Jeremiah 10

Jeremiah 10:2

Fastened it - To the wall or pillar.

Jeremiah 10:4

Thou - Thou Israel, whom I took to myself, and brought hither in the loins of thy father Abraham, from a remote country. Called thee - From the midst of many great persons among whom he lived in Chaldea. Chosen - I have chosen thee and thy seed through all generations.

Jeremiah 10:6

Confounded - Because the mischief which they contrived against thee shall fall upon themselves.

Jeremiah 10:8

Will hold - Will enable thee to vanquish all thine enemies.

Jeremiah 10:9

Thou worm - Who art weak in thyself, and trodden under foot by thy proud enemies.

Jeremiah 10:10

An instrument - Such as were usual in those times and places. The mountains - The great and lofty potentates of the world.

Jeremiah 10:11

Fan - When thou hast beaten them as small as chaff. In the Holy One - For to him, thou shalt ascribe thy victory.

Jeremiah 10:13

In high places - Upon the mountains where by the course of nature there are no rivers. The dry land - Their people who are like a dry and barren wilderness. I will abundantly water with my blessings.

Jeremiah 10:14

The box tree - Trees which are both useful and pleasant to the eye, and giving a good shadow to the traveller. But what particular trees these Hebrew words signify, is not certainly known.

Jeremiah 10:17

Them - The idols. Former things - Such things as should shortly come to pass. The latter end - Whether the events answer to their predictions.

Jeremiah 10:18

Do good - Protect your worshippers whom I intend to destroy, and destroy my people whom I intend to save. That - That I and my people may be astonished, and forced to acknowledge your godhead.

Jeremiah 10:19

Your work - Your operations are like your beings: there is no reality in your beings, nor efficacy in your actions.

Jeremiah 10:20

Raised - Cyrus, might be said to come from the north, because he was a Mede by his mother, as he was a Persian by his father; or because a great part of his army was gathered out of Media, which was northward, in reference to Judea, and because Darius the Mede was joined with him in this expedition. Proclaim - This Cyrus did in express, emphatical terms, Ezra 1:1,2. As on mortar - Treading them down, as easily as a man treads down mortar.

Jeremiah 10:21

Who - Which of your idols could foretel such things as these from the beginning of the world unto this day? Before - time - Before the things come to pass. Righteous - His cause is good: he is a God indeed. Heareth - Because you are dumb and cannot speak.

Jeremiah 10:22

The first - I who am the first, do and will foretel to my people things to come. Them - I also represent future things as if they were present. By them he means things which are to come. One - Messengers, who shall foretel the good tidings of their deliverance from captivity.

Jeremiah 10:23

For - I looked to see if I could find any man that could foretel future events. No man - Not any, of the idols; for the word man is sometimes used by the Hebrews of brute creatures, and even of lifeless things. No counsellor - Though these idols were often consulted, yet none of them were able to give any solid and certain advice concerning future things.

Jeremiah 10:24

Behold - This is the conclusion of the dispute, but under these he comprehends all images whatsoever. Wind - Empty and unsatisfying things. Confusion - Confused and useless things, like that rude heap in the beginning of God’s creation, of which this very word is used, Genesis 1:2.