Jeremiah 10:9

Translation
King James Version
Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Silver H3701 spread into plates H7554 is brought H935 from Tarshish H8659, and gold H2091 from Uphaz H210, the work H4639 of the workman H2796, and of the hands H3027 of the founder H6884: blue H8504 and purple H713 is their clothing H3830: they are all the work H4639 of cunning H2450 men.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Silver is beaten into plates, then imported from Tarshish. Gold from Ufaz is worked by a craftsman and shaped by the hands of a goldsmith. They are clothed in blue and purple, all the work of skillful men.
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Berean Standard Bible
Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz— the work of a craftsman from the hands of a goldsmith. Their clothes are blue and purple, all fashioned by skilled workers.
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American Standard Version
There is silver beaten into plates, which is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the artificer and of the hands of the goldsmith; blue and purple for their clothing; they are all the work of skilful men.
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World English Bible Messianic
There is silver beaten into plates, which is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, 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.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Siluer plates are brought from Tarshish, and golde from Vphaz, for the worke of the workeman, and the handes of the founder: the blewe silke, and the purple is their clothing: all these things are made by cunning men.
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Young's Literal Translation
Spread-out silver from Tarshish is brought, And gold from Uphaz, Work of an artisan, and of the hands of a refiner, Blue and purple is their clothing, Work of the skilful--all of them.
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See also
Psalms 115:4Daniel 10:5Isaiah 40:191 Kings 10:22Ezekiel 27:12
In the KJVVerse 19,211 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Jeremiah 10:9 offers a vivid and detailed portrayal of the meticulous, costly, and ultimately futile process of crafting idols, serving as a powerful indictment against idolatry. The verse meticulously describes the use of precious silver from Tarshish, gold from Uphaz, and luxurious blue and purple fabrics, all fashioned by the skilled hands of human artisans. By highlighting the immense investment of valuable materials and human ingenuity into these inanimate objects, the prophet underscores their inherent lifelessness and powerlessness, contrasting them sharply with the living, sovereign God of Israel whom Judah is called to worship.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Jeremiah 10:9 is an integral part of a profound prophetic declaration spanning Jeremiah 10:1-16, which functions as a sharp polemic against the idolatrous practices prevalent among the nations surrounding Judah. The preceding verses establish the vanity and utter powerlessness of these man-made deities, setting them in stark opposition to the true God. Jeremiah 10:1-5 admonishes Israel not to be terrified by celestial signs or to adopt the customs of the heathen, which are explicitly labeled as "vanity." This particular verse then provides a detailed, almost satirical, description of the physical construction of these idols, emphasizing their material origins and the human hands involved in their creation. The passage reaches its theological climax in Jeremiah 10:10-13, where Yahweh's unparalleled power, eternal nature, and creative work are magnificently affirmed, providing a direct counterpoint to the lifeless idols.

  • Historical & Cultural Context: During Jeremiah's ministry (late 7th to early 6th century BCE), the kingdom of Judah was situated amidst powerful empires like Assyria and Babylon, both of which were deeply polytheistic and known for their elaborate idol worship. These cultures invested heavily in grand temples and intricate cultic statues, believing them to be representations or dwelling places of their gods. Despite their covenant relationship with Yahweh, the Israelites were constantly tempted to assimilate these foreign religious practices, especially during times of political instability or perceived divine silence. The specific mention of "Tarshish" and "Uphaz" for silver and gold signifies distant, renowned sources of exceptionally precious metals, indicating the global reach of such idolatrous practices and the immense value placed on these materials. Furthermore, "blue and purple" dyes were extraordinarily costly, extracted from murex snails, and were universally associated with royalty, divinity, and immense wealth in the ancient Near East, underscoring the lavish investment and ceremonial significance attributed to these false gods.

  • Key Themes: The overarching theme in this passage, powerfully articulated in Jeremiah 10:9, is the futility and powerlessness of idolatry when contrasted with the sovereignty, creative power, and living nature of the one true God. The verse meticulously highlights the human origin of idols ("work of the workman," "hands of the founder," "work of cunning men") to underscore their inherent lifelessness and their inability to act, save, or judge. This stands in direct opposition to Yahweh, who is the Maker of all things. Another crucial theme is the deception of outward appearance; despite the use of precious metals and luxurious garments, these idols are ultimately empty and unable to deliver on the spiritual promises they represent, as further elaborated in Jeremiah 10:5. The passage also implicitly introduces the theme of divine judgment against those who abandon the living God for such vanities, a recurring motif throughout Jeremiah's prophetic message.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Gold (Hebrew, zâhâb', H2091): From an unused root meaning "to shimmer," this term refers to the precious metal, gold. In the context of idol crafting, its shimmering quality highlights the aesthetic appeal and perceived value of the idol, yet paradoxically underscores its inertness. Despite its inherent beauty and worth as a material, gold, when fashioned into an idol, possesses no divine power or life.
  • Workman (Hebrew, chârâsh', H2796): This term denotes a fabricator or artificer of any material, encompassing carpenters, craftsmen, engravers, and smiths. Its use here emphasizes the purely human origin of the idol. The idol is not a divine being but merely the product of human skill and labor, a creation rather than a creator, thereby stripping it of any legitimate claim to deity.
  • Cunning (Hebrew, châkâm', H2450): This word describes someone who is wise, intelligent, skillful, or artful. When applied to "men" in this verse, it refers to highly skilled artisans. The prophet uses this term to acknowledge the impressive human ingenuity involved in crafting these idols, yet he simultaneously exposes the profound irony: even the most sophisticated human wisdom and craftsmanship cannot imbue a lifeless object with divine power, making the worship of such an object utterly foolish.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish": This clause introduces the first precious material, silver, which is not merely shaped but "spread into plates," indicating a meticulous and costly process of hammering or rolling it into thin sheets for overlaying or intricate design. The origin "from Tarshish" signifies a distant, renowned source, likely a wealthy port city known for its metal trade, emphasizing the expense and exotic nature of the materials used for these idols.
  • "and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder": This introduces the second precious metal, gold, sourced from "Uphaz," another region likely famous for its high-quality gold (possibly a variant or corruption of Ophir). The subsequent phrases, "the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder," explicitly attribute the idol's existence to human labor and skill. The "workman" (general craftsman) and "founder" (one who fuses or refines metal) underscore that the idol is entirely a product of human ingenuity and physical effort, not divine emanation.
  • "blue and purple [is] their clothing": This detail describes the luxurious adornment of the idols. "Blue" (tᵉkêleth) and "purple" (ʼargâmân) were extremely valuable dyes, often associated with royalty, priesthood, and divinity in the ancient Near East. This signifies the lavish investment and ceremonial importance given to these idols, designed to convey majesty and sacredness, further highlighting the deception of their outward splendor.
  • "they [are] all the work of cunning [men].": This concluding phrase serves as a powerful summary, reiterating and emphasizing the central point: despite the costly materials, skilled labor, and elaborate adornments, the idols are fundamentally and entirely "the work of cunning men." This final assertion strips away any illusion of divine origin or power, reducing the magnificent effigies to mere human artifacts, crafted by human hands, and therefore utterly powerless.

Literary Devices

Jeremiah 10:9 employs several literary devices to achieve its polemical effect. Irony is prominent, as the verse meticulously details the immense value and craftsmanship invested in idols, only to expose their inherent worthlessness as deities. The very elements intended to impress and legitimize the idols—precious metals and skilled labor—become evidence of their man-made, and thus powerless, nature. Emphasis is achieved through repetition, particularly the recurring phrase "the work of" ("the work of the workman," "the work of cunning men"), which hammers home the human origin of these objects. This repetition serves to debunk any notion of divine essence. There is also a subtle contrast between the inanimate nature of the materials (silver, gold, fabric) and the implied expectation of life or power from the idol, highlighting the absurdity of the worship. The detailed description of the materials and craftsmanship also functions as a form of descriptive imagery, painting a vivid picture of the idols' external grandeur while simultaneously setting up the subsequent revelation of their internal emptiness.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Jeremiah 10:9 powerfully underscores the biblical critique of idolatry, emphasizing that anything fashioned by human hands, no matter how valuable or skillfully made, can never possess divine power or authority. This verse serves as a foundational statement against the human tendency to create gods in our own image or to invest ultimate trust in created things rather than the Creator. The theological implication is clear: true worship must be directed solely towards the living God, who is self-existent, omnipotent, and the source of all life, in stark contrast to the lifeless products of human ingenuity. This principle resonates throughout Scripture, warning against both literal idol worship and the more subtle forms of idolatry where we place our ultimate hope, security, or identity in anything other than God.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Jeremiah 10:9, though describing ancient idol-making, speaks profoundly to the human heart's enduring propensity for idolatry. While we may no longer carve statues of gold and silver, we often invest our deepest affections, time, and resources into things that promise security, happiness, or meaning apart from God. These modern "idols" can be career success, financial wealth, social status, relationships, physical appearance, or even intellectual pursuits. The verse challenges us to examine what truly holds our ultimate allegiance and trust. Are we pouring our most precious resources—our energy, our thoughts, our very lives—into things that are ultimately "the work of cunning men," creations of this world that cannot deliver true peace, lasting joy, or eternal salvation? Or are we investing in the living God, who alone is the source of all life and truth? This passage calls us to a radical reorientation of our worship, directing it solely to the One who is not made by hands, but who made all things and holds all things together.

Questions for Reflection

  • What "silver" and "gold" (valuable resources, time, energy) am I investing in things that are ultimately human-made or temporary?
  • In what areas of my life might I be seeking security, identity, or fulfillment from sources other than God?
  • How does understanding the futility of ancient idols help me identify and dismantle modern idols in my own life?
  • What practical steps can I take to reorient my worship and devotion more fully towards the living God?

FAQ

What is the significance of Tarshish and Uphaz in this verse?

Answer: Tarshish was a distant, wealthy port city, likely located in the western Mediterranean (perhaps modern Spain), renowned for its silver and other metals. Its mention signifies the great expense and exotic nature of the materials used for idol crafting, implying that no cost was spared. Uphaz is a less certain location, possibly a variant name for Ophir, another legendary source of fine gold. Both names emphasize the global reach of the idol trade and the high value placed on the materials, further highlighting the irony of worshipping something so costly yet so utterly powerless, as Jeremiah 10:5 also points out.

Does "cunning men" imply that the idol makers were evil or deceptive?

Answer: The Hebrew word for "cunning" (châkâm) in this context primarily means "wise," "intelligent," or "skillful." It refers to the artisans' exceptional technical proficiency and artistry. While the prophet condemns the act of making and worshipping idols, the term "cunning men" here highlights the impressive human skill involved, not necessarily the moral character of the craftsmen themselves. The point is that even the greatest human ingenuity cannot imbue a lifeless object with divine power, making the worship of such objects a profound folly, regardless of the skill involved in their creation. The emphasis is on the object's origin, not the maker's intent, underscoring that anything "the work of cunning men" cannot be God.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Jeremiah 10:9, in its stark contrast between man-made idols and the living God, profoundly foreshadows the person and work of Jesus Christ. The idols described are "the work of cunning men," crafted by human hands and utterly devoid of life or saving power. In stark opposition, Jesus is not a creation but the eternal Creator, the Word made flesh, through whom all things were made. While idols are adorned with precious metals and fine clothing to give an illusion of majesty, Christ's true glory was revealed not in outward pomp but in His humble incarnation and ultimately in His self-giving sacrifice on the cross, where He became the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The futility of worshipping lifeless objects finds its ultimate answer in Christ, who is the resurrection and the life, offering genuine spiritual life and liberation from the bondage of sin and false worship. He is the true God who is not confined to temples made with human hands but dwells among His people, offering a living relationship that no idol can provide, fulfilling the longing for a real and present deity that idols can only mimic. As Colossians 1:15-17 proclaims, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for by Him all things were created, underscoring His divine nature in contrast to the created nature of idols and establishing Him as the sole worthy object of worship.

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Commentary on Jeremiah 10 verses 1–16

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points(1.) (2.) Details

The prophet Isaiah, when he prophesied of the captivity in Babylon, added warnings against idolatry and largely exposed the sottishness of idolaters, not only because the temptations in Babylon would be in danger of drawing the Jews there to idolatry, but because the afflictions in Babylon were designed to cure them of their idolatry. Thus the prophet Jeremiah here arms people against the idolatrous usages and customs of the heathen, not only for the use of those that had gone to Babylon, but of those also that staid behind, that being convinced and reclaimed, by the word of God, the rod might be prevented; and it is written for our learning. Observe here,

I. A solemn charge given to the people of God not to conform themselves to the ways and customs of the heathen. Let the house of Israel hear and receive this word from the God of Israel: "Learn not the way of the heathen, do not approve of it, no, nor think indifferently concerning it, much less imitate it or accustom yourselves to it. Let not any of their customs steal in among you (as they are apt to do insensibly) nor mingle themselves with your religion." Note, It ill becomes those that are taught of God to learn the way of the heathen, and to think of worshipping the true God with such rites and ceremonies as they used in the worship of their false gods. See Deu 12:29-31. It was the way of the heathen to worship the host of heaven, the sun, moon, and stars; to them they gave divine honours, and from them they expected divine favours, and therefore, according as the signs of heaven were, whether they were auspicious or ominous, they thought themselves countenanced or discountenanced by their deities, which made them observe those signs, the eclipses of the sun and moon, the conjunctions and oppositions of the planets, and all the unusual phenomena of the celestial globe, with a great deal of anxiety and trembling. Business was stopped if any thing occurred that was thought to bode ill; if it did but thunder on their left hand, they were almost as if they had been thunderstruck. Now God would not have his people to be dismayed at the signs of heaven, to reverence the stars as deities, nor to frighten themselves with any prognostications grounded upon them. Let them fear the God of heaven, and keep up a reverence of his providence, and then they need not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the stars in their courses fight not against any that are at peace with God. The heathen are dismayed at these signs, for they know no better; but let not the house of Israel, that are taught of God, be so.

II. Divers good reasons given to enforce this charge.

1.The way of the heathen is very ridiculous and absurd, and is condemned even by the dictates of right reason, Jer 10:3. The statutes and ordinances of the heathen are vanity itself; they cannot stand the test of a rational disquisition. This is again and again insisted upon here, as it was by Isaiah. The Chaldeans valued themselves upon their wisdom, in which they thought that they excelled all their neighbours; but the prophet here shows that they, and all others that worshipped idols and expected help and relief from them, were brutish and sottish, and had not common sense. (1.) Consider what the idol is that is worshipped. It was a tree cut out of the forest originally. It was fitted up by the hands of the workman, squared, and sawed, and worked into shape; see Isa 44:12, etc. But, after all, it was but the stock of a tree, fitter to make a gate-post of than any thing else. But, to hide the wood, they deck it with silver and gold, they gild or lacquer it, or they deck it with gold and silver lace, or cloth of tissue. They fasten it to its place, which they themselves have assigned it, with nails and hammers, that it fall not, nor be thrown down, nor stolen away, Jer 10:4. The image is made straight enough, and it cannot be denied but that the workman did his part, for it is upright as the palm-tree (Jer 10:5); it looks stately, and stands up as if it were going to speak to you, but it cannot speak; it is a poor dumb creature; nor can it take one step towards your relief. If there be any occasion for it to shift its place, it must be carried in procession, for it cannot go. Very fitly does the admonition come in here, "Be not afraid of them, any more than of the signs of heaven; be not afraid of incurring their displeasure, for they can do no evil; be not afraid of forfeiting their favour, for neither is it in them to do good. If you think to mend the matter by mending the materials of which the idol is made, you deceive yourselves. Idols of gold and silver are an unworthy to be worshipped as wooden gods. The stock is a doctrine of vanities, Jer 10:8. It teaches lies, teaches lies concerning God. It is an instruction of vanities; it is wood." It is probable that the idols of gold and silver had wood underneath for the substratum, and then silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, imported from beyond sea, and gold from Uphaz, or Phaz, which is sometimes rendered the fine or pure gold, Psa 21:3. A great deal of art is used, and pains taken, about it. They are not such ordinary mechanics that are employed about these as about the wooden gods, Jer 10:3. these are cunning men; it is the work of the workman; the graver must do his part when it has passed through the hands of the founder. Those were but decked here and there with silver and gold; these are silver and gold all over. And, that these gods might be reverenced as kings, blue and purple are their clothing, the colour of royal robes (Jer 10:9), which amuses ignorant worshippers, but makes the matter no better. For what is the idol when it is made and when they have made the best they can of it? He tells us (Jer 10:14): They are falsehood; they are not what they pretend to be, but a great cheat put upon the world. They are worshipped as the gods that give us breath and life and sense, whereas they are lifeless senseless things themselves, and there is no breath in them; there is no spirit in them (so the word is); they are not animated, or inhabited, as they are supposed to be, by any divine spirit or numen - divinity. They are so far from being gods that they have not so much as the spirit of a beast that goes downward. They are vanity, and the work of errors, Jer 10:15. Enquire into the use of them and you will find they are vanity; they are good for nothing; no help is to be expected from them nor any confidence put in them. They are a deceitful work, works of illusions, or mere mockeries; so some read the following clause. They delude those that put their trust in them, make fools of them, or, rather, they make fools of themselves. Enquire into the use of them and you will find they are the work of errors, grounded upon the grossest mistakes that ever men who pretended to reason were guilty of. They are the creatures of a deluded fancy; and the errors by which they were produced they propagate among their worshippers. (2.) Infer hence what the idolaters are that worship these idols. (Jer 10:8): They are altogether brutish and foolish. Those that make them are like unto them, senseless and stupid, and there is no spirit in them - no use of reason, else they would never stoop to them, Jer 10:14. Every man that makes or worships idols has become brutish in his knowledge, that is, brutish for want of knowledge, or brutish in that very thing which one would think they should be fully acquainted with; compare Jde 1:10, What they know naturally, what they cannot but know by the light of nature, in those things as brute beasts they corrupt themselves. Though in the works of creation they cannot but see the eternal power and godhead of the Creator, yet they have become vain in their imaginations, not liking to retain God in their knowledge. See Rom 1:21, Rom 1:18. Nay, whereas they thought it a piece of wisdom thus to multiply gods, it really was the greatest folly they could be guilty of. The world by wisdom knew not God, Co1 1:21; Rom 1:22. Every founder is himself confounded by the graven image; when he has made it by a mistake he is more and more confirmed in his mistake by it; he is bewildered, bewitched, and cannot disentangle himself from the snare; or it is what he will one time or other be ashamed of.

2.The God of Israel is the one only living and true God, and those that have him for their God need not make their application to any other; nay, to set up any other in competition with him is the greatest affront and injury that can be done him. Let the house of Israel cleave to the God of Israel and serve and worship him only, for,

(1.)He is a non-such. Whatever men may set in competition with him, there is none to be compared with him. The prophet turns from speaking with the utmost disdain of the idols of the heathen (as well he might) to speak with the most profound and awful reverence of the God of Israel (Jer 10:6, Jer 10:7): "Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord! none of all the heroes which the heathen have deified and make such ado about," the dead men of whom they made dead images, and whom they worshipped. "Some were deified and adored for their wisdom; but, among all the wise men of the nations, the greatest philosophers or statesmen, as Apollo or Hermes, there is none like thee. Others were deified and adored for their dominion; but, in all their royalty" (so it may be read), "among all their kings, as Saturn and Jupiter, there is none like unto thee." What is the glory of a man that invented a useful art or founded a flourishing kingdom (and these were grounds sufficient among the heathen to entitle a man to an apotheosis) compared with the glory of him that is the Creator of the world and that forms the spirit of man within him? What is the glory of the greatest prince or potentate, compared with the glory of him whose kingdom rules over all? He acknowledges (Jer 10:6), O Lord! thou art great, infinite and immense, and thy name is great in might; thou hast all power, and art known to have it. Men's name is often beyond their might; they are thought to be greater than they are; but God's name is great, and no greater than he really is. And therefore who would not fear thee, O King of nations? Who would not choose to worship such a God as this, that can do every thing, rather than such dead idols as the heathen worship, that can do nothing? Who would not be afraid of offending or forsaking a God whose name is so great in might? Which of all the nations, if they understood their interests aright, would not fear him who is the King of nations? Note, There is an admirable decency and congruity in the worshipping of God only. It is fit that he who is God alone should alone be served, that he who is Lord of all should be served by all, that he who is great should be greatly feared and greatly praised.

(2.)His verity is as evident as the idol's vanity, Jer 10:10. They are the work of men's hands, and therefore nothing is more plain than that it is a jest to worship them, if that may be called a jest which is so great an indignity to him that made us: But the Lord is the true God, the God of truth; he is God in truth. God Jehovah is truth; he is not a counterfeit and pretender, as they are, but is really what he has revealed himself to be; he is one we may depend upon, in whom and by whom we cannot be deceived. [1.] Look upon him as he is in himself, and he is the living God. He is life itself, has life in himself, and is the fountain of life to all the creatures. The gods of the heathen are dead things, worthless and useless, but ours is a living God, and hath immortality. [2.] Look upon him with relation to his creatures, he is a King, and absolute monarch, over them all, is their owner and ruler, has an incontestable right both to command them and dispose of them. As a king, he protects the creatures, provides for their welfare, and preserves peace among them. He is an everlasting king. The counsels of his kingdom were from everlasting and the continuance of it will be to everlasting. He is a King of eternity. The idols whom they call their kings are but of yesterday, and will soon be abolished; and the kings of the earth, that set them up to be worshipped, will themselves be in the dust shortly; but the Lord shall reign for ever, thy God, O Zion! unto all generations.

(3.)None knows the power of his anger. Let us stand in awe, and not dare to provoke him by giving that glory to another which is due to him alone; for at his wrath the earth shall tremble, even the strongest and stoutest of the kings of the earth; nay, the earth, firmly as it is fixed, when he pleases is made to quake and the rocks to tremble, Psa 104:32; Hab 3:6, Hab 3:10. Though the nations should join together to contend with him, and unite their force, yet they would be found utterly unable not only to resist, but even to abide his indignation. Not only can they not make head against it, for it would overcome them, but they cannot bear up under it, for it would overload them, Psa 76:7, Psa 76:8; Nah 1:6.

(4.)He is the God of nature, the fountain of all being; and all the powers of nature are at his command and disposal, Jer 10:12, Jer 10:13. The God we worship is he that made the heavens and the earth, and has a sovereign dominion over both; so that his invisible things are manifested and proved in the things that are seen. [1.] If we look back, we find that the whole world owed its origin to him as its first cause. It was a common saying even among the Greeks - He that sets up to be another god ought first to make another world. While the heathen worship gods that they made, we worship the God that made us and all things. First, The earth is a body of vast bulk, has valuable treasures in its bowels and more valuable fruit on its surface. It and them he has made by his power; and it is by no less than an infinite power that it hangs upon nothing, as it does (Job 26:7) - ponderibus librata suis - poised by its own weight. Secondly, The world, the habitable part of the earth, is admirably fitted for the use and service of man, and he hath established it so by his wisdom, so that it continues serviceable in constant changes and yet a continual stability from one generation to another. Therefore both the earth and the world are his, Psa 24:1. Thirdly, The heavens are wonderfully stretched out to an incredible extent, and it is by his discretion that they are so, and that the motions of the heavenly bodies are directed for the benefit of this lower world. These declare his glory (Psa 19:1), and oblige us to declare it, and not give that glory to the heavens which is due to him that made them. [2.] If we look up, we see his providence to be a continued creation (Jer 10:13): When he uttereth his voice (gives the word of command) there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, which are poured out on the earth, whether for judgment or mercy, as he intends them. When he utters his voice in the thunder, immediately there follow thunder-showers, in which there are a multitude of waters; and those come with a noise, as the margin reads it; and we read of the noise of abundance of rain, Kg1 18:41. Nay, there are wonders done daily in the kingdom of nature without noise: He causes the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth, from all parts of the earth, even the most remote, and chiefly those that lie next the sea. All the earth pays the tribute of vapours, because all the earth receives the blessing of rain. And thus the moisture in the universe, like the money in a kingdom and the blood in the body, is continually circulating for the good of the whole. Those vapours produce wonders, for of them are formed lightnings for the rain, and the winds which God from time to time brings forth out of his treasures, as there is occasion for them, directing them all in such measure and for such use as he thinks fit, as payments are made out of the treasury. All the meteors are so ready to serve God's purposes that he seems to have treasures of them, that cannot be exhausted and may at any time be drawn from, Psa 135:7. God glories in the treasures he has of these, Job 38:22, Job 38:23. This God can do; but which of the idols of the heathen can do the like? Note, There is no sort of weather but what furnishes us with a proof and instance of the wisdom and power of the great Creator.

(5.)This God is Israel's God in covenant, and the felicity of every Israelite indeed. Therefore let the house of Israel cleave to him, and not forsake him to embrace idols; for, if they do, they certainly change for the worse, for (Jer 10:16) the portion of Jacob is not like them; their rock is not as our rock (Deu 32:31), nor ours like their mole-hills. Note, [1.] Those that have the Lord for their God have a full and complete happiness in him. The God of Jacob is the portion of Jacob; he is his all, and in him he has enough and needs no more in this world nor the other. In him we have a worthy portion, Psa 16:5. [2.] If we have entire satisfaction and complacency in God as our portion, he will have a gracious delight in us as his people, whom he owns as the rod of his inheritance, his possession and treasure, with whom he dwells and by whom he is served and honoured. [3.] It is the unspeakable comfort of all the Lord's people that he who is their God is the former of all things, and therefore is able to do all that for them, and give all that to them, which they stand in need of. Their help stands in his name who made heaven and earth. And he is the Lord of hosts, of all the hosts in heaven and earth, has them all at his command, and will command them into the service of his people when there is occasion. This is the name by which they know him, which they first give him the glory of and then take to themselves the comfort of. [4.] Herein God's people are happy above all other people, happy indeed, bona si sua norint - did they but know their blessedness. The gods which the heathen pride, and please, and so portion themselves in, are vanity and a lie; but the portion of Jacob is not like them.

3.The prophet, having thus compared the gods of the heathen with the God of Israel (between whom there is no comparison), reads the doom, the certain doom, of all those pretenders, and directs the Jews, in God's name, to read it to the worshippers of idols, though they were their lords and masters (Jer 10:11): Thus shall you say unto them (and the God you serve will bear you out in saying it), The gods which have not made the heavens and the earth (and therefore are no gods, but usurpers of the honour due to him only who did make heaven and earth) shall perish, perish of course, because they are vanity - perish by his righteous sentence, because they are rivals with him. As gods they shall perish from off the earth (even all those things on earth beneath which they make gods of) and from under these heavens, even all those things in the firmament of heaven, under the highest heavens, which are deified, according to the distribution in the second commandment. These words in the original are not in the Hebrew, like all the rest, but in the Chaldee dialect, that the Jews in captivity might have this ready to say to the Chaldeans in their own language when they tempted them to idolatry: "Do you press us to worship your gods? We will never do that; for," (1.) "They are counterfeit deities; they are no gods, for they have not made the heavens and the earth, and therefore are not entitled to our homage, nor are we indebted to them either for the products of the earth or the influences of heaven, as we are to the God of Israel." The primitive Christians would say, when they were urged to worship such a god, Let him make a world and he shall be my god. While we have him to worship who made heaven and earth, it is very absurd to worship any other. (2.) "They are condemned deities. They shall perish; the time shall come when they shall be no more respected as they are now, but shall be buried in oblivion, and they and their worshippers shall sink together. The earth shall no longer bear them; the heavens shall no longer cover them; but both shall abandon them." It is repeated (Jer 10:15), In the time of their visitation they shall perish. When God comes to reckon with idolaters he will make them weary of their idols, and glad to be rid of them. They shall cast them to the moles and to the bats, Isa 2:20. Whatever runs against God and religion will be run down at last.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–16. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jeremiah
(Verse 6 and following) There is none like you, O Lord: you are great, and your name is great in power. Who will not fear you, O king of the nations? Yours is the glory among all the wise of the nations, and in all their kingdoms there is none like you. Both fools and wise men will be proved, their teaching is empty as a wooden idol. Silver brought from Tarshish is plated (or brought) and gold from Ophaz, the work of an artist and the hand of a craftsman. Hyacinthus and their purple garment: the work of craftsmen (or wise men) all these things. But the Lord God is true: this God is living and everlasting king. The earth will be moved from his indignation, and the nations will not be able to withstand his threat. These are not found in the Septuagint, but were added in many places from Theodotion's Edition, and although they seem clear according to the letter, they present a great difficulty according to allegory. For there is no one like the true God, of those gods who are fabricated by heretical art. All will fear him, for he is the king of the nations. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Prov. IX, 10): and from it we advance to true charity. 'The glory is yours,' he says. In truth, there is beauty; in falsehood, there is ugliness: although heretics, according to the wisdom of the world, which is destroyed, may seem wise to themselves; nevertheless, in all the kingdoms which they tear the Church in, none are like you, as the divine word says: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will reject the prudence of the prudent' (I Cor. I, 19). Both the wise and the foolish exist together. Their education, depending on the quality of their intelligence, is either cheap and compared to wood, or similar to silver because of the elegance of their speech. It is brought from Tharsis. Tharsis is either a region of India, as Josephus says, or certainly the entire sea is called Tharsis, and it has a resemblance to the sky; and yet it is wrapped in the artifice of words, or extended. If it wants to deceive, it will not be able to. And gold from Ophaz. Gold is called by seven names among the Hebrews, one of which is called Ophaz, which we can call obryzum, so that it shines on the surface of idols, which internally is wood and of cheap material. They are covered with hyacinth and purple, so that they deceive the eyes with their surface, while promising to themselves the color of the heavens and the kingdoms of the sky; and yet all these things are the work of the wise, who are considered wise in this world; but before God they are foolish. But our Lord God, the true God, is. Therefore, all those things are lies. And He is the living God: therefore, those things that are feigned are dead. And He is the eternal king. The shadows of heretics prevail for a time, but are corrupted over a long time. The earth will be moved from His indignation: those who engage in earthly works and fashion worldly idols. And the nations will not endure, nor the people of the Lord, but the multitude of nations who are unable to bear the threat of God.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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