TRV
Translation
King James Version
And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.
Complete Jewish Bible
Don't follow other gods by serving and worshipping them. "Don't provoke my anger with things your own hands have made; then I will do you no harm.
Berean Standard Bible
Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’
American Standard Version
and go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the work of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.
World English Bible Messianic
and don’t go after other gods to serve them or worship them, and don’t provoke me to anger with the work of your hands; and I will do you no harm.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And go not after other gods to serue them and to worshippe them, and prouoke me not to anger with the workes of your hands, and I will not punish you.
Young's Literal Translation
And ye do not go after other gods to serve them, and to bow yourselves to them, nor do ye provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I do no evil to you;
See also
See on the biblical-era map
In the KJVVerse 19,541 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Jeremiah 25 verses 1–7
1 ¶ The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;
2 The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,
3 From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.
4 And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.
5 They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:
6 And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.
7 Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.
We have here a message from God concerning all the people of Judah (Jer 25:1), which Jeremiah delivered, in his name, unto all the people of Judah, Jer 25:2. Note, That which is of universal concern ought to be of universal cognizance. It is fit that the word which concerns all the people, as the word of God does, the word of the gospel particularly, should be divulged to all in general, and, as far as may be, addressed to each in particular. Jeremiah had been sent to the house of the king (Jer 22:1), and he took courage to deliver his message to them, probably when they had all come up to Jerusalem to worship at one of the solemn feasts; then he had them together, and it was to be hoped then, if ever, they would be well disposed to hear counsel and receive instruction.
This prophecy is dated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim and the first of Nebuchadrezzar. It was in the latter end of Jehoiakim's third year that Nebuchadrezzar began to reign by himself alone (having reigned some time before in conjunction with his father), as appears, Dan 1:1. But Jehoiakim's fourth year was begun before Nebuchadrezzar's first was completed. Now that that active, daring, martial prince began to set up for the world's master, God, by his prophet, gives notice that he is his servant, and intimates what work he intends to employ him in, that his growing greatness, which was so formidable to the nations, might not be construed as any reflection upon the power and providence of God in the government of the world. Nebuchadrezzar should not bid so fair for universal monarchy (I should have said universal tyranny) but that God had purposes of his own to serve by him, in the execution of which the world shall see the meaning of God's permitting and ordering a thing that seemed such a reflection on his sovereignty and goodness.
Now in this message we may observe the great pains that had been taken with the people to bring them to repentance, which they are here put in mind of, as an aggravation of their sin and a justification of God in his proceedings against them.
I. Jeremiah, for his part, had been a constant preacher among them twenty-three years; he began in the thirteenth year of Josiah, who reigned thirty-one years, so that he prophesied about eighteen or nineteen years in his reign, then in the reign of Jehoahaz, and now four years of Jehoiakim's reign. Note, God keeps an account, whether we do or no, how long we have enjoyed the means of grace; and the longer we have enjoyed them the heavier will our account be if we have not improved them. These three years (these three and twenty years) have I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree. All this while, 1. God had been constant in sending messages to them, as there was occasion for them: "From that time to this very day the word of the Lord has come into me, for your use." Though they had the substance of the warning sent them already in the books of Moses, yet, because those were not duly regarded and applied, God sent to enforce them and make them more particular, that they might be without excuse. Thus God's Spirit was striving with them, as with the old world, Gen 6:3. 2. Jeremiah had been faithful and industrious in delivering those messages. He could appeal to themselves, as well as to God and his own conscience, concerning this: I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking. He had declared to them the whole counsel of God; he had taken a great deal of care and pains to discharge his thrust in such a manner as might be most likely to win and work upon them. What men are solicitous about and intent upon they rise up early to prosecute. It intimates that his head was so full of thoughts about it, and his heart so intent upon doing good, that it broke his sleep, and made him get up betimes to project which way he might take that would be most likely to do them good. He rose early, both because he would lose no time and because he would lay hold on and improve the best time to work upon them, when, if ever, they were sober and sedate. Christ came early in the morning to preach in the temple, and the people as early to hear him, Luk 21:38. Morning lectures have their advantages. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning.
II. Besides him, God had sent them other prophets, on the same errand, Jer 25:4. Of the writing prophets Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk, were a little before him, and Zephaniah contemporary with him. But, besides those, there were many other of God's servants the prophets who preached awakening sermons, which were never published. And here God himself is said to rise early and send them, intimating how much his heart also was upon it, that this people should turn and live, and not go on and die, Eze 33:11.
III. All the messages sent them were to the purpose, and much to the same purport, Jer 25:5, Jer 25:6. 1. They all told them of their faults, their evil way, and the evil of their doings. Those were not of God's sending who flattered them as if there were nothing amiss among them. 2. They all reproved them particularly for their idolatry, as a sin that was in a special manner provoking to God, their going after other gods, to serve them and to worship them, gods that were the work of their own hands. 3. They all called on them to repent of their sins and to reform their lives. This was the burden of every song, Turn you now every one from his evil way. Note, Personal and particular reformation must be insisted on as necessary to a national deliverance: every one must turn from his own evil way. The street will not be clean unless every one sweep before his own door. 4. They all assured them that, if they did so, it would certainly be the lengthening out of their tranquillity. The mercies they enjoyed should be continued to them: "You shall dwell in the land, dwell at ease, dwell in peace, in this good land, which the Lord has given you and your fathers. Nothing but sin will turn you out of it, and that shall not if you turn from it." The judgments they feared should be prevented: Provoke me not, and I will do you no hurt. Note, We should never receive from God the evil punishment if we did not provoke him by the evil of sin. God deals fairly with us, never corrects his children without cause, nor causes grief to us unless we give offence to him.
IV. Yet all was to no purpose. They were not wrought upon to take the right and only method to turn away the wrath of God. Jeremiah was a very lively affectionate preacher, yet they hearkened not to him, Jer 25:3. The other prophets dealt faithfully with them, but neither did they hearken to them, nor incline their ear, Jer 25:4. That very particular sin which they were told, of all others, was most offensive to God, and made them obnoxious to his justice, they wilfully persisted in: You provoke me with the works of your hands to your own hurt. Note, What is a provocation to God will prove, in the end, hurt to ourselves, and we must bear the blame of it. O Israel! thou hast destroyed thyself.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–7. Public domain.
Copy as
Lucius Caecilius Firmianus LactantiusAD 325
DIVINE INSTITUTES 4:11
When the Jews often resisted wholesome precepts and departed from the divine law, going astray to the impious worship of false gods, then God filled just and chosen men with the Holy Spirit, appointing them as prophets in the midst of the people, by whom he might rebuke with threatening words the sins of the ungrateful people and nevertheless exhort them to repent of their wickedness. Unless they did this and, laying aside their vanities, returned to their God, it would come to pass that he would change his covenant, that is, bestow the inheritance of eternal life on foreign nations and collect to himself a more faithful people out of those who were aliens by birth. But they, when rebuked by the prophets, not only rejected their words but, being offended because they were scolded for their sins, killed the prophets with calculated tortures. All these things are sealed up and preserved in the sacred writings. For the prophet Jeremiah says, “I have sent to you my servants, the prophets. I sent them before light, and you hearkened not to me nor inclined your ears to hear when I said to you, ‘Return, you, every one from this evil way and from your wicked devices, and you shall dwell in that land that I have given to you and to your ancestors forever and ever. Do not go after strange gods to serve them, and do not provoke me to wrath by the works of your hands for afflicting you.’ ”
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jeremiah
(Verse 6, 7.) And do not go after foreign gods, to serve them and worship them; and do not provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, and I will not afflict you. But you did not listen to me, says the Lord, to provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, to your own harm. And this, I said to your forefathers, not to serve and worship foreign gods, and by doing so, provoke me to anger because of the works of your hands, so that I would do what I did not desire, and afflict you, and you did not listen to me. And what follows, says the Lord, that you have provoked me to anger with the works of your hands, for your own harm, is not found in the Septuagint.
Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
ON JEREMIAH 6:25.3-7
He mentions the great number of years in order to emphasize God’s long-suffering in putting up with unbelievers for so long. I sent my servants the prophets to you, he says. I urged you to abandon the road to ruin and travel by the other road that produces life. I, in fact, promised you blessings for doing this. But you did not listen, and instead you chose the worship of idols. And to censure the purpose of this unbelief he went on, “So that you might provoke me by the works of your own hands to your own misfortune.” To provoke me, you committed those things, but then you also reaped their harmful effects then as well.
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.
Copy as
Continue studying Jeremiah 25:6 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Jeremiah 25:6 delivers a crucial divine injunction to Judah, commanding them to cease the worship of false deities and to abandon the idolatrous practices originating from their own hands. This verse powerfully reiterates the foundational covenantal demand for exclusive devotion to Yahweh, the one true God of Israel. It explicitly promises that if they heed this call and refrain from provoking God's anger through idolatry, He will withhold harm from them, thereby underscoring His protective nature and the severe, yet avoidable, consequences of covenant unfaithfulness.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 25:6 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its urgent and non-negotiable message. The most prominent device is the Imperative Mood, evident in the direct commands "go not" and "provoke me not." This grammatical choice instills a sense of immediate urgency and underscores the non-negotiable nature of God's decree, emphasizing His absolute authority and the gravity of the warning. There is also clear Synonymous Parallelism in the phrase "to serve them, and to worship them," where two distinct but semantically related verbs are used to express the same overarching idea of devotion to idols, thereby intensifying the meaning of exclusive spiritual allegiance. Anthropomorphism is powerfully employed in "provoke me not to anger," where God is described as experiencing a human emotion (anger). This device allows the human audience to grasp the depth and righteousness of God's displeasure at their spiritual infidelity, making His response relatable and impactful. Finally, the phrase "works of your hands" functions as a Metonymy or Synecdoche, where a characteristic (being man-made) or a part (the act of making) stands for the whole (the idol itself and the entire system of idolatry and false worship). This rhetorical device effectively emphasizes the human origin, and consequently, the inherent powerlessness and absurdity of the objects of their misplaced devotion.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 25:6 is deeply rooted in the foundational theological principles of the Old Testament, particularly the concept of God's absolute sovereignty and His unyielding demand for exclusive worship from His covenant people. Idolatry is not merely a minor transgression but a profound act of spiritual adultery, a direct and grievous violation of the covenant relationship established at Sinai. It fundamentally challenges God's unique identity as the Creator and Sustainer of all things, attributing His power and glory to lifeless objects or false deities. The Lord's anger, as depicted in this verse, is not a capricious human emotion but a righteous and holy response to this profound betrayal, reflecting His inherent holiness and His zealous jealousy for His own name. The verse unequivocally underscores that true security, peace, and well-being for God's people are found only in unwavering fidelity to Him. Any deviation from this singular devotion inevitably leads to divine judgment and self-inflicted harm, as illustrated throughout Israel's history.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While the explicit worship of physical idols may be less prevalent in many contemporary societies, the profound principle embedded in Jeremiah 25:6 remains acutely relevant for believers today. In our modern context, "other gods" often manifest as anything that subtly or overtly displaces God from the supreme position in our hearts, minds, and lives. This can include the relentless pursuit of material wealth, insatiable career ambition, the quest for social status and validation, the idolization of personal comfort, an excessive immersion in technology, or even the worship of self and individual autonomy. When these pursuits become the ultimate source of our security, identity, meaning, or purpose, they effectively become idols that compete for the exclusive devotion rightfully belonging to God alone. This verse issues a radical call to profound self-examination, prompting us to identify and courageously dismantle any "works of our hands"—our achievements, possessions, relationships, or self-made securities—that we might be unknowingly serving or worshipping. It serves as a potent reminder that true flourishing, genuine peace, and freedom from ultimate "hurt" come not from these fleeting and ultimately unsatisfying pursuits, but from wholehearted, exclusive, and unwavering devotion to the living God, who alone is worthy of our worship and uniquely capable of providing ultimate protection, lasting peace, and eternal satisfaction.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "go not after other gods" mean for us today?
Answer: For us today, "going not after other gods" extends far beyond the literal worship of carved images. It refers to anything that takes the place of God as the ultimate object of our affection, trust, and devotion. This can manifest as materialism, where wealth becomes our security; careerism, where professional success defines our worth; hedonism, where pleasure is our highest pursuit; or even self-worship, where our own desires and autonomy reign supreme. It is fundamentally about where our ultimate allegiance lies, as Matthew 6:24 powerfully reminds us, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."
Why does God get "angry" at idolatry?
Answer: God's anger at idolatry is not a capricious or irrational human emotion, but a righteous indignation rooted deeply in His holy character and His covenant faithfulness. Idolatry is a direct affront to His unique sovereignty and unshared glory, as He declares in Isaiah 42:8: "I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols." It represents a profound betrayal of the covenant relationship, akin to spiritual adultery, vividly illustrated in prophetic books like Hosea 1-3. Furthermore, idolatry ultimately harms His people by leading them away from the source of true life, blessing, and protection, into practices that are inherently destructive, deceptive, and dehumanizing.
Does "I will do you no hurt" mean believers will never suffer or face hardship?
Answer: No, "I will do you no hurt" does not promise an absence of all suffering, hardship, or trials in a believer's life. Instead, it signifies God's protective care and His desire for blessing and well-being within the covenant relationship, contrasting sharply with the destructive judgment that would come as a direct and inevitable consequence of idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. It assures that God will not bring the ultimate "hurt" of divine judgment and abandonment upon those who remain faithful to Him. Believers may still experience various trials and tribulations, but these are often for purposes of refinement, spiritual growth, or as part of God's greater redemptive plan, as Romans 8:28 assures us that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 25:6, with its stern warning against idolatry and its conditional promise of protection for exclusive devotion, finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While ancient Judah repeatedly failed to "go not after other gods," succumbing to the allure of spiritual infidelity, Jesus perfectly embodied this divine command. He lived a life of absolute and unwavering devotion to the Father, never seeking His own glory or pursuing any rival allegiance (John 8:29). He is the true and living God, the only one truly worthy of all worship, and through His perfect obedience, He fulfills the covenant demands that Israel could not. Furthermore, Christ's sacrificial death on the cross profoundly addresses the "hurt" that humanity's pervasive idolatry and sin provoked in God. He bore the full weight of divine anger and judgment against sin, allowing all who believe in Him to be reconciled to God and freed from the bondage and futility of false gods. The New Testament consistently calls believers to abandon all forms of idolatry, whether overt worship of images or subtle devotion to worldly desires, recognizing that Christ alone is Lord and the sole object of our ultimate allegiance (Colossians 3:5, 1 John 5:21). In Him, we find the true path to eternal life and the ultimate "no hurt," as He is the way, the truth, and the life, and the only one who can truly satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart (John 14:6).