worship of false gods. The surrounding nations boasted of their gods, attributing power and personhood to inanimate objects. Jeremiah, by divine revelation, declares that these claimed "gods" are nothing. They are fabricated, lacking any divine essence or power. This single verse encapsulates the essence of monotheism – the exclusive belief in one God. It challenges any syncretism or adoption of pagan beliefs and practices, reinforcing the unique covenantal relationship between the LORD and His people. The emphasis is on God's singular nature, His absolute sovereignty, and the futility of worshipping anything or anyone else.