Jeremiah 10:7

7 Who can fail to be impressed by you, King of the nations? It's your very nature to be worshiped! Look far and wide among the elite of the nations. The best they can come up with is nothing compared to you.

Jeremiah 10:7 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 10:7

Who would not fear thee, O King of nations?
&c.] Not that the fear of him among the nations was general, or that he was owned by them as their King; but inasmuch as of right he was their King, so he ought to have been feared and reverenced by them; and it was an instance of great stupidity and ingratitude not to do it. The Targum renders it,

``King of all people;''
and the Syriac version, "King of all worlds"; some reference seems to be had to this passage in ( Revelation 15:3 Revelation 15:4 ) , where, instead of "King of nations", the Lord is called "King of saints"; and there refers to a time when he will be feared, that is, worshipped and served by all nations, as he ought to be: for to thee doth it appertain;
that is, fear belongs to him, it is his due; and this, with keeping the commandments of God, is the whole duty of man. The Vulgate Latin version is, "thine is the glory"; honour or praise, as the Syriac version; and so Jarchi interprets it of beauty or glory; but the Targum,
``thine is the kingdom;''
and so Kimchi; and to which agrees the Arabic version. Forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their
kingdoms, there is none like unto thee;
that is, among all the wise kings of the nations, and all their wise counsellors, there is none like unto God for wisdom, or for glory and majesty; there is none of them that has such a kingdom as he has, or that governs it as he does; and as all their power and government, so all that wisdom by which they manage their political affairs, are from him.

Jeremiah 10:7 In-Context

5 It's like a scarecrow in a cabbage patch - can't talk! Dead wood that has to be carried - can't walk! Don't be impressed by such stuff. It's useless for either good or evil."
6 All this is nothing compared to you, O God. You're wondrously great, famously great.
7 Who can fail to be impressed by you, King of the nations? It's your very nature to be worshiped! Look far and wide among the elite of the nations. The best they can come up with is nothing compared to you.
8 Stupidly, they line them up - a lineup of sticks, good for nothing but making smoke.
9 Gilded with silver foil from Tarshish, covered with gold from Uphaz, Hung with violet and purple fabrics - no matter how fancy the sticks, they're still sticks.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.