Jeremiah 18:15 · Bible study
Jeremiah 18:15 Commentary: Forgotten God, Unstable Byways
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jeremiah 18:15 explores why Judah abandoned God for idols, who caused their stumble, and the meaning of ancient paths vs. a way not cast up.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Judah has forgotten God, worshipped worthless idols, followed bad leaders off the secure highways of covenant faith onto unsafe backroads.
- Key words: Shav (vanity, falsehood), shevilei olam (ancient/eternal paths), lo’ selulah (not cast up, not built up).
- Main debate: Who caused the stumbling, the idols (Gill, 2 Chr 28:23) or the false prophets (Barnes, Calvin)? The Hebrew allows both readings.
- Theological theme: The tragedy of willful apostasy, trading God’s proven way for human invention.
- Best use: A warning against spiritual forgetfulness and the seduction of “new” paths that disregard the tested wisdom of God’s word.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Yet My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to worthless idols that make them stumble in their ways, leaving the ancient roads to walk on rutted bypaths instead of on the highway.
WEB World English Bible 2000
For my people have forgotten me. They have burned incense to false gods. They have been made to stumble in their ways in the ancient paths, to walk in byways, in a way not built up,
KJV King James Version 1769
Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For my people have forgotten me, they have burned incense to false gods; and they have been made to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths, in a way not cast up;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
But My people have forgotten Me, to a vain thing they make perfume, And they cause them to stumble in their ways--paths of old, To walk in paths--a way not raised up,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
For my people hath forgotten me: they burn incense to vanity; and they have caused them to stumble in their ways, the ancient paths, to walk in by-paths of a way not cast up;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Because my people have forgotten me, sacrificing in vain, and stumbling in their ways, in ancient paths, to walk by them in a way not trodden:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque mi pueblo me ha olvidado, incensando á la vanidad, y hácenles tropezar en sus caminos, en las sendas antiguas, para que caminen por sendas, por camino no hollado;
Porém meu povo se esqueceu de mim, queimando incenso à inutilidade, e fazem- lhes tropeçar em seus caminhos, nas veredas antigas, para que andassem por veredas de caminho não aplanado;
Cependant mon peuple m’ a oublié, il offre de l’ encens à des idoles;
Sie räuchern den Göttern und richten Ärgernis an auf ihren Wegen für und für und gehen auf ungebahnten Straßen,
Nochtans heeft Mijn volk Mij vergeten, zij roken der ijdelheid; want zij hebben hen doen aanstoten op hun wegen, op de oude paden, opdat zij mochten wandelen in stegen van een weg, die niet opgehoogd is;
Eppure il mio popolo m’ha dimenticato, offre profumi agl’idoli vani; l’han tratto a inciampare nelle sue vie, ch’erano i sentieri antichi, per seguire sentieri laterali, una via non appianata,
Ale lud mój zapomniawszy na mię, marności kadzą i potykają się na drogach swych, na ścieszkach starodawnych, chodząc ścieszkami drogi nieutorowanej;
А народ Мой оставил Меня; они кадят суетным, споткнулись на путях своих, оставили пути древние, чтобы ходить по стезям пути непроложенного,
我的百姓 竟 忘記我，向假神 燒香，使他們在所行的路上，在古 道 上絆跌，使他們行 沒有 修築的 斜路，
For my people have put me out of their memory, burning perfumes to that which is nothing; and because of this, I will put a cause of falling in their ways, even in the old roads, and will make them go on side-roads, in a way not lifted up;
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 18:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree on the core tragedy of this verse: God's people have willfully forgotten Him and turned to emptiness. The term "vanity" (Hebrew shav) carries the sense of falsehood and worthlessness, idols that deliver nothing (Barnes, Gill). The verb "they burn incense" (yeqatteru) is in the Piel stem, indicating a deliberate, repeated act of worship directed at non-gods. On the identity of "they have caused them to stumble," there is debate (see Interpretive Difficulty), but all agree that stumbling has occurred: the people have left the "ancient paths", described by Barnes as "the good old ways" of the patriarchs (cf. Jer 6:16), to walk on a "way not cast up," a road so rough and unraised that it offers no stability. Calvin sees in this the sheer irrationality of forsaking a pure fountain for muddy puddles. The verse thus paints a picture of culpable forgetfulness leading to dangerous wandering under flawed leadership.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- False prophets as the cause: Barnes, Calvin, JFB; supported by Jer 5:31 and the context of prophetic failure.
- Idols as the cause: Gill; supported by 2 Chr 28:23 and the immediate reference to burning incense to vanity.
- The people as the cause (LXX reading): The LXX renders the verb straightforwardly as 'they stumbled,' removing the causative ambiguity.
What is clear: That God’s people have culpably forgotten Him, turned to worthless idols, and abandoned the established path of covenant faithfulness — no matter who is blamed for the stumble, the responsibility for forgetting God rests on the people themselves.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Who causes the stumbling? | The people have stumbled and left the ancient paths, the fact of their falling is not debated. | Some commentators (Barnes, Calvin, JFB) argue the false prophets caused the people to err (cf. Jer 5:31). Others, like Gill, point to the idols themselves as the cause (cf. 2 Chr 28:23). The LXX renders the verb as a simple active, 'they stumbled,' making the people the subject. No single reading is universally accepted. |
| Meaning of 'vanity' (shav) | The word refers to emptiness, worthlessness, and falsehood, idols are inherently empty. | Barnes emphasizes that the word signifies not just uselessness but injury; Gill notes that even incense burned to the true God is vain if offered alongside idolatry (Isa 1:13). The precise nuance of 'harmful emptiness' vs. 'mere futility' is subtle. |
| The ancient paths (shevilei olam) | These are the time-tested ways of the patriarchs and the covenant people, marked out by God's revelation. | Some see a direct reference to Jer 6:16's 'good way' and the path of the fathers; others (Keil & Delitzsch) emphasize that the word 'olam carries a sense of eternity, these paths are not merely old but permanently normative. No disagreement on the basic referent. |
| The way not cast up (derekh lo' selulah) | This describes an inferior, unimproved road that causes stumbling. | Barnes explains 'cast up' as a road raised to avoid floods; Calvin thinks 'not trodden,' a path no one has walked. Both agree the path is useless for safe travel. The image is consistent: human-made religion is a dangerous, poorly built road. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 18 stands at a hinge in the prophet’s ministry. In the previous verses (Jer 18:1-10), the Lord uses the potter’s house to illustrate His sovereignty over nations: He can reshape a people for good or ill, depending on their response. Then in vv. 11, 12, God calls Judah to repentance, only to hear them reply, "It is in vain; for we will walk after our own plans."
Verse 13, 15 then gives the divine response. God asks the nations to judge: has anyone heard such a thing? The "virgin of Israel", a title of close relationship and vulnerability, has done what even heathen would not do. The analogy of snow from Lebanon and cold flowing waters (v. 14) makes the point: nature does not abandon its reliable sources. Yet Israel has left the "spring of living waters" (Jer 2:13) for dead cisterns.
Historically, this comes after King Josiah’s reform, which removed outward idolatry but failed to change the people’s hearts. The "ancient paths" evoke the faith of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, who walked in covenant obedience. The "way not cast up" describes a road that has not been raised and cleared, a symbol of the self-made religion that leads to ruin. The false prophets and priests, rather than pointing to the old paths, led the people into these treacherous byways (Jer 5:31).
The cultural context of the "cast up" road is significant: in ancient Near Eastern infrastructure, a king would "cast up" a highway for processions and commerce. A "way not cast up" is therefore a path unworthy of a king, and certainly unworthy of the King of Kings.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note only one significant textual issue. The Hebrew reads wayyakhshilum ("they caused them to stumble"), with the Hiphil causative. The LXX, however, renders the verb as a simple active: "they stumbled," making the people the subject. The Cambridge Bible suggests this LXX reading may avoid the difficulty of identifying the cause of the stumble. Most English translations follow the MT's causative reading, leaving the subject ambiguous, either the idols or the false prophets.
Reception History
This verse has been read across traditions as a vivid warning against spiritual forgetfulness and apostasy. Reformation commentators like Calvin and the Geneva Bible stressed human responsibility and the irrationality of abandoning God’s proven ways. In the Baptist tradition, Gill drew out the connection to empty worship practiced alongside idolatry. Anglicans (Cambridge Bible) and Methodists (Wesley) have focused on the contrast between the good old ways and the new, dangerous bypaths. Across eras, the image of a "way not cast up" has been used to critique religious innovations that lack divine warrant. The verse has also been cited in discussions of returning to the 'good old paths' of covenant faithfulness.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The folly of forgetting God: Israel abandoned the Fountain for empty idols (v. 15a).
- The danger of false guidance: leaders, whether prophets or idols, caused the people to stumble off the ancient paths (v. 15b).
- The consequence of unstable roads: a life not raised up by God leads to wandering and disaster (v. 15c).
Five-point outline
- Forgetfulness as the root sin (v. 15a, "forgotten me").
- Worship that is empty: incense to "vanity" (shav).
- Stumbling caused by others: prophetic failure or idolatrous seduction.
- The ancient paths as God’s proven way (shevilei olam).
- The substandard road as the path of human invention.
Illustration hooks
- The GPS that reroutes you into a dead end. Everyone knows the frustration of ignoring a main road for a shortcut that leads nowhere. That is what Judah did, they left the highway for a rutted byway.
- Choosing tap water over a clean spring. Calvin’s image: if you have a pure fountain in your own field, why travel for muddy water? The “ancient paths” are the spring; everything else is a broken cistern.
- Trusting a tour guide who leads you off a cliff. The false prophets were like guides who tell hikers the cliff is a shortcut. They caused the stumble, and the people followed.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does the Bible sometimes blame the leaders and sometimes the people themselves for sin?
- How can I tell if I have left the “ancient paths” without realizing it?
- What makes a “way not cast up” attractive to our hearts?
Leading a Discussion
This verse paints a picture of a people who knew the right way but chose a dangerous detour. As you discuss, consider both personal and communal responsibility for walking in God’s ways.
Discussion questions
- Read Jeremiah 18:13, 15 aloud. What does it mean to “forget” God in this context? Is it passive neglect or active rejection?
- The Hebrew word shav (vanity) means emptiness and falsehood. What kinds of “empty” things compete for your worship today?
- Who or what “caused them to stumble”, the idols, the false prophets, or both? Why does the Bible allow this ambiguity?
- What are the “ancient paths” in your own faith tradition? How can you tell if you have left them?
- The “way not cast up” describes a road that is rough and unbuilt. Have you ever taken a spiritual “shortcut” that turned out to be dangerous?
- How does verse 14’s nature imagery (snow of Lebanon, flowing waters) reinforce the unnaturalness of Israel’s sin?
- What hope does this passage offer? (Consider the immediate call to repentance in v. 11 and the possibility of returning to the ancient paths.)
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)
| Isaiah 3:12 | As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. My people, those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths. |
| Isaiah 9:16 | For those who lead this people lead them astray; and those who are led by them are destroyed. |
| Isaiah 41:29 | Behold, all of their deeds are vanity and nothing. Their molten images are wind and confusion. |
| Isaiah 57:14 | He will say, “Build up, build up, prepare the way! Remove the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.” |
| Isaiah 62:10 | Go through, go through the gates! Prepare the way of the people! Build up, build up the highway! Gather out the stones! Lift up a banner for the peoples. |
| Isaiah 65:7 | your own iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together”, says Yahweh, “who have burned incense on the mountains, and blasphemed me on the hills. Therefore I will first measure their work into their bosom.” |
| Jeremiah 2:13 | “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living waters, and cut out cisterns for themselves: broken cisterns that can’t hold water. |
| Jeremiah 2:19 | “Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backsliding will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing, that you have forsaken Yahweh your God, and that my fear is not in you,” says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies. |
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
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that the falsehood of idol worship is not merely useless but actively harmful. He identifies Judah's own prophets and priests as the ones who led the people astray from the ancient good paths of the patriarchs, which he calls "the everlasting paths" — a raised road safe from floods.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses the shocking irrationality of rejecting God as the fountain of living water. Using the analogy of a man who spurns a pure, cold spring at his own home to search for its source upstream, Calvin argues the people's ingratitude is monstrous. They refused both the fountain and the flowing waters God freely offered.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes two distinctive textual points: the word "vanity" means idols but comes from a different Hebrew root than in Jeremiah 2:5, emphasizing groundlessness or unreality. The verb "they have caused" may instead be read as "have stumbled," keeping the people as the subject. The "ancient paths" are contrasted with roads not raised above obstacles.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The people have forgotten God and worshipped worthless idols. Worse still, their own prophets have caused them to abandon the ancient, established paths and walk instead on a road no one has ever traveled. This highlights how the prophets themselves led the people astray.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that forgetting God is the worst kind of folly, like abandoning fresh streams for muddy puddles. He highlights that the people left the ancient, God-given paths that lead to life and instead stumbled onto a new, dangerous road that had never been traveled by the faithful.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the opening word means "and yet" rather than "because," stressing Israel's defiance of the natural order. Their forgetting of God was perverse perversity since they already knew Him. The "ancient paths" commend not mere antiquity but the right way trod by pious ancestors; the people had no such precedent for inventing new worship.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues that the snow of Lebanon and its trickling streams never fail, a fact of nature that underscores how unnatural Israel's rebellion is. The people have forgotten God, while even the most remote natural sources remain constant. This contrast highlights their willful obstinacy.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees God's judgment against Judah as deliberate and purposeful, like a potter shaping a vessel to a specific end. Their sin has earned ruin, and God is actively working toward that ruin, so they cannot miss both the justice and the design in what is coming.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley identifies "vanity" as idols, and "ancient paths" as the faithful ways walked by Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the patriarchs. To walk any other way, one not prepared by God for His people, is simply unfit.