Jeremiah 10:15
Jeremiah 10:15 in Multiple Translations
They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.
They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
They are vanity, a work of delusion: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
They are nothing, a work of error: in the time of their punishment, destruction will overtake them.
They are useless, an object to be laughed at. They will be destroyed at the time of their punishment.
They are vanitie, and the worke of errours: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
Vanity [are] they, work of erring ones, In the time of their inspection they perish.
They are vanity, a work of delusion. In the time of their visitation they will perish.
They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
They are vain things and a ridiculous work: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
Idols are worthless; they deserve to be ridiculed; there will be a time when they all will be destroyed.
Berean Amplified Bible — Jeremiah 10:15
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Jeremiah 10:15 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
הֶ֣בֶל
הֵ֔מָּה
מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה
תַּעְתֻּעִ֑ים
בְּ/עֵ֥ת
פְּקֻדָּתָ֖/ם
יֹאבֵֽדוּ
הֶ֣בֶל
hebel
H1892
vanity
N-ms
הֵ֔מָּה
hêm
H1992
they(masc.)
Pron
מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה
maʻăseh
H4639
deed
N-ms
תַּעְתֻּעִ֑ים
taʻtuaʻ
H8595
delusion
N-mp
בְּ/עֵ֥ת
ʻêth
H6256
time
Prep | N-cs
פְּקֻדָּתָ֖/ם
pᵉquddâh
H6486
punishment
N-fs | Suff
יֹאבֵֽדוּ
ʼâbad
H6
to perish
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Jeremiah 10:15
הֶ֣בֶל
hebel
H1892
"vanity"
N-ms
Hebel means emptiness or vanity, describing something transitory and unsatisfactory, like a breath of air. It appears in the book of Ecclesiastes, where Solomon writes about life's fleeting nature. The KJV translates it as vanity or altogether.
Definition: 1) vapour, breath 1a) breath, vapour 1b) vanity (fig.) adv 2) vainly
Usage: Occurs in 64 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] altogether, vain, vanity. See also: Deuteronomy 32:21; Ecclesiastes 4:7; Psalms 31:7.
הֵ֔מָּה
hêm
H1992
"they(masc.)"
Pron
This Hebrew word is used to refer to a group of men, emphasizing that it is specifically them. It is often translated as 'they' or 'them' in the Bible, and appears in books like Exodus and Isaiah.
Definition: they, these, the same, who
Usage: Occurs in 524 OT verses. KJV: it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye. See also: Genesis 3:7; Deuteronomy 19:17; 2 Kings 1:18.
מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה
maʻăseh
H4639
"deed"
N-ms
This Hebrew word refers to an action or deed, which can be good or bad. It is used to describe various activities, such as work, business, or achievements. The KJV translates it as act, deed, or labor.
Definition: : judgement/punishment 1) deed, work 1a) deed, thing done, act 1b) work, labour 1c) business, pursuit 1d) undertaking, enterprise 1e) achievement 1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment) 1g) work, thing made 1h) work (of God) 1i) product
Usage: Occurs in 221 OT verses. KJV: act, art, [phrase] bakemeat, business, deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making, occupation, thing offered, operation, possession, [idiom] well, (handy-, needle-, net-) work(ing, -manship), wrought. See also: Genesis 5:29; Job 1:10; Psalms 8:4.
תַּעְתֻּעִ֑ים
taʻtuaʻ
H8595
"delusion"
N-mp
This word means a false or misleading idea, a delusion that leads people astray. In the Bible, it is used to describe the errors of the Israelites, as seen in Isaiah and Ezekiel.
Definition: 1) errors, delusions 2) (BDB) mockery
Usage: Occurs in 2 OT verses. KJV: error. See also: Jeremiah 10:15; Jeremiah 51:18.
בְּ/עֵ֥ת
ʻêth
H6256
"time"
Prep | N-cs
Eth means time, especially now or when, and can refer to an event, experience, or occasion. It is often used to describe a specific moment or period.
Definition: 1) time 1a) time (of an event) 1b) time (usual) 1c) experiences, fortunes 1d) occurrence, occasion
Usage: Occurs in 258 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] after, (al-) ways, [idiom] certain, [phrase] continually, [phrase] evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-) tide, (meal-), what) time, when. See also: Genesis 8:11; 2 Chronicles 35:17; Psalms 1:3.
פְּקֻדָּתָ֖/ם
pᵉquddâh
H6486
"punishment"
N-fs | Suff
This noun refers to a visitation, which can be an official oversight, care, or punishment. It is used in different contexts, including mustering, storing, or meting out punishment. The KJV translates it as account, charge, or oversight, among other words.
Definition: 1) oversight, care, custody, mustering, visitation, store 1a) visitation, punishment 1b) oversight, charge, office, overseer, class of officers 1c) mustering 1d) store
Usage: Occurs in 31 OT verses. KJV: account, (that have the) charge, custody, that which...laid up, numbers, office(-r), ordering, oversight, [phrase] prison, reckoning, visitation. See also: Numbers 3:32; Isaiah 10:3; Psalms 109:8.
יֹאבֵֽדוּ
ʼâbad
H6
"to perish"
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
To perish means to be destroyed or lost, whether it's a person, animal, or thing, like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19.
Definition: 1) perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) perish, die, be exterminated 1a2) perish, vanish (fig.) 1a3) be lost, strayed 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to destroy, kill, cause to perish, to give up (as lost), exterminate 1b2) to blot out, do away with, cause to vanish, (fig.) 1b3) cause to stray, lose 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to destroy, put to death 1c1a) of divine judgment 1c2) object name of kings (fig.) Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (אֲבַד "to destroy" H0007)
Usage: Occurs in 174 OT verses. KJV: break, destroy(-uction), [phrase] not escape, fail, lose, (cause to, make) perish, spend, [idiom] and surely, take, be undone, [idiom] utterly, be void of, have no way to flee. See also: Exodus 10:7; Psalms 112:10; Psalms 1:6.
Study Notes — Jeremiah 10:15
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Jeremiah 10:15 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 10:15
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 10:15
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 10:15
- Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 10:15
- Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 10:15
- Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 10:15
- Barnes' Notes on Jeremiah 10:15
- Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 10:15
- Sermons on Jeremiah 10:15
Context — The Sovereignty of God
13When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.
14Every 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.
15They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.
16The Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance— the LORD of Hosts is His name. 17Gather up your belongings from this land, you who live under siege.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah 14:22 | Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O LORD our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things. |
| 2 | Isaiah 41:24 | Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 51:18 | They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish. |
| 4 | Jeremiah 8:12 | Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse, says the LORD. |
| 5 | Jonah 2:8 | Those who cling to worthless idols forsake His loving devotion. |
| 6 | Isaiah 2:18–21 | and the idols will vanish completely. Men will flee to caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth. In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold— the idols they made to worship. They will flee to caverns in the rocks and crevices in the cliffs, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth. |
| 7 | Zechariah 13:2 | And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. |
| 8 | Jeremiah 8:19 | Listen to the cry of the daughter of my people from a land far away: “Is the LORD no longer in Zion? Is her King no longer there?” “Why have they provoked Me to anger with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols?” |
| 9 | Jeremiah 10:11 | Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.” |
| 10 | Isaiah 41:29 | See, they are all a delusion; their works amount to nothing; their images are as empty as the wind. |
Jeremiah 10:15 Summary
[This verse teaches us that idols, or false gods, are completely worthless and deserve to be mocked because they have no power or value. In contrast to the true God, who is the Maker of all things as seen in Jeremiah 10:16, idols are just man-made objects that cannot help us. As warned in Psalm 115:8, those who make them will become like them - useless. We should remember that our worship and trust should be in the living God alone, who is our true help and salvation, as promised in Psalm 121:2.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for idols to be 'worthless, a work to be mocked'?
This phrase in Jeremiah 10:15 indicates that idols have no real value or power, and those who worship them will be put to shame, as seen in Isaiah 44:9-20 where the futility of idol worship is thoroughly exposed.
How does this verse relate to the punishment of those who worship idols?
The verse suggests that when the time of punishment comes, those who have invested in idols will perish, highlighting the severity of God's judgment against idolatry, as also warned in Deuteronomy 27:15 and Ezekiel 18:4.
Is this verse saying that all human creations are worthless?
No, the context specifically targets idols and the work of those who craft them for worship, not all human creations, emphasizing the distinction between the true God and false gods, as clarified in Jeremiah 10:16 where God is identified as the Maker of all things.
How should believers respond to this verse?
Believers should take heed to avoid the temptation of idolatry and instead worship the one true God, who is the Maker of all things, as encouraged in 1 John 5:21 and Exodus 20:3-5.
Reflection Questions
- What are some modern forms of idolatry that can distract us from the true worship of God?
- How does recognizing the worthlessness of idols impact our daily lives and priorities?
- In what ways can we ensure that our hearts are not divided between the worship of the true God and the pursuit of worthless idols?
- What does it mean for you personally to turn away from idols and toward the living God, as commanded in 1 Thessalonians 1:9?
Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 10:15
They are vanity,.... They are the fruit of the vain imagination of men; to worship them shows the vanity of the human mind; and they are vain things to trust to: and the work of errors; of erroneous
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 10:15
They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. The work of errors - deceptions; from a Hebrew root, to stutter; then meaning to mock.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 10:15
They are vanity, and the work of errors; either in their rise, as springing from men of corrupt minds, or the foundation of them; a metonymy of the effect; teachers and encouragers of lies, ; things rather to be scoffed at and derided, than adored and worshipped; and it is expressed in the plural number, to note the multiplicity of them. In the time of their visitation they shall perish; when God shall have a controversy with them, shall come to reckon with Babylon and her idols, they and their worshippers shall be destroyed, alluding possibly to the manner of the pagan conquests, who were wont to carry away both persons and the idols of the country, and either break them to pieces, or burn them; thus were they served by, the Persians: see on . This possibly may be spoken by way of encouragement to the Jews, that took offence at the Chaldean idols that were set up in their sight; that God may strengthen their patience he tells them he visits them in mercy, and their enemies in judgment; he will destroy those idols.
Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 10:15
Jeremiah 10:15 They [are] vanity, [and] the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.Ver. 15. They are vanity.] Vanity, in its largest extent, is properly predicated of them. And the work of errors.] Mere mockeries, making men to embrace vanity for verity. In the time of their visitation.] See on Isaiah 46:1.
Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 10:15
(15) The work of errors.—Better, a work of mockery, i.e., worthy of that and of that only, the word being apparently substituted, after Jeremiah’s manner, for the technical word, not unlike in sound, which is translated “image work” in 2 Chronicles 3:10. In the time of their visitation.—i.e., in the time when they are visited with punishment, as in 1 Peter 2:12; Isaiah 10:3, and Luke 19:44.
Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 10:15
15. delusion] rather (with mg.) mockery, bringing scorn upon those who trust in them. The last clause of the v. refers to the fate which may be expected to befall the idols when “the day of the Lord” comes. Cp. Isaiah 2:12 ff.
Barnes' Notes on Jeremiah 10:15
Rather, “They are vanity, a work of mockery,” deserving only ridicule and contempt.
Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 10:15
15. Work of errors — Rather, of mockery; a thing that deserves only ridicule and contempt, and brings it upon all its votaries.
Sermons on Jeremiah 10:15
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Understanding Spiritual Authority (Part 3): The Greatest Faith in Israel by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the story of the Passover in Egypt and draws parallels to the present generation. He emphasizes the importance of obeying God's instructions |
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(Jonah) the Depths of Hell - Part 2 by John Vissers | John Vissers explores the profound themes of grace and salvation in the story of Jonah, emphasizing that true salvation comes from the Lord. He draws parallels between Jonah's expe |
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Jonah 2:8 by Chuck Smith | Chuck Smith discusses Jonah's reluctance to obey God's call to go to Nineveh, highlighting Jonah's mistaken belief that he could escape God's presence and calling. Jonah's desire f |
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Progress of Redemption #07 by David Shirley | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the Edenic covenant and the relationship between God and man. The preacher emphasizes that God requires man to rule for Him and that God dete |
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Dagon Was Fallen Upon His Face to the Earth by F.B. Meyer | F.B. Meyer emphasizes the confrontation between the Ark of the Lord and the idol Dagon, illustrating the supremacy of Jehovah over false gods. The fall of Dagon symbolizes the inev |
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Josiah's Good Reign by C.I. Scofield | C.I. Scofield preaches on the inspiring story of King Josiah, a young man who sought after the God of David his father and embarked on a journey of purging Judah and Jerusalem of i |
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Exposition on Psalm 48 by St. Augustine | St. Augustine preaches on the significance of the Church of Christ as the firmament, symbolizing strength and resistance to worldly temptations. He emphasizes the importance of pra |