Jeremiah 10:11

11 Thus shall you say to them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the eretz, these shall perish from the eretz, and from under the heavens.

Jeremiah 10:11 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 10:11

Thus shall ye say unto them
The godly Jews to the idolatrous Chaldeans; and therefore this verse alone is written in the Chaldee language. The Targum prefaces it thus,

``this is the copy of the letter, which Jeremiah the prophet sent to the rest of the elders of the captivity in Babylon; and if the people among whom you are should say unto you, serve idols, O house of Israel; then shall ye answer, and so shall ye say unto them, the idols whom ye serve are errors, in whom there is no profit; from heaven they cannot bring down rain, and out of the earth they cannot produce fruit:''

so Jarchi observes: it follows in the text, the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall
perish from the earth, and from under these heavens;
which the Targum paraphrases thus,

``they and their worshippers shall perish from the earth, and shall be consumed from under these heavens.''

The words may be considered as a prediction that so it would be; or as an imprecation that so it might be, and be read, "let the gods"; and considered either way, being put into the mouth of the godly Jews in Babylon, to be openly pronounced by them in the midst of idolaters, and in answer to them, when they should be enticed to idolatry, show how open and ingenuous men should be in the profession of the true God, and his religion and worship: and it may be observed, against the deniers of the true deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, that if he is not that God that made the heavens and the earth, he lies under this imprecation or prediction.

Jeremiah 10:11 In-Context

9 There is silver beaten into plates, which is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Ufaz, the work of the artificer and of the hands of the goldsmith; blue and purple for their clothing; they are all the work of skillful men.

10 But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the eretz trembles, and the nations are not able to abide his indignation.

11 Thus shall you say to them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the eretz, these shall perish from the eretz, and from under the heavens.

12 He has made the eretz by his power, he has established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding has he stretched out the heavens:

13 when he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the eretz; he makes lightnings for the rain, and brings forth the wind out of his treasuries.