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He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
Jeremiah 10:12 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB He has made the earth by his power. he has established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding has he stretched out the heavens.
  • BSB The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.
  • NKJV He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.
  • NASB ¶It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom; And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens.
  • NLT But the Lord made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

God made the earth by His power, established the world by wisdom, and stretched out the heavens by understanding. Creation displays His unrivaled greatness.

Overview

In direct contrast to impotent idols, Yahweh is praised as the Creator who fashioned the earth, ordered the world, and spread out the heavens through His own power, wisdom, and understanding. The verse grounds God's supremacy in His work of creation. Such creative power belongs to the God revealed in Scripture, and the New Testament attributes this very creating work to Christ, through whom all things were made.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 30

  • Job 9:8Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
  • Gen 1:1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
  • Prov 3:19The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
  • Isa 40:22It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
  • Ps 24:2For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
  • John 1:3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
  • Col 1:16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
  • Ps 148:4–5Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
  • Isa 48:13Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
  • Isa 45:18For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
  • Isa 49:8Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
  • Zech 12:1The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
  • Jer 32:17Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
  • Isa 44:24Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
  • Ps 146:5–6Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
  • Ps 104:24O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
  • Ps 33:6By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
  • Isa 45:12I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.
  • Jer 51:15–19He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.
  • Isa 42:5Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
  • Job 38:4–7Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
  • Ps 136:5–6To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
  • Jer 10:13When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.
  • Ps 119:90Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.
  • Ps 78:69And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.
  • Prov 30:4Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?
  • Job 26:7He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.
  • Gen 1:6–9And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
  • Ps 104:2Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
  • Ps 93:1The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Jeremiah videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Jeremiah 10:12YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JeremiahMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.

How Jeremiah 10:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.