Jeremiah 10:11

Thus 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.

Thus {H1836} shall ye say {H560} unto them, The gods {H426} that have not {H3809} made {H5648} the heavens {H8065} and the earth {H778}, even they shall perish {H7} from the earth {H772}, and from under {H8460} these {H429} heavens {H8065}.

"This is what you must say to them: 'The gods that did not make heaven and earth will perish from earth and from under heaven.'"

Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.”

Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, these shall perish from the earth, and from under the heavens.

Commentary

Jeremiah 10:11 stands out as a powerful declaration against idolatry, unique within the book of Jeremiah for its linguistic composition. It serves as a direct, concise message intended for those in pagan lands, contrasting the true God with lifeless idols.

Context

The prophet Jeremiah ministered during a tumultuous period leading up to the Babylonian exile, a time when the people of Judah were heavily influenced by surrounding pagan cultures and their idol worship. Chapter 10 of Jeremiah is largely a polemic against the futility and foolishness of making and worshipping idols, juxtaposing them with the incomparable power and sovereignty of the Lord, the true God of Israel. This particular verse, however, is a precise instruction given to the exiles or those living among idolaters, providing them with a clear statement to articulate the truth about these false deities.

Key Themes

  • The Creator God's Supremacy: The verse sharply distinguishes between the true God, who "made the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1), and the impotent idols that did not. This emphasizes God's unique power and authority as the sole Creator.
  • The Futility and Transience of Idols: It declares unequivocally that "the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth... shall perish." This highlights the impermanence and ultimate nothingness of false gods, contrasting with the eternal nature of the Lord. Their end is destruction and disappearance.
  • A Bold Confession in a Pagan Land: This verse was likely meant to be spoken by the exiled Israelites to their Babylonian captors or neighbors, serving as a defiant declaration of monotheism amidst polytheistic societies. It was a clear call to discern between truth and falsehood.

Linguistic Insight

A striking feature of Jeremiah 10:11 is that it is the only verse in the entire book of Jeremiah written in Aramaic, rather than the surrounding Hebrew. This linguistic shift is highly significant. Aramaic was the common international language (lingua franca) of the Neo-Babylonian Empire during the time of the exile. By providing this verse in Aramaic, God equipped His people with a ready-made, powerful, and understandable declaration to make to the idol-worshipping Babylonians. The Aramaic word for "perish" (yovadu) conveys a strong sense of utter destruction or disappearance, emphasizing the absolute end of these false deities.

Practical Application

Even today, in a world where physical idols may be less common, the principle of Jeremiah 10:11 remains profoundly relevant. Modern "gods" can take the form of materialism, power, self-worship, fame, or any pursuit that replaces our devotion to the true Creator. This verse challenges us to:

  • Examine Our Allegiances: What do we truly put our trust in? What do we serve? Anything that is not the sovereign God of the Bible is ultimately a false god that will "perish" and leave us empty.
  • Stand Firm in Truth: Like the exiles, believers are called to confidently proclaim the supremacy of the living God in a world that often worships created things rather than the Creator. This includes understanding the futility of all false objects of worship.
  • Trust in the Unchanging God: The verse offers comfort, reminding us that while worldly powers and fleeting desires will fade, the God who made heaven and earth remains eternally powerful and worthy of all worship.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Psalms 96:5

    For all the gods of the nations [are] idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

  • Isaiah 2:18

    And the idols he shall utterly abolish.

  • Zechariah 13:2

    And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, [that] I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.

  • Lamentations 3:66

    Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.

  • Jeremiah 10:15

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

  • Zephaniah 2:11

    The LORD [will be] terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and [men] shall worship him, every one from his place, [even] all the isles of the heathen.

  • Jeremiah 51:18

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