Jeremiah 10:4

Jeremiah 10:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
• New International Version (NIV)They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move.
• New King James Version (NKJV)They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple.

Context of Jeremiah 10:4

2The Lord says, ‘Do not copy the way that people of other nations live. They are afraid of strange things that they see in the sky. But you must not be afraid of those things. 3The customs of those people are useless. They cut down a tree in the forest. A worker uses his tools to make it into an idol. He covers it with silver and gold to make it look beautiful. He uses nails to fix it together so that it will not fall down. 5Those idols cannot speak. They are like scarecrows that a farmer puts in his field of vegetables. The idols cannot walk, so people have to carry them. So do not be afraid of them. They cannot hurt you. And they do not have any power to help you.’ 6There is nobody like you, Lord. You are great and your name shows your power.

Jeremiah 10:4 word by word

בְּכֶ֥סֶף וּבְזָהָ֖ב יְיַפֵּ֑הוּ בְּמַסְמְר֧וֹת וּבְמַקָּב֛וֹת יְחַזְּק֖וּם וְל֥וֹא יָפִֽיק׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• They deckיָפָהyâphâh · be beautifulH3302
• it with silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
• and with goldזָהָבzâhâb · goldH2091
• they fastenחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
• it with nailsמַסְמֵרmasmêr mismêr masmerâh mismerâh · nailH4548
• and with hammersמַקָּבָהmaqqâbâh · hammerH4717
• that it moveפּוּקpûq · to reelH6328

Cross-references for Jeremiah 10:4

• Psalms 115:4Those people's idols are made from silver and gold. Yes, human hands make them!
• Psalms 135:15Other nations make idols with silver and gold. People worship things that they have made with their hands!
• Isaiah 40:19A worker may use special skill to make an idol. Another worker may cover it with gold. He may use silver chains to make it beautiful.
• Isaiah 41:6They help each other, and they say to one another, “Be strong!” ’
• Isaiah 44:12This is how they make their idols: A man who works with iron takes his tool. He makes the metal hot in the fire. Then he uses hammers to hit it with his strong arms. He hits it so that it has the right shape. But then he becomes hungry. He is too weak to work any more. He does not drink any water and so he feels tired.
• Isaiah 46:7They lift the idol onto their shoulders and they carry it home. They put it in its place and it stands there. It cannot move anywhere else. If someone calls out to it for help, it does not answer. It cannot save anyone from their trouble.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 10:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4They deck it - It was covered with plates of gold and silver, and then fastened with nails in its place, that it might not “more, i. e.” tumble down. The agreement in this and the following verses with the argument in Jeremiah 9:23-24) their true glory is their God, not an idol of wood, but the King of nations. Then comes the sad feeling that they have rejected God and chosen idols Jeremiah 10:17-18; then the nation‘s deep grief Jeremiah 10:19-22 and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The carved image had no beauty or value by itself. People had to add gold and silver to make it impressive (see Jeremiah 10:9). Similarly, the image could not stand on its own. It needed to be secured to a foundation with a hammer and nails.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. fasten ... move not--that is, that it may stand upright without risk of falling, which the god (!) would do, if left to itself (Is 41:7).Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 10:4

• Hammer
• Idolatry
• Nail

In the dictionaries

• Cord
• Custom
• Covenant, the New
• Exodus, the Book of
• Gold
• Habakkuk
• Hammer
• Jeremy, the Epistle of
• Nail
• Tools

Commentaries on Jeremiah 10

• 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