Jeremiah 16:20

20 numquid faciet sibi homo deos et ipsi non sunt dii

Jeremiah 16:20 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 16:20

Shall a man make gods unto himself
Can a man make his own gods? a poor, weak, mortal man? can he make gods of gold, silver, brass, wood, or stone? can he put deity into them? and when he has made images of these, can he be so stupid as to account them gods, and worship them? can he be so sottish, and void of understanding, as to imagine that anything that is made by himself or any other, can be God? and they are no gods;
that are made by men; he only is the true God, that is the Maker and Creator of all things; or they are no gods themselves that pretend to make them, and therefore how should they make gods? can they give that which they have not? or impart deity to others which they have not themselves? These words are a continuation of the speech of the Gentiles, and contain their reasonings, exposing the folly of their idolatrous ancestors: though some take them to be the words of God, or of the prophet, inveighing against the Jews for their stupidity in worshipping idols; when the Gentiles were convinced of the folly and vanity of such practices, and acknowledged it.

Jeremiah 16:20 In-Context

18 et reddam primum duplices iniquitates et peccata eorum quia contaminaverunt terram meam in morticinis idolorum suorum et abominationibus suis impleverunt hereditatem meam
19 Domine fortitudo mea et robur meum et refugium meum in die tribulationis ad te gentes venient ab extremis terrae et dicent vere mendacium possederunt patres nostri vanitatem quae eis non profuit
20 numquid faciet sibi homo deos et ipsi non sunt dii
21 idcirco ecce ego ostendam eis per vicem hanc ostendam eis manum meam et virtutem meam et scient quia nomen mihi Dominus
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.