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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power.

Context of Jeremiah 51:17

15“He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. 16When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. “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. 18They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. 19He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including the people of his inheritance— the Lord Almighty 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 10:14Everyone 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.
• Psalms 14:2The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
• Psalms 53:1The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.
• Psalms 115:5They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see.
• Psalms 135:18Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.
• Isaiah 44:18They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
• Romans 1:20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
• 1 Corinthians 1:19For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
• Jeremiah 50:2“Announce and proclaim among the nations, lift up a banner and proclaim it; keep nothing back, but say, ‘Babylon will be captured; Bel will be put to shame, Marduk filled with terror. Her images will be put to shame and her idols filled with terror.’
• Psalms 135:17They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths.
• Habakkuk 2:18“Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.

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