Jeremiah 16 20

Jeremiah 16:20 kjv

Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?

Jeremiah 16:20 nkjv

Will a man make gods for himself, Which are not gods?

Jeremiah 16:20 niv

Do people make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!"

Jeremiah 16:20 esv

Can man make for himself gods? Such are not gods!"

Jeremiah 16:20 nlt

Can people make their own gods?
These are not real gods at all!"

Jeremiah 16 verses

Jeremiah 16 20 Meaning

Jeremiah 16:20 declares the inherent absurdity and futility of idolatry. It poses a rhetorical question, asking if a created human being can genuinely fashion divine entities, immediately followed by an emphatic negative answer: any object made by human hands holds no genuine divinity. The verse underscores the vast qualitative difference between the one true God, who creates all, and man-made idols, which are inert and powerless.

Jeremiah 16 20 Context

Jeremiah 16 describes the severe judgment Yahweh is bringing upon Judah for its persistent apostasy and idolatry. The chapter opens with Jeremiah forbidden to marry or have children as a sign of the impending desolation. Verses 10-13 specifically link the coming exile and suffering to their worship of "other gods" which neither Jeremiah's ancestors nor the present generation knew. Following this grim prophecy of judgment, verses 14-18 provide a glimmer of hope concerning a future restoration and the ingathering of Israel, followed by further denunciation of sin. Jeremiah 16:19-21 then shifts to an unexpected future when nations (gentiles), currently immersed in idol worship, will realize the utter futility of their practices and turn to Yahweh. Verse 20, "Can man make for himself gods? Yet they are no gods!", functions as the theological underpinning for this future conversion, exposing the core error of idolatry that the nations will eventually grasp. It is a sharp polemic against the prevalent polytheism and image worship of the ancient Near East, where gods were often personified natural forces or crafted images associated with specific places or powers. The prophet directly challenges the belief system that granted power to human-made objects, asserting the exclusive claim of Yahweh as the one true, uncreated God.

Jeremiah 16 20 Word analysis

• Can man make for himself gods?
  • Can: The Hebrew term here (יַעֲשֶׂה, ya'aseh, derived from עָשָׂה, asah, to do/make) is a rhetorical question. It implies an emphatic negative; the answer expected is "Surely not!" or "How absurd!". This isn't asking about capability but legitimacy and truth.
  • man (אָדָם, adam): Refers to humanity, emphasizing human beings as finite, created entities. The profound contrast is drawn between adam (the created) and elohim (the creator/divine), highlighting the inherent impossibility of a created being generating a god.
  • make (עָשָׂה, asah): To produce, to craft, to fabricate. This verb underscores human effort, craftsmanship, and the material nature of idols, starkly different from the uncreated, self-existent nature of the true God.
  • for himself: This phrase implies self-interest and autonomy. Idolatry often stems from humanity's desire to control or create a god in its own image, conforming to human needs and desires, rather than submitting to a transcendent deity.
  • gods (אֱלֹהִים, elohim): While Elohim is often used for the one true God in Scripture, its usage here, in the context of being "made by man," unambiguously refers to false deities, idols, or mere statues endowed with fabricated sanctity by their makers. Its plurality (implicitly in the form elohim which is grammatically plural) here emphasizes the numerous false objects of worship.
• Yet they are no gods!
  • Yet (וְ, ve): This conjunction functions as a strong adversative, "and yet" or "but," forcefully introducing the inescapable and undeniable truth that refutes the possibility raised by the preceding rhetorical question.
  • they: Refers directly back to the "gods" that man attempts to make for himself – the idols, the man-made images.
  • are no gods! (לֹא אֱלֹהִים, lo elohim): This is an absolute, emphatic negation. It is a declarative statement that unequivocally asserts the non-divine, powerless, and utterly false nature of man-made deities. They are fundamentally devoid of any genuine divine essence or power, reducing them to mere material objects. This truth serves as the logical endpoint of the earlier rhetorical query.

Jeremiah 16 20 Bonus section

• This verse represents a core polemic against the pervasive syncretism and polytheism of the ancient Near East. Judah, frequently tempted by the worship of Baal, Asherah, and other regional deities, is confronted with the fundamental truth of these practices' emptiness. The concept that a human can make a god inherently degrades the nature of true divinity, revealing the "god" as subservient to its creator (man) rather than transcendent over all creation.
• The rhetorical structure, moving from question to declarative statement, is a common prophetic device used to engage the audience and then forcefully present divine truth, leaving no room for argument. It appeals to common sense and basic theological reasoning.
• The emphasis on "making" and "hands" directly challenges the common cultural practice of carving or molding images, then ritually consecrating them to invite a divine presence. Jeremiah reveals this as fundamentally misguided; one cannot confer divinity upon matter through ritual or craft.
• This verse lays groundwork for a future hope, not just of Israel's return from exile, but for a global recognition of Yahweh. The "nations" (goyim) referenced in Jer 16:19 are depicted as ultimately realizing this very truth: "Surely our fathers have inherited lies, futility, and things in which there is no profit." The understanding that humanly made gods "are no gods" is essential for true repentance and turning to the living God.

Jeremiah 16 20 Commentary

Jeremiah 16:20 serves as a pivotal theological statement within the prophet's message against idolatry. The first part, "Can man make for himself gods?", presents a rhetorical question so self-evident in its expected negative answer that it immediately highlights the absurdity of the very notion. A created being, confined by the limits of its own createdness, lacks the capacity to bring forth a truly divine being. God is, by definition, uncreated and eternal, the source of all being, whereas human production involves working with pre-existent materials, reflecting a finite, dependent capacity. The phrase "for himself" further reveals the ego-centric nature of idolatry—an attempt to establish self-made deities accountable only to human desires and control.

The second part, "Yet they are no gods!", functions as an unyielding and definitive declaration, answering the rhetorical question with absolute certainty. These human constructs, whether of wood, stone, or metal, are utterly devoid of any intrinsic power, consciousness, or divinity. They are lifeless, speechless, and helpless, mere products of human labor. This declaration strips idols of all religious efficacy, power, and even existence as genuine deities. It's a foundational truth for Israel and, as Jeremiah 16:19-21 suggests, for the future conversion of the nations. It underscores Yahweh's uniqueness and sole claim to divinity, providing the essential distinction between the one true, living God and the lifeless creations of man. This truth invites profound self-reflection, demonstrating the profound delusion involved in trusting what one's own hands have fashioned rather than the transcendent Creator.