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 is the one who by his power made the earth. He is the one who by his wisdom fixed the world in place, by his understanding he spread out the heavens. 16When his voice thunders, the waters in the heavens roar. He makes the clouds rise from the far-off horizons. He makes the lightning flash out in the midst of the rain. He unleashes the wind from the places where he stores it. All idolaters will prove to be stupid and ignorant. Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made. For the image he forges is merely a sham. There is no breath in any of those idols. 18They are worthless, objects to be ridiculed. When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed. 19The Lord, who is the portion of the descendants of Jacob, is not like them. For he is the one who created everything, including the people of Israel whom he claims as his own. He is known as the Lord who rules over all.

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 10:14All these idolaters will prove to be stupid and ignorant. Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made. For the image he forges is merely a sham. There is no breath in any of those idols.
• Psalms 14:2The Lord looks down from heaven at the human race, to see if there is anyone who is wise and seeks God.
• Psalms 53:1Fools say to themselves, “There is no God.” They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right.
• Psalms 115:5They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see,
• Psalms 135:18Those who make them will end up like them, as will everyone who trusts in them.
• Isaiah 44:18They do not comprehend or understand, for their eyes are blind and cannot see; their minds do not discern.
• Romans 1:20For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse.
• 1 Corinthians 1:19For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.”
• Jeremiah 50:2“Announce the news among the nations! Proclaim it! Signal for people to pay attention! Declare the news! Do not hide it! Say: ‘Babylon will be captured. Bel will be put to shame. Marduk will be dismayed. Babylon’s idols will be put to shame. Her disgusting images will be dismayed.
• Psalms 135:17and ears, but cannot hear. Indeed, they cannot breathe.
• Habakkuk 2:18What good is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it? What good is a metal image that gives misleading oracles? Why would its creator place his trust in it and make such mute, worthless things?

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