But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including his people, his own special possession. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name!
Parallel translations
- WEB The portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the former of all things; including the tribe of his inheritance: Yahweh of Armies is his name.
- KJV The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name.
- BSB The Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things, and of the tribe of His inheritance—the LORD of Hosts is His name.
- NKJV The Portion of Jacob is not like them, For He is the Maker of all things; And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance. The Lord of hosts is His name.
- NASB The portion of Jacob is not like these; For He is the Maker of everything, And of the tribe of His inheritance; The Lord of armies is His name.
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
Unlike worthless idols, the 'portion of Jacob' is the Maker of all things, who claims Israel as His inheritance; His name is the Lord of Armies. Israel's God is the living Creator, not a dead idol.
Overview
This refrain (also in 10:16) contrasts the true God with the lifeless images just condemned. He is both the Former of all things and the one who has bound Himself to His people as their portion and they as His inheritance. To have this God as one's portion is the believer's greatest treasure, a relationship secured forever through Christ, in whom God claims His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Jer 10:16The portion of Jacob is not like these; for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance: Yahweh of Armies is his name.
- Ps 73:26My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
- 1 Pet 2:9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
- Ps 33:12Blessed is the nation whose God is Yahweh, the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.
- Exod 19:5–6Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine;
- Isa 47:4Our Redeemer, Yahweh of Armies is his name, is the Holy One of Israel.
- Jer 12:7–10“I have forsaken my house. I have cast off my heritage. I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.
- Ps 135:4For Yah has chosen Jacob for himself; Israel for his own possession.
- Ps 16:5Yahweh assigned my portion and my cup. You made my lot secure.
- Ps 74:2Remember your congregation, which you purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your inheritance; Mount Zion, in which you have lived.
- Ps 115:3But our God is in the heavens. He does whatever he pleases.
- Deut 32:9For Yahweh’s portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
- Jer 50:11“Because you are glad, because you rejoice, O you who plunder my heritage, because you are wanton as a heifer that treads out the grain, and neigh as strong horses;
- Lam 3:24“Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I will hope in him.”
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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 51:19 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.