Jeremiah 10:8 kjv
But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.
Jeremiah 10:8 nkjv
But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.
Jeremiah 10:8 niv
They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols.
Jeremiah 10:8 esv
They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction of idols is but wood!
Jeremiah 10:8 nlt
People who worship idols are stupid and foolish.
The things they worship are made of wood!
Jeremiah 10 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 92:6 | "The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this..." | Link between folly and spiritual understanding. |
| Psa 49:10 | "Indeed, he sees that even the wise die...and leave their wealth to others." | Foolishness applies to those lacking divine wisdom. |
| Rom 1:21-22 | "For although they knew God...their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools..." | Idolatry leads to darkened minds and foolishness. |
| 2 Pet 2:12 | "But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed..." | People who reject God act like unreasoning beasts. |
| Jud 10 | "But these people scoff at things they don’t understand. And what they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals, leads to their destruction." | Rejection of truth akin to animalistic ignorance. |
| Deut 32:21 | "...they provoked me with their worthless idols..." | Idols explicitly called "worthless things" (havalim). |
| 1 Sam 12:21 | "Do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty." | Folly of pursuing profitless idols. |
| Psa 31:6 | "I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols..." | God's condemnation of worthless idols. |
| Jon 2:8 | "Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love." | Idolatry leads to abandonment of divine favor. |
| Zec 10:2 | "For the household gods utter nonsense..." | Idols provide meaningless counsel. |
| Psa 115:4-7 | "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak..." | Detailed description of idols' lifelessness. |
| Psa 135:15-17 | "The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak..." | Similar to Psalm 115, emphasizing inertness. |
| Isa 44:9-20 | "All who fashion idols are nothing...He cuts down cedars...then part of it he burns...and makes a god." | Extensive polemic against idol-making and its folly. |
| Hab 2:18-19 | "What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it...woe to him who says to a wooden thing, ‘Awake!’" | Ridicule for expecting life from inanimate objects. |
| Rom 1:23 | "They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things." | Humanity's turning from Creator to creation. |
| Psa 115:8 | "Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them." | Key consequence: idolaters become like their idols. |
| Psa 135:18 | "Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them." | Reinforces the spiritual transformation of idolaters. |
| Jer 10:1-16 | (Whole chapter context) | Extended comparison of the Lord and idols. |
| Deut 4:28 | "And there you will serve gods of wood and stone, the work of human hands, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell." | Prophecy of exile and serving powerless idols. |
| Isa 40:18-20 | "To whom then will you liken God...An idol? A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it..." | Challenging comparison of God to idols. |
| Isa 41:21-24 | "Set forth your case, says the LORD; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob...your works are nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you." | God challenges idols to demonstrate power. |
| 1 Cor 8:4-6 | "Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that ‘an idol has no real existence,’ and that ‘there is no God but one.’" | Apostolic teaching on the non-existence of idols. |
| Gal 4:8-9 | "Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God..." | Freedom from slavery to false gods. |
Jeremiah 10 verses
Jeremiah 10 8 Meaning
Jeremiah 10:8 asserts that those who worship or rely on idols are uniformly brutish and foolish in their understanding. It declares that the entire body of instruction or wisdom derived from these worthless idols is, fundamentally, nothing more than wood, emphasizing its absolute lifelessness, inability to teach truth, and inherent worthlessness. The verse directly contrasts the living, wise God with inert, human-made objects and highlights the spiritual blindness and irrationality of idolatry.
Jeremiah 10 8 Context
Jeremiah chapter 10 is a vivid and stark contrast between the living God of Israel and the powerless, manufactured idols worshipped by surrounding nations and increasingly, by elements within Judah. The verses preceding 10:8 establish that the customs of the nations are futile, specifically describing the making and decorating of idols of wood, silver, and gold. Jeremiah ridicules the elaborate crafting of these objects, which are then fixed with nails and hammers to prevent them from toppling over, thus needing protection themselves. Within this scathing polemic, verse 8 serves to summarize the intellectual and spiritual degradation that results from embracing such practices. It directly links the futility of the idols to the foolishness of their devotees, underscoring that the instruction received from these inanimate objects is as void and lifeless as the wood from which they are fashioned. This forms a core argument against syncretism and polytheism, asserting the uniqueness and sole sovereignty of Yahweh.
Jeremiah 10 8 Word analysis
But they are altogether brutish and foolish
- they: Refers to those who follow the customs of the nations mentioned in verse 3, the makers and worshippers of idols.
- altogether (
כִּאֶחָד- ki'ekhad): Literally "as one" or "unitedly." This adverb intensifies the description, suggesting a complete and universal state. It implies a collective and pervasive nature of their brutishness and foolishness, indicating a shared, fundamental characteristic, not just individual isolated cases. - brutish (
בַּעֲרוּ- ba'aru): Derived from a root meaning "to be dull, stupid, block-headed," often referring to the unthinking nature of animals (e.g., Ps 49:10, 73:22). It signifies a profound lack of spiritual perception or reason, a fundamental ignorance of divine truth, a chosen state of irrationality regarding God. - and foolish (
וְנוֹאֲלוּ- v'no'alu): From a root meaning "to be foolish, contemptible, despicable." This term suggests more than just a lack of intelligence; it often implies moral and spiritual depravity, a state of folly resulting from rejecting God's wisdom and choosing what is inherently worthless (e.g., Prov 1:7, Rom 1:21-22). The conjunction "and" links this with "brutish," compounding the severity of the description, indicating both a natural spiritual denseness and a chosen perversity.
the discipline of idols is wood
- discipline (
מוּסַר- musar): This significant term often means "instruction," "chastisement," "correction," or "training" in the context of wisdom literature (e.g., Prov 1:2-3, Job 20:3). Here, it refers to the supposed teaching, knowledge, or worldview gained from worshipping or engaging with idols. It sarcastically points out what is learned or derived from these objects. - of idols (
הֲבָלִים- havalim): Literally "vanities," "emptiness," "worthless things." This is a key biblical term for idols, underscoring their utter lack of substance, power, or value. They are not merely alternative gods but entirely nothing (e.g., 1 Sam 12:21). The discipline, therefore, comes from non-existence. - is wood (
עֵץ הוּא- etz hu): "Wood it is." This highly literal statement concludes the critique with a blunt and profound pronouncement. It strips away any illusion of spiritual power or meaning, reducing the entire system of idolatry and its perceived benefits to the simple, inert material it comprises. It underscores that any "instruction" derived from idols is as lifeless and powerless as a piece of wood, unable to impart truth, wisdom, or life. Theהוּא(hu - "it is") adds emphasis.
- discipline (
Jeremiah 10 8 Bonus section
The Hebrew word בער (ba'ar), translated "brutish," frequently carries the connotation of a lack of spiritual understanding or discernment rather than just intellectual deficiency. It suggests an unthinking, instinctive existence akin to animals (Psa 49:10, 73:22). This underscores that the primary issue is a spiritual blindness that actively resists divine truth. Similarly, נאל (na'al), "foolish," implies a moral and spiritual depravity where one acts against God's wisdom, choosing evil or unrighteousness (Prov 1:7). The combined effect (ba'aru v'no'alu) paints a picture of comprehensive moral and intellectual decay, illustrating how idolatry fundamentally distorts one's spiritual and ethical perception. The irony lies in people expending immense effort and resources on crafting and adoring these havalim (worthless things) only to find that the very object of their worship offers a "discipline" (musar) that amounts to etz (wood) – an utter void of spiritual meaning or profit. This exposes idolatry not merely as a theological error but as profound practical absurdity.
Jeremiah 10 8 Commentary
Jeremiah 10:8 powerfully deconstructs the intellectual and spiritual foundations of idolatry. It indicts idolaters as being "altogether brutish and foolish," signifying a comprehensive and unified state of spiritual denseness and moral folly that grips those who abandon the living God for man-made deities. This is not merely a critique of their intelligence but a condemnation of their chosen irrationality and spiritual blindness in preferring lifeless objects to the Creator. The use of "brutish" and "foolish" emphasizes a fundamental inability or unwillingness to grasp divine truth, a regression to an unreasoning state, choosing absurdity over revelation.
The punchline, "the discipline of idols is wood," is a sarcastic and devastating indictment. If idols are worshipped for guidance, protection, or blessing, then any "teaching" or "wisdom" derived from them is literally nothing more than the inert material from which they are fashioned. A piece of wood cannot speak, save, or instruct. It offers no life, no true understanding, no path to salvation. Thus, to learn from idols is to learn emptiness, to be disciplined by nothing of value, leading only to self-deception and spiritual death. This verse underscores the radical monotheism of Israel and the clear distinction between the sovereign, omnipotent Creator and the futile fabrications of human hands, reinforcing that true wisdom and life come only from the Lord.
- Example 1: Just as a student learning from a broken, empty pen would gain no knowledge, so one learning from an idol gains no truth.
- Example 2: Expecting spiritual insight from a stone statue is as logical as expecting deep conversation from a chair.