Jeremiah 10

Jeremiah 10

The big picture

Jeremiah 10 opens in verse 1 with “Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:”, reaches its middle movement near verse 13 with “When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he…”, and closes in verse 25 with “Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, earth, heavens, work, brutish. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.

Scripture beside the summary

Jeremiah · King James Version · 25

Jeremiah 10:1-7

1–7: Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

Jeremiah 10:1–7 opens with “Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:” and reaches “Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 10 develops its own movement around LORD, earth, heavens, work, brutish, with particular weight carried by LORD, dismayed, forasmuch.

Context that brings the passage to life

This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.

“Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:” Naming Hear and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Thus saith the LORD , Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen…” Naming Learn keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

Jeremiah 10:1-7

King James Version

1Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

2Thus saith the LORD , Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

3For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

4They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

5They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

6Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD ; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.

7Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.

Jeremiah 10:8-14

8–14: They are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of…

Jeremiah 10:8–14 opens with “But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.” and reaches “Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 10 develops its own movement around LORD, earth, heavens, work, brutish, with particular weight carried by earth, heavens, brutish.

Context that brings the passage to life

“But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.” The line’s distinctive content terms include altogether, brutish, doctrine. Its relationship to verses 9 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of…” Naming Silver and Tarshish keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

Jeremiah 10:8-14

King James Version

8But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.

9Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.

10But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

11Thus 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.

12He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.

13When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

14Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

Jeremiah 10:15-21

15–21: They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation…

Jeremiah 10:15–21 opens with “They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.” and reaches “For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD : therefore they shall not…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 10 develops its own movement around LORD, earth, heavens, work, brutish, with particular weight carried by LORD, land, bear.

Context that brings the passage to life

“They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance…” Naming Israel and Jacob keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

Jeremiah 10:15-21

King James Version

15They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

16The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name.

17Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.

18For thus saith the LORD , Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so.

19Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.

20My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

21For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD : therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.

Jeremiah 10:22-25

22–25: Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the…

Jeremiah 10:22–25 opens with “Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make…” and reaches “Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 10 develops its own movement around LORD, earth, heavens, work, brutish, with particular weight carried by desolate, know, LORD.

Context that brings the passage to life

“Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah…” Naming Judah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

Jeremiah 10:22-25

King James Version

22Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.

23O LORD , I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

24O LORD , correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

25Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.

Details worth noticing

25verses in this reading
4major movements
1verses with speech
1questions in the KJV text

The opening image

Jeremiah 10:1 begins with “Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:”

Where the chapter turns

Jeremiah 10:10 forms a natural hinge: “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to…”

The final note

Jeremiah 10:25 leaves the reader with “Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and…”

A word trail through the chapter

The words LORD, earth, heavens, work, brutish, heathen help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.

Why list the nations before introducing Abram?

The blessing promised through Abram will concern the families of the earth, not an isolated group.

What organizes the table?

Families, lands, nations and languages recur, linking people with place and relationship.

KJV words made clear

behold
look, or pay close attention
unto
to
thee
you
thou
you
thy
your

Text first

Where readers differ

The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.

The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.

Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.