Jeremiah 51:17

Jeremiah 51:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
• New International Version (NIV)“Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Every man is stupid and without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge; Every metalsmith is put to shame by the carved image; For his molded image is falsehood, And there is no breath in them.

Context of Jeremiah 51:17

15He made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom And stretched out the heavens by His understanding. 16When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, And He causes the clouds to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightnings for the rain And brings out the wind from His storehouses. Every man has become stupid and brutelike, without knowledge [of God]; Every goldsmith is shamed by the cast images he has made; For his molten idols are a lie, And there is no breath [of life] or spirit in them. 18They are worthless (empty, false, futile), a work of delusion and worthy of derision; In the time of their inspection and punishment they will perish. 19The Portion of Jacob [the true God of Israel] is not like these [handmade gods]; For He is the Maker of all and the One who formed and fashioned all things, And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance— The Lord of hosts is His name.

Jeremiah 51:17 word by word

נִבְעַ֤ר כָּל־אָדָם֙ מִדַּ֔עַת הֹבִ֥ישׁ כָּל־צֹרֵ֖ף מִפָּ֑סֶל כִּ֛י שֶׁ֥קֶר נִסְכּ֖וֹ וְלֹא־ר֥וּחַ בָּֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Every manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• is brutishבָּעַרbâ‛ar · be brutishH1197
• knowledgeדַּ֫עַתda‛ath · knowledgeH1847
• every founderצָרַףtsâraph · to refineH6884
• is confoundedיָבֵשׁyâbêsh · to witherH3001
• by the graven imageפֶּ֫סֶלpesel · idolH6459
• for his molten imageנֶ֫סֶךְnesek nêsek · drink offeringH5262
• falsehoodשֶׁ֫קֶרsheqer · deceptionH8267
• no breathרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307

Cross-references for Jeremiah 51:17

• Jeremiah 10:14Every man has become [like a brute] irrational and stupid, without knowledge [of God]; Every goldsmith is shamed by his carved idols; For his molten images are frauds and lies, And there is no breath in them.
• Psalms 14:2The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the children of men To see if there are any who understand (act wisely), Who [truly] seek after God, [longing for His wisdom and guidance].
• Psalms 53:1The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt and evil, and have committed repulsive injustice; There is no one who does good.
• Psalms 115:5They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see;
• Psalms 135:18Those who make idols are like them [absolutely worthless—spiritually blind, deaf, and powerless]; So is everyone who trusts in and relies on them.
• Isaiah 44:18They do not know, nor do they understand, for God has muddied their eyes so that they cannot see, and their hearts (minds) as well so that they cannot understand.
• Romans 1:20For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense.
• 1 Corinthians 1:19For it is written and forever remains written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise [the philosophy of the philosophers], And the cleverness of the clever [who do not know Me] I will nullify.”
• Jeremiah 50:2“Declare among the nations. Lift up a signal [to spread the news]—publish and proclaim it, Do not conceal it; say, ‘Babylon has been taken, Bel [the patron god] has been shamed, Marduk (Bel) has been shattered. Babylon’s images have been shamed, her [worthless] idols have been thrown down.’
• Psalms 135:17They have ears, but they do not hear, Nor is there any breath in their mouths.
• Habakkuk 2:18“What profit is the carved image when its maker has formed it? It is only a cast image, and a teacher of lies. For its maker trusts in his own creation [as his god] When he makes speechless idols.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 51:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Every man is brutish by his knowledge - He is brutish for want of real knowledge; and he is brutish when he acknowledges that an idol is any thing in the world. These verses, from fifteen to nineteen, are transcribed from Jeremiah 10:12-16.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-19Verses 15-19 A transcript of Jeremiah 10:12-16.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-19This song of praise highlights the Lord's uniqueness and greatness. It compares the true God with the emptiness of idols.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1915-19. Repeated from Jr 10:12-16; except that "Israel" is not in the Hebrew of Jr 51:19, which ought, therefore, to be translated, "He is the Former of all things, and (therefore) of the rod of His inheritance" (that is, of the nation peculiarly His own). In Jr 10:1-25 the contrast is between the idols and God; here it is between the power of populous Babylon and that of God: "Thou dwellest upon many waters" (Jr 51:13); but God can, by merely "uttering…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 51:17

• Idolatry
• Persia

In the dictionaries

• Graven image
• Molten, Image
• Cankerworm
• Device
• Empty
• Hold
• Mount
• Brute; Brutish
• Ezekiel
• Founder

Commentaries on Jeremiah 51

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings