John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 10

Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of
Israel .
] Or, "upon you"; or, "concerning you" ^F11 ; it may design the judgment of God decreed and pronounced upon them; or the prophecy of it to them, in which they were nearly concerned; or the word of God in general, sent unto them by his prophets, which they were backward of hearing; and seems to refer particularly to what follows.

FOOTNOTES:

• F11: (Mkyle) "super vos", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus; "de vobis", Vatablus; "super vobis", Cocceius.

Thus says the Lord, learn not the way of the Heathen
Of the nations round about them, particularly the Chaldeans; meaning their religious ways, their ways of worship, their superstition and idolatry, which they were very prone to, and many of which they had learned already; and were in danger of learning more, as they were about to be dispersed in divers countries, and especially in Chaldea, which was a very superstitious and idolatrous nation:

and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven ;
by which are meant, not any extraordinary signs, such as are predicted in (Joel 2:30Joel 2:31) , and by our Lord, as signs of the last destruction of Jerusalem, and of his coming, and of the end of the world, (Matthew 24:3Matthew 24:29) (Luke 21:25–28) , but ordinary signs, which are no other than the sun, and moon, and stars, which are set up for signs and seasons, and days and years, (Genesis 1:14) , and as long as they are observed as signs of places and of times, it is well enough; but if more is attributed to them, as portending things future, and as having an influence on the birth and death, dispositions and actions of men, when in such a conjunction, situation, and position, it is wrong; which is what is called judicial astrology, and to which the Chaldeans were much addicted, and is here condemned;

nor should men possess themselves with fears with what shall befall them on such accounts, since all things are under the determination, direction, and influence of the God of heaven, and not the signs of them; especially they should not be so observed as to be worshipped, and to be so awed by them as to fear that evil things will befall, if they are not; and to this sense is the Syriac version, "the signs of the heavens do not worship, or fear". Jarchi interprets them of the eclipses of the luminaries, which may be thought to forbode some dreadful things {l}:

for the Heathen are dismayed at them ;
which is a reason why the people of God should not, because it is a Heathenish fear; or, "though the Heathen" ^F13 ; though they are frightened at such and such conjunctions and positions of the stars, and fear that such and such dreadful things will follow; and never regard the supreme Being and first cause of all things; yet such who have the knowledge of the true God, and a revelation of his will, ought not to be terrified hereby; see (Isaiah 47:13) . This text is brought to prove that the Israelites are not under any planet ^F14 ; since the Heathens are dismayed at them, but not they.

FOOTNOTES:

• F13: (wtxy yk) "quamvis consterni soleant", Vatablus.
• F14: T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 156. 1.

For the customs of the people are vain Or, "their decrees", or "statutes" ^F15 , their determinations and conclusions, founded upon the observation of the stars; or, their "rites and ceremonies" ^F16 in religion, in the worship of the sun and moon, and the hosts of heaven. The Syriac version is, "the idols of the people are nothing"; and which appears by what follows:

for one cutteth a tree out of the forest (the work of the hands of the workman) with the axe ; not for building, or for burning, but to make a god of; the vanity, stupidity, and folly of which are manifest, when it is considered that the original of it is a tree that grew in the forest; the matter and substance of it the body and trunk of a tree cut down with an axe, and then hewed with the same, and planed with a plane, and formed into the image of a man, or of some creature; and now, to fall down and worship this must be vanity and madness to the last degree; see (Isaiah 44:13–17) (45:20) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F15: (twqx) "decreta", Targ.; "statua", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Schmidt.
• F16: Ritus, Vatablus; "ceremoniae", Tigurine version.

They deck it with silver and with gold Cover it with plates of silver and gold, for the sake of ornament, that it may look grand, majestic, and venerable; and by this means draw the eye and attention, and so the devotion of people to it: they fasten it with nails and hammers, so it does not move.

The sense is, either that the idol was fastened to some post or pillar, or in some certain place on a pedestal, so that it might not fall, since it is not able otherwise to support itself; or the plates of silver and gold, as Kimchi thinks, were fastened to the idol with nails and hammers, so that they might not be taken away from it; for, were it not for the nails, the god would not be able to keep his silver and golden deckings.

They are upright as the palm tree Being nailed to a post, or fastened to a pillar, or set upon a pedestal, and so stand erect without bending any way; and are like a palm tree, which is noted for its uprightness; hence the church's stature is compared to it, (Song of Solomon 7:7) , here it is a sarcasm, and a bitter one:

but speak not man, that is of an erect stature, in which he differs from other creatures, has the faculty of speech, which they that go upon four feet have not; but the idols of the Gentiles, though erect, have not the power of speaking a word; and therefore can give no answer to their worshippers; see (Psalms 115:5) (1 Kings 18:26) ,

they must needs be borne or, "in carrying be carried" ^F17 ; when being made they are fixed in the designed place, or are moved from place to place; they are then carried in men's arms, or on their shoulders:

because they cannot go they have no life, and so are incapable of motion of themselves; they have feet, but walk not; and cannot arise and bestir themselves for the help of those that pray unto them, (Psalms 115:7) ,

be not afraid of them, for they cannot do evil that is, inflict judgment, cause drought, famine, or pestilence, or any other evil or calamity:

neither is it also in them to do good to give rains and fruitful seasons, or bestow any favour, temporal or spiritual; see (Jeremiah 14:21) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F17: (awvny awvn) "portando portantur", Schmidt; "portabitur" Pagninus; "portabuntur", Montanus; "omnino portanda sunt", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.