Jeremiah 10:11 · Bible study
Jeremiah 10:11 Commentary: Bold Confession in a Foreign Tongue
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore why this verse is written in Aramaic, how it answers idolatry, and what it means for believers to confess God’s supremacy under pressure.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s people are commanded to boldly declare, in the oppressor’s own language, that idols which did not create heaven and earth are doomed to perish.
- Key words: “gods” (אֱלָהַיָּא), Aramaic plural of deity; “they made” (עֲבַדוּ), Aramaic perfect, referring to creative act; “will perish” (יֵאבַדוּ), Aramaic imperfect, either future indicative or jussive.
- Main debate: Whether the verse is an original part of Jeremiah or a later insertion (see Cambridge Bible). Most ancient versions include it.
- Theological theme: The creator-creature distinction. Only Yahweh made heaven and earth; anything that fails this test is an idol.
- Best use: A memorizable confession for believers facing pressure to conform to false worship.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
“You shall say this to them: ‘The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth, and from under the heavens.’”
KJV King James Version 1769
Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, these shall perish from the earth, and from under the heavens.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Thus do ye say to them, The gods Who the heavens and earth have not made, They do perish from the earth, And from under these heavens.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Thus shall ye say unto them: Thegods that have not made the heavens and the earth, these shall perish from the earth, and from under the heavens.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Thus then shall you say to them: The gods that have not made heaven and earth, let them perish from the earth, and from among those places that are under heaven.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Les diréis así: Los dioses que no hicieron los cielos ni la tierra, perezcan de la tierra y de debajo de estos cielos.
Assim lhes direis: Os deuses que não fizeram os céus nem a terra perecerão da terra e de debaixo deste céu.
Vous leur parlerez ainsi:
So sprecht nun zu ihnen also: Die Götter, die Himmel und Erde nicht gemacht haben, müssen vertilgt werden von der Erde und unter dem Himmel.
(Aldus zult gijlieden tot hen zeggen: De goden, die den hemel en de aarde niet gemaakt hebben, zullen vergaan van de aarde, en van onder dezen hemel.)
Così direte loro: “Gli dèi che non han fatto i cieli e la terra, scompariranno di sulla terra e di sotto il cielo”.
Tak im tedy powiecie: Bogowie ci, którzy nieba i ziemi nie stworzyli, niech zginą z ziemi, a niech ich nie będzie pod niebem.
Так говорите им: боги, которые не сотворили неба и земли, исчезнут с земли и из-под небес.
（你們要對他們 如此 說：不是 那 創造 天 地 的神，必從地上 從 天 下 被除滅！）
This is what you are to say to them: The gods who have not made the heavens and the earth will be cut off from the earth and from under the heavens.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 10:11
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Jeremiah 10:11 functions as a set response for Jewish exiles when pressured to worship Babylonian gods. The verse is written in Aramaic, the everyday language of Babylon, so that the exiles could speak it directly to their captors. Calvin and Gill emphasize that the Aramaic shows God’s people must confess boldly even in weakness. The verse contrasts the true God, who made heaven and earth, with idols that did not. The Hebrew verb “they made” (עֲבַדוּ) points to creation; the verb “will perish” (יֵאבַדוּ) is either a prediction or a prayer (jussive). Either way, the outcome is certain: idols fail. Clarke adds that the verse was given for the exiles to have their “answer always ready.” Cross-references like Psalm 96:5 and Isaiah 2:18 reinforce the message: idols are emptiness; Yahweh alone is creator.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Authentically from Jeremiah: The verse fits the context of exile in chapters 10–11 and uses typical Jeremianic themes (vanity of idols, visitation).
- Later scribal insertion: The Aramaic is unique in Jeremiah; the verse interrupts the flow between vv. 10 and 12; the LXX order differs.
What is clear: The verse commands God’s people to offer a clear, public, verbal confession that only the Creator God is God and that all idols will come to nothing.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Language shift to Aramaic | Christians agree the verse is in Aramaic, distinct from the surrounding Hebrew. | Some (Calvin, Gill) see it as Jeremiah quoting a formula for the exiles to use; others (Cambridge Bible, Lange) suggest it may be a marginal gloss added later by scribes. |
| Meaning of 'will perish' | All agree the statement expresses the ultimate fate of idols: destruction. | Some commentators read it as a simple future prediction ('they shall perish'); others read the verb as jussive ('let them perish'), a prayer or imprecation. Both are grammatically possible. |
| Authenticity of the verse | The verse appears in the Masoretic Text and all ancient versions except one medieval manuscript. | Conservative commentators (Clarke, Gill, JFB) accept it as original. Critical scholars (Cambridge Bible, Dahler) argue it interrupts the context and was inserted during the exile. |
| Application to modern idolatry | The principle, only the Creator God is worthy of worship, applies universally. | Some apply the verse primarily to literal idol statues; others extend it to any non-creator object of ultimate trust (money, power, ideology). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 10 belongs to a larger section (chapters 2, 20) where the prophet confronts Judah’s idolatry. But by chapter 10, the audience shifts: the people are already exiled or about to be. Verse 11 stands out because it is in Aramaic, the lingua franca of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This shift is deliberate. The exiles were surrounded by temples, processions, and rituals dedicated to Marduk and other gods. They needed a concrete, memorizable answer when asked to join in worship.
The surrounding context reinforces the point. Verse 10 declares Yahweh “the true God . . . the living God, and an everlasting King.” Verses 12, 14 describe him as the maker of earth and heaven, contrasting with idols that are “falsehood” and have “no breath.” Verse 15 says they “will perish.” Verse 11 distills that theology into a single, portable confession.
Ancient Jewish tradition (cited by Gill and Clarke) claims this verse was the opening of a letter Jeremiah sent to the exiles. Whether or not that is historical, the verse clearly served as a oral shield. The Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 149b) mentions that a Jew must refuse idolatry even under threat. This verse equips that refusal. By putting the confession in Aramaic, Jeremiah made it impossible for the exiles to claim they did not know what to say. It is a weapon of precise speech: short, clear, unmistakable.
Textual Notes
The verse is present in all ancient versions (LXX, Syriac, Vulgate) and all Hebrew manuscripts except one listed by Kennicott (ms. 526). The Cambridge Bible notes that the LXX omits some surrounding verses but retains this one. Dr. Blayney suggested it might have been a marginal gloss later incorporated. Despite these doubts, the vast majority of manuscript evidence supports its inclusion.
Reception History
Early Jewish tradition (Targum, cited by Gill) treated this verse as the opening of a letter Jeremiah sent to exiles. The early church read it as a prooftext for the Creator-creature distinction foundational to Christian monotheism. The verse was memorized by persecuted Christians during the Roman Empire as a succinct confession. In the Reformation, Calvin used it to encourage bold witness under hostile rulers. Modern ecumenical resources cite it as a shared confession across traditions: only the God who made heaven and earth is God.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Know your audience: The verse is in Aramaic so the exiles could speak directly to their captors. God equips his people with language that fits their context.
- Choose your argument: The decisive test is creation. “The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth”, only the God who made everything deserves worship.
- Own your outcome: “Will perish.” Whether read as prediction or prayer, idols have no future. God’s people can speak with confidence because history ends with him.
Five-point outline
- Context of captivity: The verse is given to exiles, not free people. Bold confession often happens when we are weakest.
- Language of the captor: God provides words in the oppressor’s own tongue. The gospel can be spoken in any language.
- Creation as boundary: Nothing made by human hands is God. This eliminates every idol.
- Certainty of judgment: Idols and their systems will perish. This is not wishful thinking; it is divine promise.
- Call to speak: “Thus shall you say unto them.” Passive silence is not an option. The verse expects verbal witness.
Illustration hooks
- Street evanglism abroad: A missionary in a Hindu-majority country learns a single sentence in the local language: “Your gods did not create the world; one God did.” It opens conversations.
- Family pressure: A teenager whose parents practice folk religion is taught one short reply when asked to join ancestor worship: “I serve the God who made heaven and earth.” It sets a gentle but firm boundary.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I have a ready answer when coworkers mock my faith?
- Is it disrespectful to use an idolater’s language to challenge their religion?
- What if I am afraid to speak up? Does God give me the words?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is a permission slip to speak. It assumes believers will face pressure to compromise and gives them a direct, God-honoring reply. As a group, work through what it means to have a prepared answer when your faith is challenged.
Discussion questions
- Read Jeremiah 10:11 silently. Why do you think Jeremiah switched to Aramaic for this one verse?
- What does the phrase “who have not made the heavens and the earth” tell us about how the Bible defines a god?
- Some commentators read “will perish” as a prediction; others read it as a prayer (“let them perish”). How does each reading change the tone of the verse?
- In what situations today do you feel pressure to act as if something other than God deserves ultimate loyalty?
- How might memorizing a short, biblical response help you in those moments? What would your “Aramaic” version sound like?
- Read Psalm 96:5 and Isaiah 2:18. How do these verses echo Jeremiah 10:11? What hope do they offer?
- How can this group help each other prepare and speak with boldness in everyday conversations about faith?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 96:5 | For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but Yahweh made the heavens. |
| Isaiah 2:18 | The idols shall utterly pass away. |
| Jeremiah 10:15 | They are vanity, a work of delusion. In the time of their visitation they will perish. |
| Jeremiah 51:18 | They are vanity, a work of delusion. In the time of their visitation, they will perish. |
| Lamentations 3:66 | You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh. |
| Zephaniah 2:11 | Yahweh will be awesome to them, for he will famish all the gods of the land. Men will worship him, everyone from his place, even all the shores of the nations. |
| Zechariah 13:2 | It will come to pass in that day, says Yahweh of Armies, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they will be remembered no more. I will also cause the prophets and the spirit of impurity to pass out of the land. |
| Revelation of John 20:2 | He seized the dragon, the old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes observes that this verse appears in Aramaic rather than Hebrew, which sets it apart from surrounding material. He takes this as evidence that Jeremiah incorporated a well-known proverb, preserving it in the everyday language his original audience would have recognized.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that the Israelites were told to speak in the Chaldee language precisely because they were now living among the Chaldeans as exiles. Even in miserable bondage, they were to boldly declare that their captors' idols would perish, since those idols did not create heaven or earth.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary argues that Jeremiah 10:1-16 is a later addition to the book, likely written for exiled Jews in Babylon. The warning shifts from the prophet's earlier message that idols cannot save to a new emphasis that they cannot harm, reflecting the different circumstances of the exiles surrounded by elaborate idol worship.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva annotators draw a sharp contrast between the living God who created the heavens and earth and false gods who made nothing. Because they are not creators, these idols have no lasting place: they will vanish from the earth and from beneath the skies.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill treats this verse as either a prediction or an imprecation placed in the mouths of faithful Jews in Babylon to boldly reject idolatry. He applies the same logic to Christ's deity: if Jesus is not the God who made heaven and earth, He would fall under this same judgment.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB observes that Jeremiah puts this reply in Chaldee, the language of the idolaters, so Israelites could answer them in their own tongue. He suggests a note of derision in mimicking their barbarous dialect, and points out that all the oldest versions confirm the passage is original.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry contrasts the lifeless idols of the nations with the living God. Idols are man-made, speechless, and must be carried, but God created the earth and heavens, commands the elements, and is the everlasting King who alone is worthy of fear.