Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.
Parallel translations
- WEB Every man has become brutish and without knowledge; every goldsmith is disappointed by his engraved image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
- KJV Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
- NKJV Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge; Every metalsmith is put to shame by an image; For his molded image is falsehood, And there is no breath in them.
- NASB Every person is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, For his cast metal images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them.
- NLT The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power.
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
Every idol-maker is exposed as senseless, for his molten image is a lie with no breath in it. The craftsman is shamed by the lifeless thing he made.
Overview
In contrast to the living, creating God, every person who trusts idols is shown to be without knowledge, and the goldsmith is put to shame by his breathless image. The molten god is sheer falsehood. The verse seals the chapter's argument that idols are lifeless deceptions, directing worship instead to the God who is Himself the breath of life.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Ps 135:16–18They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see;
- Ps 115:4–8Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
- Isa 46:7–8They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.
- Hab 2:18–19What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.
- Isa 44:18–20They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.
- Rom 1:22–23Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,
- Jer 51:17–18Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.
- Jer 10:8But they are altogether senseless and foolish, instructed by worthless idols made of wood!
- Isa 42:17But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.
- Isa 45:16They will all be put to shame and humiliated; the makers of idols will depart together in disgrace.
- Ps 97:7All worshipers of images are put to shame—those who boast in idols. Worship Him, all you gods!
- Isa 44:11Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame.
- Ps 14:2The LORD looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God.
- Ps 92:6A senseless man does not know, and a fool does not understand,
- Ps 94:8Take notice, O senseless among the people! O fools, when will you be wise?
- Prov 30:2Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man.
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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 10:14 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.