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 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 16:21 | "Therefore I will make them know, this once I will make them know my hand and my might, and they shall know that my name is the LORD." | Jeremiah 32:18 |
| Psalm 49:7-9 | "Truly, no man can ransom another, or give to God the price for his life, for the costly indeed is the ransom of life, and must be let alone forever—" | Isaiah 53:7-9, 11, 12 |
| Isaiah 43:25 | "I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; I will not remember your sins." | Psalm 103:12 |
| Acts 4:12 | "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” | John 14:6, 1 Tim 2:5 |
| Romans 3:23-24 | "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," | Eph 1:7, Col 1:14 |
| 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 | "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you have been purchased with a price. So glorify God in your body." | 1 Cor 7:23, 1 Pet 1:18-19 |
| 1 Timothy 2:5 | "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus," | Hebrews 8:6, 9:15 |
| Hebrews 9:28 | "so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him." | Hebrews 7:27 |
| 1 Peter 1:18-19 | "knowing that you were ransomed from your futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." | Acts 20:28, Rev 5:9 |
| Ephesians 1:7 | "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace," | Col 1:14, Heb 1:3 |
| Psalm 130:3 | "If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?" | Rom 3:20, Gal 2:16 |
| Job 33:24 | "then he is gracious to him, and says to the angel: ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom;’" | Job 1:5, Prov 10:2 |
| Jeremiah 32:27 | "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?" | Gen 18:14, Matt 19:26 |
| John 1:14 | "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." | John 3:16, 1 John 4:9-10 |
| Colossians 1:14 | "in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." | Eph 1:7, Heb 1:3 |
| Romans 8:34 | "Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." | Heb 7:25, 1 John 2:1 |
| 1 John 5:20 | "We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." | John 17:3, Acts 4:12 |
| 2 Corinthians 5:19 | "that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." | Rom 5:10, Col 1:21-22 |
| Titus 2:13-14 | "waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." | 1 Cor 1:30, Eph 5:25-27 |
| Philippians 3:20 | "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ," | John 3:31, Heb 12:22-24 |
Jeremiah 16 verses
Jeremiah 16 20 Meaning
No human can redeem another person. Salvation and redemption come only from God.
Jeremiah 16 20 Context
Jeremiah 16 prophesies about the impending judgment upon Israel for their idolatry and sins. Verse 20 follows a description of how their gods, whom they created, are worthless and cannot help them. It asserts that their false gods are "nothing." This verse, therefore, serves as a strong contrast, emphasizing that genuine help and salvation can only come from the one true God. The chapter overall details the consequences of turning away from the LORD and highlights God's ultimate sovereignty and power.
Jeremiah 16 20 Word Analysis
- "For": Indicates a reason or consequence that follows.
- "man": Refers to any human being, highlighting the inability of mankind.
- "can": Denotes ability or power.
- "redeem": The Hebrew word is ga'al, meaning to act as a kinsman-redeemer, to buy back, to deliver from bondage or distress, or to claim possession. This implies a familial or legal right to rescue.
- "another": Any other person.
- "or": Presents an alternative, yet equally impossible, option.
- "give": To bestow or offer something.
- "to": Directs the action towards God.
- "God": The Supreme Being.
- "his": Pertaining to a person's individual life or being.
- "ransom": A price paid to secure release from captivity, sin, or death. The Hebrew is kopher, signifying a price of covering or atonement.
Group of Words Analysis:
- "man can redeem another": This phrase directly contrasts the capabilities of humans with the nature of true redemption. No human has the inherent power or the legal standing to deliver another from the consequences of sin. This would require a perfect sacrifice and the authority to pay the ultimate price.
- "or give to God his ransom": This extends the impossibility. Not only can one human not redeem another, but no one can personally provide an adequate price to God for their own or another's sin. The concept of ransom implies a payment acceptable to divine justice, which human works cannot provide.
Jeremiah 16 20 Bonus Section
This verse profoundly underlines the doctrine of original sin and humanity's fallen state. Since all are born with a sinful nature and are debtors to divine justice, none can naturally overcome this inherited condition or pay the debt owed. The verse is a prelude to God's declaration in the following verse that He will make His own power known. This points forward to God's redemptive plan enacted through His Son, Jesus Christ, the perfect Redeemer and the sufficient Ransom (1 Peter 1:18-19). The absolute exclusivity of God as the source of salvation, as stated here, is mirrored in the New Testament declaration that "there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Jeremiah 16 20 Commentary
Jeremiah 16:20 emphatically declares the absolute insufficiency of humanity to save itself or any other person. In ancient Israelite society, the concept of a "kinsman-redeemer" (ga'al) was known (e.g., Ruth). However, this verse establishes that no human ga'al can provide the ultimate redemption from sin. False gods, as described earlier in the chapter, are utterly powerless. Similarly, human effort, wisdom, or authority cannot secure freedom from sin and death. This truth points directly to the necessity of divine intervention. God Himself must provide the redeemer and the ransom. The New Testament explains that this divine Redeemer is Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice paid the ultimate ransom for all who believe. Human efforts to "earn" salvation are futile because only Christ's atoning work is sufficient.