God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 51:18
18They can’t breathe. They are worthless jokes. When they are punished, they will disappear.
Jeremiah 51:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
- New International Version (NIV)They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish.
- New King James Version (NKJV)They are futile, a work of errors; In the time of their punishment they shall perish.
Context of Jeremiah 51:18
16When he thunders, the water in the sky roars. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain. He brings wind out of his storehouses. 17Everyone is stupid and ignorant. Metalsmiths are put to shame by their idols. Their statues are false ⌞gods⌟. They can’t breathe. They are worthless jokes. When they are punished, they will disappear. 19Jacob’s God isn’t like them. He made everything, and Israel is the tribe that belongs to him. His name is the Lord of Armies. 20“You are my war club and my weapon for battle. I will use you to crush nations. I will use you to destroy kingdoms.
Read all of Jeremiah 51Jeremiah 51:18 word by word
הֶ֣בֶל הֵ֔מָּה מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה תַּעְתֻּעִ֑ים בְּעֵ֥ת פְּקֻדָּתָ֖ם יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Jeremiah 51:18
- Jeremiah 10:8They are complete idiots. They learn nonsense from wooden idols.
- Jonah 2:8Those who hold on to worthless idols abandon their loyalty ⌞to you⌟.
- Acts 14:15and said, “Men, what are you doing? We’re human beings like you. We’re spreading the Good News to you to turn you away from these worthless gods to the living God. The living God made the sky, the land, the sea, and everything in them.
- Jeremiah 43:12He will set fire to the temples of Egypt’s gods. He will burn down the temples and take their gods captive. Nebuchadnezzar will put on Egypt as his coat as a shepherd puts on his coat. He will leave Egypt peacefully.
- Jeremiah 46:25The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says, “I’m going to punish Amon, who is the god of Thebes. I will also punish Pharaoh, Egypt, its gods, its kings, and whoever trusts Pharaoh.
- Jeremiah 48:7Since you trust the things you do and your treasures, you will be captured. Chemosh will go into captivity with all its priests and officials.
- Jeremiah 50:2“Announce this among the nations, and spread the news. Raise a flag, and announce it. Don’t hide anything. Say, ‘Babylon will be captured. Bel will be put to shame. Marduk will be filled with terror. Babylon’s statues will be put to shame. Its idols will be filled with terror.’
- Exodus 12:12“On that same night I will go throughout Egypt and kill every firstborn male, both human and animal. I will severely punish all the gods of Egypt, ⌞because⌟ I am the Lord.
- Isaiah 19:1This is the divine revelation about Egypt. The Lord is riding on a fast-moving cloud and is coming to Egypt. Egypt’s idols will tremble in his presence. Egypt’s courage will fail.
- Isaiah 46:1The god Bel bows down; the god Nebo stoops low. Their statues are seated on animals and cattle. The gods that you carry are burdens, a load for weary people.
- Zephaniah 2:11The Lord will terrify them, because he will make all the gods of the earth waste away. So every person from every coast and nation will bow to him.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 51:18
- 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 51:18
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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