Jeremias 10
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Jeremias 10
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS There is a literary unit from Jeremiah 7 through 10 which deals with Judah's sin and YHWH's judgment (see Contextual Insighst at chapter 8, A). The poems of Jeremiah are arranged, not by date, but by word plays themes This chapter has many similarities with both Deuteronomy and Isaiah. Two examples: the rare word (BDB 903 I), "cucumber field," Jer. 10:5 (cf. Isa. 1:8) the phrase, "none is like You," Jer. 10:6 reflects Deut. 33:26 (see SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM) Prophetic literature is a genre which modern readers are not familiar with. It must be interpreted in light of contemporary culture contemporary idioms contemporary poetic forms parallel patterns Some resources that have helped me try to put muself back into an ANE mindset are John H. Walton, Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic G. B. Caird, The Language and Imagery of the Bible Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, How To Read the Bible for All Its Worth SPECIAL TOPIC: EASTERN LITERATURE SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW POETRY SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHECY (OT)
Jeremias 10:1-5
10:1 "Hear the word" This is the Hebrew word Shema (BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal IMPERATIVE), which means "to hear so as to do." It is a recurrent demand in Jeremiah (cf. Jer. 2:4; 5:21; 6:19; 7:2,23; 10:1; 11:2,4,6; 13:15; 17:20; 19:3; 21:11; 22:2; 31:10; 38:20; 42:15; 44:24,26; 49:20; 50:45). YHWH is communicating, but His people are not listening and obeying! SPECIAL TOPIC: LISTEN/HEAR (shema) SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP ▣ "house of Israel" The title "Israel" in Jeremiah is so confusing because it is used in two senses. all of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob the Northern Ten Tribes, who split off in 922 B.C. SPECIAL TOPIC: ISRAEL (the name) 10:2 "Do not learn the way of the nations" Chapter 10 addresses the folly of idolatry. It reflects the imagery and sarcasm of Isaiah (cf. Isa. 2:20; 31:7; 40:18-20; 41:7; 44:9-20; 45:16; 46:5-7). YHWH had given them the way in which they should walk (cf. Lev. 18:3; Deut. 12:30; Jer. 12:16), but they chose the way (i.e. lifestyle) of idolatry. This is even reflected in Jer. 10:2 by a seeming allusion to the Babylonian astral deities (i.e. "signs of the heavens," cf. Isa. 47:13; many celestial signs are recorded in Enuma Anu Enlil). There are two Qal IMPERFECTS used in a JUSSIVE sense (negated). learn ‒ BDB 540, KB 531 be terrified ‒ BDB 369, KB 365 The pagan nations, without a knowledge of YHWH, were terrified (BDB 369, KB 365, Qal IMPERFECT) by the astrologers (cf. Isa. 47:12-14) and astral events, like meteors, comets, eclipses, weather phenonema. Superstitions are powerful instruments in the hand of Satan to frighten, intimidate, and control humans! SPECIAL TOPIC: THE PATH, THE WAY SPECIAL TOPIC: IDOLATRY 10:3 "For the customs of the peoples are delusion" "For the customs of the peoples are futile" NRSV, NJB "For the customs of the peoples are false" "The religion of these people is worthless" "The carved images of the nations are a shame" "For the laws of the nations are delusions" JPSOA (footnote) "the objects that the nations fear are delusions" (emendation) "Because the precepts of the nations are vain" "for the gods of the Gentiles are nothing" The word "customs" (BDB 349) can mean to inscribe (i.e. a law) to enact or to decree (i.e. a law) The term "delusion" means "nothingness" or "vanity" (BDB 210, KB 236, cf. Jer. 2:5; 14:22; 2 Kgs. 17:15). It is quite often used to describe the idols (cf. Deut. 32:21), which were nonentities made by human hands. They had no power to act, in contradistinction to YHWH who acts for His people! Idols cannot hear, see, or act, but they are used by Satan to trick humans from knowing and following the only true God and His Messiah (cf. Eph. 6:10-18). SPECIAL TOPIC: SATAN SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM SPECIAL TOPIC: MESSIAH 10:5 "Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field" This is an allusion to idols described as scarecrows. Some translate this as "upright as a palm tree" (NKJV, Peshitta). The LXX omits the phrase. ▣ "They must be carried" This is an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and an IMPERFECT VERB from the same root (BDB 669, KB 724) used for intensity. Oh, the folly of man-made gods! ▣ "Do not fear them" This is a Qal IMPERFECT (BDB 431, KB 432) used in a JUSSIVE sense. Fear can be paralyzing! Notice those who know YHWH should not fear because the idols cannot harm you cannot do you good They are non-existent (cf. Isa. 41:23-24; 1 Cor. 8:4; Gal. 4:8). Fear YHWH (cf. Jer. 10:7)! SPECIAL TOPIC: FEAR (OT)
Jeremias 10:6-10
10:6 "There is none like You" I seems that Jeremiah is speaking. This is an emphasis on the uniqueness of YHWH. It is an affirmation of monotheism. There was only one God (cf. Jer. 10:10). The Septuagint omits Jer. 10:6-8 and 10; this omission is also in the Dead Sea Scroll manuscripts. Possibly these are based on a different Hebrew text. SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM SPECIAL TOPIC: ANGELS AND DEMONS SPECIAL TOPIC: SEPTUAGINT ▣ "You are great, and great is Your name" "Great" (BDB 162) is used often in Deuteronomy of YHWH (cf. Deut. 3:24; 5:24; 9:26; 11:2; 32:3). Jeremiah often uses the phrasing and terminology from Deuteronomy. SPECIAL TOPIC: "THE NAME" OF YHWH 10:7 "King of the nations" YHWH is not just the God of Abraham's seed but the God of creation! He is the only true God (cf. Jer. 10:10)! This emphasis on YHWH as the only true God is difficult to communicate to a post-modern worldview which depreciates absolutes. Yet, this is the question! It is true or it is false. The biblical worldview rests on this basic affirmation. SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM SPECIAL TOPIC: THE BIBLE (its uniqueness and inspiration) 10:8 This verse is very difficult to translate, but it seems that the Hebrew is referring to the fact that the Israelites were getting their information and knowledge from a dead stump (i.e. idol). The second line may be paralleled in v. 3a. 10:9 "Tarshish" This was a city in the far west, possibly Spain or Sardinia. Some say it is just a mythological place to describe something far, far away (cf. the book of Jonah and Ezek. 27:12). SPECIAL TOPIC: TARSHISH ▣ "And gold from Uphaz" "from Uphaz" (מאופז, BDB 20) is found only here and in Dan. 10:5 as a place name. From 1 Kgs. 9:28 a place called "from Ophir" (פאופיר, BDB 20, cf. Isa. 13:12) has "gold" (cf. Targums, Peshitta, REB). It possibly means "pure" or "fine" gold, thereby functioning as an ADJECTIVVE. ▣ "Violet and purple are their clothing" These were very expensive dyes in the ancient world, originally coming from Phoenicia (i.e. from sea shells). It is simply a way of asserting that no matter how richly or royally they robed their idols, they were still just human-made, inanimate objects! SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE SACRED COLORS ▣ "They are all the work of skilled men" The NET Bible (p. 1316, #17) points out the contrast between the wise men of the nations the skilled craftsmen Both use the same root (BDB 314). These idol makers are skillful craftsmen, but they are not wise. True wisdom cannot worship a man-made idol! 10:10 "the Lord is the true God" The Hebrew word (BDB 54) for "truth" emphasizes trustworthiness, faithfulness, and dependability. SPECIAL TOPIC: AMEN SPECIAL TOPIC: BELIEVE, TRUST, FAITH AND FAITHFULNESS IN THE OT ▣ "the living God" This seems to reflect the covenant name for God, YHWH, which is from the Hebrew VERB "to be" (cf. Exod. 3:14). SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D. ▣ "everlasting" See SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam and aiōnios) ▣ Notice the ways YHWH is characterized. there is none like You, Jer. 10:6,7 (see SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM) You are great, Jer. 10:6 King of the nations, Jer. 10:7 (see SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARACTERISTICS OF ISRAEL'S GOD [NT]) the true God, Jer. 10:10 the living God, Jer. 10:10 the everlasting King, Jer. 10:10 (cf. #3) the creator, Jer. 10:12-13 (SPECIAL TOPIC: THE BEGINNING [physical and spiritual]) the Maker of all is He, Jer. 10:16 the captain of the armies of heaven (i.e. Lord of hosts), Jer. 10:16 (seeSPECIAL TOPIC: Lord of Hosts) YHWH is the God who creates, hears, sees, and acts. The idols are non-existent. They cannot move, hear, see, or act. They will be destroyed! YHWH is the only true, real, live, eternal One! SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARACTERISTICS OF ISRAEL'S GOD [NT]
Jeremias 10:11
10:11 This verse is in Aramaic. It is the only verse in Jeremiah in Aramaic (also note Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Dan. 2:4-7:28). Why one Aramaic verse should appear in the midst of a Hebrew book is uncertain. Some of the theories are: The rabbis say that it was part of a letter sent to King Jehoiachin in captivity in Neo-Babylon. It was an anti-polytheistic proverb. It was an exorcism formula (see SPECIAL TOPIC: EXORCISM) It was a marginal note, later inserted into the text (TEV, NEB).
Jeremias 10:12-16
10:12-16 This is a passage about Elohim as creator of both the planet and all celestial objects (cf. Gen. 1:14-19). In this passage it is He who gives and controls water, which was a very important theological issue in the agricultural Ancient Near East. Water was part of the Neo-Babylonian creation myth and the Canaanite creation myth. The Canaanite god, Ba'al, was supposedly the storm god that provided water (i.e. life). Contrary to both of these myths, YHWH is the creator, sustainer, and provider of rain and water. SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, C. SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE CREATION AND FLOOD MYTHS SPECIAL TOPIC: WATERS 10:12 "It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom" This is an emphasis on God as creator (cf. Jer. 10:16). Verses 12-16 are repeated in Jer. 51:15-19. The theological assertion that YHWH established the world by "wisdom" comes from Prov. 8:22-31. This is possibly the OT background for John 1:1-14. Notice the parallelism of terms used to affirm YHWH as Creator (cf. Jer. 51:15-19; Ps. 104). He who made the earth VERB ‒ BDB 793, KB 889, Qal PARTICIPLE NOUN ‒ "earth" (BDB 75) who stablished the world VERB ‒ BDB 465, KB 464, Hiphil PARTICIPLE NOUN ‒ "world" (BDB 385) He has stretched out the heavens VERB ‒ BDB 639, KB 692, Qal PERFECT NOUN ‒ "heavens" (BDB 1029) SPECIAL TOPIC: WORLD (several terms) SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAVEN SPECIAL TOPIC: THE CIRCLE OF THE EARTH SPECIAL TOPIC: THE BEGINNING (physical and spiritual) ▣ "stretched out the heavens" See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE CIRCLE OF THE EARTH and SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAVEN 10:13 This verse may be a parody of the Canaanite fertility god, Ba'al, who was the storm god. YHWH is the One who controls water and the weather, not Ba'al. 10:14-15 These verses continue the ridicule of idols (cf. Jer. 10:3-5). The term "breath" (BDB 924) is a play on the term for spirit (cf. Ezekiel 37). SPECIAL TOPIC: BREATH, WIND, SPIRIT 10:16 "The portion of Jacob is not like these" This refers to the God of Jacob (cf. Ps. 73:26). Jacob's name was changed to Israel (cf. Gen. 32:28). ▣ "Israel is the tribe of His inheritance" The KJV has "the rod of His inheritance." This refers to the rod as a means of measurement or a standard (see BDB 986). However, most English translations follow NASB. Israel is YHWH's own people. SPECIAL TOPIC: ISRAEL (the name)
Jeremias 10:17-18
10:17-18 This strophe starts with an IMPERATIVE, "pick up your bundle" (BDB 62, KB 72, Qal IMPERATIVE) which denotes the imminence of the Neo-Babylonian exile. It shows that the Judean people would go into exile with only that which they could carry; that YHWH is the One who pronounced this judgment because of their sin, not because Marduk was a greater and stronger deity! 10:18 The last line has several translation options. "that they may be found" MT, NKJV "that they may find it so" (from מצא, BDB 592) NRSV, Peshitta "that they may find me!" "until not one is left" NJB, JPSOA, NET Bible "that they shall feel it" "that your plague may be discovered" REB, NEB "squeeze them dry" (from מצה, BDB 594) "that they may be captured" JPSOA (footnte) "that they have to leave" (emendation) Apparently the line refers to the fact that none shall escape capture and exile. Literary context (i.e. Hebrew parallelism) and word root (i.e. Semitic) are the two most helpful ways to determine meaning of a word or phrase in poetry.
Jeremias 10:19-22
10:19-22 This strophe of lament is similar to Jer. 8:18-22. It seems to reflect the heart of God through the words of Jeremiah. However, the nation is personified. The land suffers from mankind's sin (cf. Deuteronomy 27-28; Rom. 8:18-22). There is a series of nomadic imagery here, particularly related to the "tent" and "flocks." SPECIAL TOPIC: THE FALL OF MANKIND 10:19 Jeremiah uses sickness or wounds as imagery for sin (cf. Jer. 30:17), as does Isaiah 1:5-6; 53:5; Ps. 103:3 (note the synonymous parallelism). These verses cannot be used as a divine promise of physical healing. However, God still heals. SPECIAL TOPIC: HEALING ▣ The last line of Jer. 10:19 can have several translation options (i.e. different vowels). NASB, NKJV, NJB, JPSOA, Peshitta "I must bear it" "If this is the worst, I can bear it" "we thought this was something we could endure!" "it seized me" Number 1 is the people's resignation to Divine judgment. Number 2 is a belittling of the judgment. I think #1 fits the context best. 10:20 Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, p. 13, makes the interesting point about how the poets and prophets used imagery from the nomadic period of Israel's past. death as a tent being taken down ‒ Job 4:21 security as a tent well grounded ‒ Isa. 33:20 Hezekiah's illness described as a tent being pulled up ‒ Isa. 38:12 restoration of the covenant people as the enlargement of a tent ‒ Isa. 54:2 Judah's invasion and exile as a destroyed tent ‒ Jer. 4:20; 10:20 shepherd imagery ‒ Ps. 23; Isa. 40:11; Jer. 10:21; 23:1-6; Ezek. 34; Zech. 10-12 Only people familiar with nomadic existence can feel the full power and plight of this imagery! 10:21 "shepherds" This (BDB 944 I) refers to spiritual leaders (cf. Jer. 2:8,16; 3:15; 6:3; 12:10; 22:22; 23:1,2,4; 25:34-36; 50:6; 51:23; Ezek. 34:3). 10:22 "A great commotion out of the land of the north" This refers to the coming exile (cf. Jer. 1:14-15; 4:6; 6:1,22). The north was an idiom for invasion since this was the only route that invaders from the Fertile Crescent (i.e. Mesopotamia) could take because of the desert directly to the east of Palestine. ▣ "A desolation, a haunt of jackals" This line of poetry is asserting two realities. the coming invasion and destruction of Judah's walled cities the demonic presence in the ruins (i.e. Isa. 34:11-15; Jer. 9:10 SPECIAL TOPIC: DEMONS IN THE OT
Jeremias 10:23-25
10:23-25 This is a closing prayer for mercy as the prophet speaks on behalf of the people. SPECIAL TOPIC: INTERCESSORY PRAYER 10:23 "a man's way is not in himself; Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps" This is an affirmation of the truth that God is in control of all things. There is no place to begin a theology except the sovereignty of the Creator God! Humans must trust in Him (cf. Prov. 3:5,6; Ps. 37:23; 66:8,9), for there is no one else to trust! 10:24 "Correct me, O Lord" This is a Piel IMPERATIVE, SINGULAR (BDB 415, KB 418, used in a collective sense, i.e. "us"). It is the emphasis on God as parent (cf. Prov. 3:12; Ps. 103:6-14; Heb. 12:5-13). God is a disciplining parent; He disciplines for the purpose of maturity in righteousness. SPECIAL TOPIC: THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD 10:25 The prophet's prayer to God continues and pleads that He will judge (lit. "pour out," BDB 1049, KB 1629, Qal IMPERATIVE) the nations (and the families) which He used to judge His people (cf. Ps. 79:6-7). The ultimate goal of creation is to know YHWH and have a world that reflects His character. SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN