Jeremiah 10:15
New International Version
They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish.

New Living Translation
Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed.

English Standard Version
They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish.

Berean Standard Bible
They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.

King James Bible
They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

New King James Version
They are futile, a work of errors; In the time of their punishment they shall perish.

New American Standard Bible
They are worthless, a work of mockery; At the time of their punishment they will perish.

NASB 1995
They are worthless, a work of mockery; In the time of their punishment they will perish.

NASB 1977
They are worthless, a work of mockery; In the time of their punishment they will perish.

Legacy Standard Bible
They are vanity, a work of mockery; In the time of their punishment they will perish.

Amplified Bible
They are worthless and devoid of promise, a work of delusion and mockery; In their time of [trial and] punishment they will perish [without hope].

Christian Standard Bible
They are worthless, a work to be mocked. At the time of their punishment they will be destroyed.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They are worthless, a work to be mocked. At the time of their punishment they will be destroyed.

American Standard Version
They are vanity, a work of delusion: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

Contemporary English Version
Idols are merely a joke, and when the time is right, they will be destroyed.

English Revised Version
They are vanity, a work of delusion: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They are worthless jokes. When they are punished, they disappear.

Good News Translation
They are worthless and should be despised; they will be destroyed when the LORD comes to deal with them.

International Standard Version
They're worthless, a work of mockery, and when the time of punishment comes, they'll perish.

Majority Standard Bible
They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.

NET Bible
They are worthless, mere objects to be mocked. When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed.

New Heart English Bible
They are vanity, a work of delusion: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

Webster's Bible Translation
They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

World English Bible
They are vanity, a work of delusion. In the time of their visitation they will perish.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
They [are] vanity, work of erring ones, "" They perish in the time of their inspection.

Young's Literal Translation
Vanity are they, work of erring ones, In the time of their inspection they perish.

Smith's Literal Translation
They are vanity, the work of delusions: in the time of their reviewing they shall perish.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
They are vain things and a ridiculous work: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

Catholic Public Domain Version
These things are empty, and they are a work deserving of ridicule. In the time of their visitation, they will perish.

New American Bible
They are nothing, objects of ridicule; they will perish in their time of punishment.

New Revised Standard Version
They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
They are vanity, and the work of vain folly; in the time when they are visited with punishment, they shall perish.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
They are nothing and the works are vanities. In the time that they are visited, they shall be destroyed
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
They are vanity, a work of delusion; In the time of their visitation they shall perish.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
They are vain works, wrought in mockery; in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Sovereignty of God
14Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them. 15They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish. 16The Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance—the LORD of Hosts is His name.…

Cross References
Isaiah 44:9-20
All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame. / Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing? / Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame. ...

Isaiah 46:6-7
They pour out their bags of gold and weigh out silver on scales; they hire a goldsmith to fashion it into a god, so they can bow down and worship. / They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; ...

Psalm 135:15-18
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths. ...

Habakkuk 2:18-19
What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. / Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.”

1 Corinthians 8:4-6
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. / For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many so-called gods and lords), / yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.

1 Corinthians 10:19-20
Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? / No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.

Isaiah 41:29
See, they are all a delusion; their works amount to nothing; their images are as empty as the wind.

Isaiah 2:8
Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.

Isaiah 40:19-20
To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains? / One lacking such an offering chooses wood that will not rot. He seeks a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple.

Isaiah 42:17
But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.

Isaiah 45:16
They will all be put to shame and humiliated; the makers of idols will depart together in disgrace.

Isaiah 48:5
Therefore I declared it to you long ago; I announced it before it came to pass, so that you could not claim, ‘My idol has done this; my carved image and molten god has ordained it.’

Deuteronomy 4:28
And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.

1 Kings 18:26-29
And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made. / At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, “Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!” / So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them. ...


Treasury of Scripture

They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

vanity.

Jeremiah 10:8
But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.

Jeremiah 8:19
Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities?

Jeremiah 14:22
Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things.

in the.

Jeremiah 10:11
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.

Jeremiah 8:12
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

Isaiah 2:18-21
And the idols he shall utterly abolish…

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Delusion Destruction Erring Error Errors Inspection Judgment Mockery Objects Ones Overtake Perish Punishment Time Vanity Visitation Work Worthless
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Delusion Destruction Erring Error Errors Inspection Judgment Mockery Objects Ones Overtake Perish Punishment Time Vanity Visitation Work Worthless
Jeremiah 10
1. The unequal comparison of God and idols.
17. The prophet exhorts to flee from the calamity to come.
19. He laments the spoil of the tabernacle by foolish pastors.
23. He makes an humble supplication.














They are worthless
The Hebrew word for "worthless" is "hebel," which often conveys the idea of vapor or breath, something transient and insubstantial. In the context of Jeremiah 10, this word underscores the futility and emptiness of idols. From a conservative Christian perspective, this highlights the contrast between the eternal, unchanging nature of God and the fleeting, ineffective nature of man-made idols. The worthlessness of idols serves as a reminder of the importance of placing faith in the one true God, who is substantial and everlasting.

a work to be mocked
The phrase "a work to be mocked" refers to the idols as creations of human hands, deserving of ridicule rather than reverence. The Hebrew root "sachaq" implies laughter or derision, suggesting that these idols, despite being crafted with care and devotion, are ultimately laughable in their impotence. Historically, this reflects the prophetic tradition of exposing the absurdity of idol worship, as seen in other biblical texts like Isaiah 44:9-20. For believers, this serves as a call to discernment, urging them to recognize the folly of idolatry and to worship God alone, who is worthy of honor and praise.

In the time of their punishment
This phrase indicates a specific period when judgment will be executed upon the idols and those who worship them. The Hebrew word "pequddah" can mean visitation or punishment, suggesting a divine intervention where God holds accountable those who have turned to false gods. This reflects the biblical theme of divine justice, where God, in His righteousness, addresses the sins of idolatry. For Christians, this serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of turning away from God and the importance of remaining faithful to Him.

they will perish
The final phrase, "they will perish," uses the Hebrew word "abad," meaning to be destroyed or to vanish. This denotes the ultimate fate of idols and those who rely on them. In the biblical narrative, this is a recurring theme where false gods and their followers face destruction, emphasizing the sovereignty and power of the true God. For believers, this is an encouragement to trust in God's eternal nature and His promise of salvation for those who remain steadfast in their faith. It reassures Christians of the ultimate victory of God over all falsehood and the transient nature of anything that opposes Him.

(15) The work of errors.--Better, a work of mockery, i.e., worthy of that and of that only, the word being apparently substituted, after Jeremiah's manner, for the technical word, not unlike in sound, which is translated "image work" in 2Chronicles 3:10.

In the time of their visitation.--i.e., in the time when they are visited with punishment, as in 1Peter 2:12; Isaiah 10:3, and Luke 19:44.

Verse 15. - The very essence of idols is vanity; they are unreal as "a breath;" they are, not so much the work of errors as a work of mockery, i.e. not opus rise dignum, but a work which rewards the efforts bestowed upon its production by disappointment.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They
הֵ֔מָּה (hêm·māh)
Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

are worthless,
הֶ֣בֶל (he·ḇel)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1892: Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory

a work
מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה (ma·‘ă·śêh)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property

to be mocked.
תַּעְתֻּעִ֑ים (ta‘·tu·‘îm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8595: A fraud

In the time
בְּעֵ֥ת (bə·‘êṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

of their punishment,
פְּקֻדָּתָ֖ם (pə·qud·dā·ṯām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6486: Oversight, mustering, visitation, store

they will perish.
יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃ (yō·ḇê·ḏū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6: To wander away, lose oneself, to perish


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 10:15 They are vanity a work of delusion: (Jer.)
Jeremiah 10:14
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