Jeremiah 10

God forbiddeth his people to be afraid of the tokens of heaven, as the heathen were, v.1,2. he describeth at large and derideth the vanity of the idols, and the folly of idolatrous image – worship by opposing thereunto his Divine Majesty and Power, as also the service which Jacob owed him especially, vers.3, etc. he prophesieth and representeth by wailings the destruction of Jerusalem, and all Juda, by the Babylonians, 17. whereupon the Prophet in his own, and the Churches name, prayeth unto God for moderating of his judgment, and for punishment of the wicked enemies , 23.

1. Hear the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, [Or, hath spoken of or concerning you] o house of Israel.

2. Thus saith LORD, Learn not the way of the heaven, [Or, (to go) in the way the heathen; that is to follow their Idolatrous custome and practice] and be not dismayed at the token of heaven, [the Sun, Moon, and Stars, &c. See Genes.1. on v.14. of whom the heathen made Idols, and ascribed unto them the government of the world, and by their course and motion foretold things to come: wherein the Jews did imitate them, as appeareth above, ch.7.18, &c.] because the heathen are dismayed at them. [Oth, howbeit, notwithstanding, etc. also but let the heathen, etc.]

3. For the institution of the nations [Idols, Idolatrous ordinances, ceremonies] are vanity: for it is wood that men have hewn out of the forest, a work of the workman hands with the ax.[Compare below, v.8.Isa.44.14, etc.Or (one) hetheth down a tree out of the forest, (for) a work, etc.]

4. They trim it[Heb. Be maketh it fair and beautiful] with silver and with gold, they fasten them with nails and with pammers [They fasten the wooden Idols (which they have made) to a wall of pillar] that it [the Image, idol] may not wag. [Or, not go forth. Or, they suffer it not wag; that is they make it so fast, as that it is out of danger of growing loose, or falling, from which this wooden god cannot preserve it sel.]

5. They are like a palm – tree [standing firm and bolt upright, they raised up by beaten plates of an equal size, as if they had life and would speak, but are not able to do any work of living man, as followeth] of close work, [See Exd.25. on vers.31.] but cannot speak, they must be carted, [Heb. Carrying they are carried] for they cannot go: be not afraid of them, they cannot do evil, also there is no doing good by them. [They can neithr hurt their enemies, nor help their friends. Compare Deut.32. on vers.31.]

6. Beacause none is like unto the, LORD, thou are great, and thy Name is great, in might. [Whereas on the Contrary all idols are weak and feeble.]

7. Who should not fear thee, thou King of Gentiles? [Even bearing rule over those nations, that know not thee, but worship idols] for thee doth it appertain: [or, it befitted thee, that men should fear thee] Because among all the wife men of the Gentiles, [That are wont to beast most of wisdom, and yet are mere fools, as is shewed in the next verse] and in their whole Kingdom [That is, all their Kingdoms, which all together make up one idolatrous heathenish Kingdom.] (there) is none like unto thee.

8. Ret they are in one thing [Or, altogether, all counted in one] brutish [As brute beasts. So vers.14.21. Isai.41.29. Habak. 2. 18. Zach. 10.2. See Psal vers.11.] foolish : a stock is an instruction of vanityes [By Idolatrous images, and their worship, men are led to mere vanity; they are nothing but teachers of mere vanity. See 2 Kings 17. on vers.15. and of the use of the Hebrew word, which signifieth instruction and discipline, Prov. 16. on vers.22.]

9. Silver stretched out [Into plates] is brought from Thurfis, [From beyond the Sea. See 1 Kings 10. on vers.22.] and gold from Uphath, [That is, held to be all one with ohir, whereof see 1 Kings 9. on verse 28.others held it to be Fez] (for) the work of woman, and of the hands of the Goldsmith: skie – color and purple is their clothing, [The clothing of the Idolatrous images] they [The idols] are all the work of wife men[That is, skillful, artificial workmen. Compare above chap.9. on vers.17. and Exodus 31:6.]

10. But the LORD God is the truth, [Oth. The Lord is the true God; or, (in) truth; that is, truly] he is the living God, [Who most property may be said to live, as having from everlasting to everlasting his in incomprehensible Divine life and offence in and of himself, and making alive whomsoever he will, as being the fountain and author of life. See Job.5 21, 26, etc. Therefore he ought to be acknowledged and honoured as God alone] and an everlasting King: [Hebr. King of eternity. Compare 1 Tim 1.17.] at his wrath the earth trembleth, and the heathen are not able to abide his indignation.

11. (Thus shall ye say unto them; The Gods, that have not made the Heaven and the Earth shall perish from the Earth, and from under this Heaven.) [This verse is put in the Chaldean or Babylonian tongue, to teach the godly Jews, they being in captivity in Babel, how they should make profession of their faith concerning the true God, and oppose and gain say o idolaters.]

12. Who [Our God, whomme serve, of whom is spoken, vers.10.] hath made the Earth by his power, who hath prepared [Or, established, founded] the word by his wisdom and hath stretched out the Heaven by his understanding [See Geness.1.6. below chap.51.15. Job 9:8.Psai 104.2. Isai.40.22.and 44.22. and 51.13.]

13. When he giveth his voice,[Meaning thunder, as Psal.29.3, etc. or, Gods command, as some] then there a noise [Or, multitude] of water in the Heaven, [That is, the air] and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the end of the earth: he maketh lightings with rain, [See Job 37:11 and 38.25 or, against rain, for rain] and causeth the winde to come forth out of his treasures. [See Job 38. on vers.22. and Psal.135.7.]

14. Every man is become brutish, [The meaning is, all cunning workmen of Idolatrous images, are become as brutish, as beasts] so that [Or, from, by, or, in, because of that (their) skill of making images, wherein they thought to get great glory and renown. Compare Romans 1:22.] be hath no knowledge, every Goldsmith is ashamed of the carved [Or, graven] image : for his image is lying, [Or, falsehood: it is mere deceit] and there is nospirit [That is, breath, blast. See Job 9. on vers.18.] in them [The carved, and molten images]

15. They are vanity, a work of seducings: [That is. Mere seducing work] in the time of their visitation[When God shall punish and destroy the idols and idolaters together] they shall perish.

16. The portion of Jacob [So doth the Lord call himself, because he is become a God in covenant, and a Saviour, and consequently as an invaluable inheritance of his people, in the Messiah, whole co – heirs they are , Romans 8:10. Compare Psal.16. on vers.5.] is not like them ; [To wit, the idols] for [Or, but] he is the former of all things, and Israel is the rod of his inheritance[See Psal 74 on vers.2.] the LORD of Hosts [See 1 Kings 18. on vers.15.] is his Name.

17. Take away [Hebr. Properly gather together, and consequently take, or, conveigh away. See Psal .26. on vers.9. The words are here placed in the feminine gender, whence many do gather, that God here speaketh to the Daughter of Zion, or, to Jerusalem, that (without relying on the strength of their City) they should pack up their goods, and flee away, iin regard of the approaching invasion of the Babylonians, whereof in the fequd, and plainly, vers.22. Compare above chap.6.1. and 8.14.Ezech.12.3,4, etc. Some understand it of Bable] thy ware [Or, merchandise] out of the Land, thou inhabitant of their fortresse.

18. For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling away the inhabitants of the Land [That is, cast them out of the Land by the Babylonians, as with a sling] at this time, and will distresse them, that they may finde it (so) [That is, amy receive the just deserved punishments, or, may actually finde the truth of my Prophecies]

19. O wo (is) me for my breach,[They are the words of the Land, or, of the people of Jerusalem, etc. as above chap.4.31. or, of the prophet, speaking in person of the people, as if it were his own suffering, that he felt, and sustained. Compare below chap.14.6. and below chap.14.17.] my plague is painful: and I had said, [To wit, with my self; that is, thought that it would not fall so heavily but I should be able to bear, and overcome it, as followeth; but it falleth out quite other otherwise, then I imagined] This is indeed a sickness, which I shall be able to bear. [Oth. surely this is a sickness, yet I must bear it. As if he had said; This is indeed a grievous sickness, much heavier then I have conceived it would be, yet notwithstanding I must endure it]

20. My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken; my children [That is, the citizen of the city of Jerusalem, in the whole name this complaint is made] are gone forth from me, and they are not; there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

21. For the pastours [Ecclesiastical and political Governours] are become brutish, [As above vers.8. and 14.] and have not fought the LORD: therefore they have not dealt understandingly, [Oth, thay have not been happy, or, prosperous] and all their pasture [That is, flock of their pasture, the Congregation] is scattered.

22. Behold, there cometh a voice of the bruit, and a great trembling of the Land of the North: to make the Cities of Juda a desolation, an habitation of Dragons. [As above chap.9.11.]

23. I know, o LORD, that with man his way is not: [That is, his purpose and acting is not in his power. See Genes.6. on vers.12.] it is not with a man, that waltketh, to direct his going. [Or, step. And consequently (will the Prophet say,) I and all believers, we renounce all our own wisdom and strength, commending all our purpose and action, in this our trouble, to thy fatherly government: beseeching thee, inasmuch as thou intendest to punish this Land by the King of Babel, and he with all his designes and actions, likewise shut up under thy providence, that thou wouldst limit his power, and in mercy moderate thine anger to wards thy people, according to thy gracious covenant promises. Compare above chapter 4. in vers. 27. This is the scope and substance of this, and the next vers.]

24. Chastise me, [See Psal.6. on vers.2.] LORD, but with measure: [Hebr. Properly with judgment; that is here, with reason and moderation, or, in a reasonable, or, moderate way, so (as thou hast promised unto thy children) that thou also wilt consequently preserve thy justie; See below chapter 30.11. and 46.28 and compare Isa.30.18. Ezech.34. 16. The contrary is the bringing to nothing, whereof in the following words] not in thine anger left thou bring me nothing. [Hebr. Diminish me, make me few, or, mean; that is, bruise, or, grinde me to dust, or make me small, s that I am no more people : which was a consequent of the divine wrath, whereof in the following vers. This is opposed to the moderate chastisement]

25. Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen, [As if he should say, wilt thou needs pour out thy full wrath, do it not ( I beseech thee) upon thine own people, but rather upon thine and thy people enemies] that know thee not: [See Job 18. on vers.21. and Psal .79. on vers.6.] upon the families, that call not upon thy Name: for they have eaten up Israel; [See above chapter 9.16.] and (have) made his habitation desolate.