Jeremiah 10

13. Literally, "At the voice of His giving forth," that is, when He thunders. ( Job 38:34 , Psalms 29:3-5 ).
waters--( Genesis 1:7 )--above the firmament; heavy rains accompany thunder.
vapours . . . ascend--( Psalms 135:7 ).
treasures--His stores.

14. in his knowledge--"is rendered brutish by his skill," namely, in idol-making ( Jeremiah 10:8 Jeremiah 10:9 ). Thus the parallel, "confounded by the graven image," corresponds (so Jeremiah 51:17 ). Others not so well translate, "without knowledge," namely, of God (see Isaiah 42:17 , 45:16 , Hosea 4:6 ).

15. errors--deceptions; from a Hebrew root, "to stutter"; then meaning "to mock."
their visitation they--When God shall punish the idol-worshippers (namely, by Cyrus), the idols themselves shall be destroyed [ROSENMULLER] ( Jeremiah 10:11 ).

16. portion--from a Hebrew root, "to divide." God is the all-sufficient Good of His people ( Numbers 18:20 , Psalms 16:5 , 73:26 , Lamentations 3:24 ).
not like them--not like the idols, a vain object of trust ( Deuteronomy 32:31 ).
former of all things--the Fashioner (as a potter, Isaiah 64:8 ) of the universe.
rod of his inheritance--The portion marked off as His inheritance by the measuring rod ( Ezekiel 48:21 ). As He is their portion, so are they His portion ( Deuteronomy 32:9 ). A reciprocal tie (compare Jeremiah 51:19 , Psalms 74:2 , Margin). Others make "rod" refer to the tribal rod or scepter.

17. wares--thine effects or movable goods ( Ezekiel 12:3 ). Prepare for migrating as captives to Babylon. The address is to Jerusalem, as representative of the whole people.
inhabitant of the fortress--rather, "inhabitress of the fortress." Though thou now seemest to inhabit an impregnable fortress, thou shalt have to remove. "The land" is the champaign region opposed to the "fortified" cities. The "fortress" being taken, the whole "land" will share the disaster. HENDERSON translates, "Gather up thy packages from the ground." ROSENMULLER, for "fortress," translates, "siege," that is, the besieged city. The various articles, in this view, are supposed to be lying about in confusion on the ground during the siege.

18. sling out--expressing the violence and suddenness of the removal to Babylon. A similar image occurs in Jeremiah 16:13 , 1 Samuel 25:29 , Isaiah 22:17 Isaiah 22:18 .
at this once--at this time, now.
find it so--find it by experience, that is, feel it ( Ezekiel 6:10 ). MICHAELIS translates, "I will bind them together (as in a sling) that they may reach the goal" (Babylon). English Version is best: "that they may find it so as I have said" ( Numbers 23:19 , Ezekiel 6:10 ).

19. Judea bewails its calamity.
wound--the stroke I suffer under.
I must bear--not humble submission to God's will ( Micah 7:9 ), but sullen impenitence. Or, rather, it is prophetical of their ultimate acknowledgment of their guilt as the cause of their calamity ( Lamentations 3:39 ).

20. tabernacle is spoiled--metaphor from the tents of nomadic life; as these are taken down in a few moments, so as not to leave a vestige of them, so Judea ( Jeremiah 4:20 ).
cords--with which the coverings of the tent are extended.
curtains--tent-curtains.

21. pastors--the rulers, civil and religious. This verse gives the cause of the impending calamity.

22. bruit--rumor of invasion. The antithesis is between the voice of God in His prophets to whom they turned a deaf ear, and the cry of the enemy, a new teacher, whom they must hear [CALVIN].
north country--Babylon ( Jeremiah 1:15 ).

23. Despairing of influencing the people, he turns to God.
way of man not in himself--( Proverbs 16:1 , 20:24 , James 4:13 James 4:14 ). I know, O Jehovah, that the march of the Babylonian conqueror against me (Jeremiah identifying himself with his people) is not at his own discretion, but is overruled by Thee ( Isaiah 10:5-7 ; compare Jeremiah 10:19 ).
that walketh--when he walketh, that is, sets out in any undertaking.
direct . . . steps--to give a prosperous issue to ( Psalms 73:23 ).

24, 25. Since I (my nation) must be corrected (justice requiring it because of the deep guilt of the nation), I do not deprecate all chastisement, but pray only for moderation in it ( Jeremiah 30:11 , Psalms 6:1 , 38:1 ); and that the full tide of Thy fury may be poured out on the heathen invaders for their cruelty towards Thy people. Psalms 79:6 Psalms 79:7 , a psalm to be referred to the time of the captivity, its composer probably repeated this from Jeremiah. The imperative, "Pour out," is used instead of the future, expressing vividly the certainty of the prediction, and that the word of God itself effects its own declarations. Accordingly, the Jews were restored after correction; the Babylonians were utterly extinguished.
know thee . . . call . . . on thy name--Knowledge of God is the beginning of piety; calling on Him the fruit.
heathen . . . Jacob--He reminds God of the distinction He has made between His people whom Jacob represents, and the heathen aliens. Correct us as Thy adopted sons, the seed of Jacob; destroy them as outcasts ( Zechariah 1:14 Zechariah 1:15 Zechariah 1:21 ).