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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Jeremiah 10:3 For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/10-3.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/19/24_Jer_10_03.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Jeremiah 10:3 - The Sovereignty of God" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/jeremiah/10-3.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/jeremiah/10-3.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/jeremiah/">Jeremiah</a> > <a href="/jeremiah/10.htm">Chapter 10</a> > Verse 3</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad3.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/jeremiah/10-2.htm" title="Jeremiah 10:2">◄</a> Jeremiah 10:3 <a href="/jeremiah/10-4.htm" title="Jeremiah 10:4">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/10.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/jeremiah/10.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/jeremiah/10.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/jeremiah/10.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/10.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/jeremiah/10.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />For the customs of the people <i>are</i> vain: for <i>one</i> cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/jeremiah/10.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />For the customs of the peoples <i>are</i> futile; For <i>one</i> cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/jeremiah/10.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />For the customs of the peoples are futile; For it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/jeremiah/10.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/jeremiah/10.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/jeremiah/10.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />For the statutes of the peoples are vanity Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/jeremiah/10.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />For the customs <i>and</i> decrees of the peoples are [mere] delusion [exercises in futility]; It is only wood which one cuts from the forest [to make a god], The work of the hands of the craftsman with the axe <i>or</i> cutting tool.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/jeremiah/10.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />for the customs of the peoples are worthless. Someone cuts down a tree from the forest; it is worked by the hands of a craftsman with a chisel.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/jeremiah/10.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />for the customs of the peoples are worthless. Someone cuts down a tree from the forest; it is worked by the hands of a craftsman with a chisel. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/jeremiah/10.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/jeremiah/10.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Their religion is worthless! They chop down a tree, carve the wood into an idol, <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/jeremiah/10.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />For the customs of the peoples are vanity: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/jeremiah/10.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />The religion of the people is worthless. Woodcutters cut down trees from the forest. The hands of craftsmen prepare them with axes.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/jeremiah/10.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />The religion of these people is worthless. A tree is cut down in the forest; it is carved by the tools of the woodworker <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/jeremiah/10.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />For the practices of the people are worthless. Indeed, a tree is cut down from the forest; it's the work of the hands of a craftsman with an ax.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/jeremiah/10.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/jeremiah/10.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />For the religion of these people is worthless. They cut down a tree in the forest, and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/jeremiah/10.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/jeremiah/10.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/jeremiah/10.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the ax. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/jeremiah/10.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />For the statutes of the peoples are vanity, "" For one has cut a tree from a forest, "" Work of the hands of a craftsman, with an axe,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/jeremiah/10.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> For the statutes of the peoples are vanity, For a tree from a forest hath one cut, Work of the hands of an artificer, with an axe,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/jeremiah/10.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />For the laws of the peoples, this vanity: for they cut down a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/jeremiah/10.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />For the laws of the people are vain: for the works of the hand of the workman hath cut a tree out of the forest with an axe. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/jeremiah/10.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />For the laws of the people are empty. For the work of the hand of the craftsman has cut a tree from the forest with an axe.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/jeremiah/10.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />For the carvings of the nations are nonentities, wood cut from the forest, Fashioned by artisans with the adze, <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/jeremiah/10.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />For the customs of the peoples are false: a tree from the forest is cut down, and worked with an ax by the hands of an artisan;<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/jeremiah/10.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />For the gods of the Gentiles are nothing; they are cut from a tree in the forest, the work of the hands of a carpenter, things made with a plane.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/jeremiah/10.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Because the worshiped things of the Gentiles are nothing, because wood from the forest was cut, the work of the hands of a carpenter with an ax<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/jeremiah/10.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />For the customs of the peoples are vanity; For it is but a tree which one cutteth out of the forest, The work of the hands of the workman with the axe.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/jeremiah/10.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />For the customs of the nations are vain; it is a tree cut out of the forest, the work of the carpenter, or a molten image.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/jeremiah/10-3.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5k55c51ZGhs?start=3080" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/10.htm">The Sovereignty of God</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">2</span>This is what the LORD says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by the signs in the heavens, though the nations themselves are terrified by them. <span class="reftext">3</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: kî- (Conj) -- That, for, when. ">For</a> <a href="/hebrew/2708.htm" title="2708: ḥuq·qō·wṯ (N-fpc) -- Something prescribed, an enactment, statute. Feminine of choq, and meaning substantially the same.">the customs</a> <a href="/hebrew/5971.htm" title="5971: hā·‘am·mîm (Art:: N-mp) -- From amam; a people; specifically, a tribe; hence troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock.">of the peoples</a> <a href="/hebrew/1892.htm" title="1892: he·ḇel (N-ms) -- Or Habel; from habal; emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb.">are worthless;</a> <a href="/hebrew/1931.htm" title="1931: hū (Pro-3ms) -- He, she, it. "></a> <a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: kî- (Conj) -- That, for, when. "></a> <a href="/hebrew/3772.htm" title="3772: kə·rā·ṯōw (V-Qal-Perf-3ms:: 3ms) -- To cut off, cut down. A primitive root; to cut; by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant.">they cut down</a> <a href="/hebrew/6086.htm" title="6086: ‘êṣ (N-ms) -- Tree, trees, wood. From atsah; a tree; hence, wood.">a tree</a> <a href="/hebrew/3293.htm" title="3293: mî·ya·‘ar (Prep-m:: N-ms) -- From an unused root probably meaning to thicken with verdure; a copse of bushes; hence, a forest; hence, honey in the comb.">from the forest;</a> <a href="/hebrew/4639.htm" title="4639: ma·‘ă·śêh (N-msc) -- A deed, work. From asah; an action; generally, a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product or property.">it is shaped</a> <a href="/hebrew/4621.htm" title="4621: bam·ma·‘ă·ṣāḏ (Prep-b, Art:: N-ms) -- An axe. From an usused root meaning to hew; an axe.">with a chisel</a> <a href="/hebrew/3027.htm" title="3027: yə·ḏê- (N-fdc) -- Hand (indicating power, means, direction, etc.)">by the hands</a> <a href="/hebrew/2796.htm" title="2796: ḥā·rāš (N-ms) -- Engraver, artificer. From charash; a fabricator or any material.">of a craftsman.</a> </span><span class="reftext">4</span>They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/44-9.htm">Isaiah 44:9-20</a></span><br />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. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/115-4.htm">Psalm 115:4-8</a></span><br />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; ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5-7</a></span><br />To whom will you liken Me or count Me equal? To whom will you compare Me, that we should be alike? / 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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/habakkuk/2-18.htm">Habakkuk 2:18-19</a></span><br />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.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/40-18.htm">Isaiah 40:18-20</a></span><br />To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him? / 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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/135-15.htm">Psalm 135:15-18</a></span><br />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. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/4-28.htm">Deuteronomy 4:28</a></span><br />And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/8-4.htm">1 Corinthians 8:4-6</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_kings/18-26.htm">1 Kings 18:26-29</a></span><br />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. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/41-6.htm">Isaiah 41:6-7</a></span><br />Each one helps the other and says to his brother, “Be strong!” / The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who wields the hammer cheers him who strikes the anvil, saying of the welding, “It is good.” He nails it down so it will not be toppled.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/17-29.htm">Acts 17:29</a></span><br />Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/10-19.htm">1 Corinthians 10:19-20</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/2-8.htm">Isaiah 2:8</a></span><br />Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hosea/8-4.htm">Hosea 8:4-6</a></span><br />They set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, to their own destruction. / He has rejected your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence? / For this thing is from Israel—a craftsman made it, and it is not God. It will be broken to pieces, that calf of Samaria.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/9-20.htm">Revelation 9:20</a></span><br />Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">For the customs of the people are vain: for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.</p><p class="hdg">customs.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/10-8.htm">Jeremiah 10:8</a></b></br> But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock <i>is</i> a doctrine of vanities.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/2-5.htm">Jeremiah 2:5</a></b></br> Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/leviticus/18-30.htm">Leviticus 18:30</a></b></br> Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that <i>ye</i> commit not <i>any one</i> of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I <i>am</i> the LORD your God.</p><p class="hdg">one.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/40-19.htm">Isaiah 40:19</a></b></br> The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/44-9.htm">Isaiah 44:9-20</a></b></br> They that make a graven image <i>are</i> all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they <i>are</i> their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/45-20.htm">Isaiah 45:20</a></b></br> Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye <i>that are</i> escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god <i>that</i> cannot save.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/isaiah/54-16.htm">Artizan</a> <a href="/isaiah/10-34.htm">Ax</a> <a href="/isaiah/44-12.htm">Axe</a> <a href="/isaiah/41-7.htm">Craftsman</a> <a href="/isaiah/2-6.htm">Customs</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-26.htm">Cut</a> <a href="/isaiah/44-14.htm">Cuts</a> <a href="/isaiah/9-20.htm">Cutteth</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-21.htm">Cutting</a> <a href="/jeremiah/3-23.htm">Delusion</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-5.htm">False.</a> <a href="/jeremiah/5-21.htm">Foolish</a> <a href="/jeremiah/5-6.htm">Forest</a> <a href="/jeremiah/6-24.htm">Hands</a> <a href="/isaiah/63-6.htm">Peoples</a> <a href="/isaiah/44-13.htm">Shapes</a> <a href="/isaiah/44-12.htm">Tool</a> <a href="/jeremiah/8-13.htm">Tree</a> <a href="/jeremiah/8-8.htm">Vain</a> <a href="/jeremiah/2-5.htm">Vanity</a> <a href="/jeremiah/7-18.htm">Wood</a> <a href="/jeremiah/4-7.htm">Woods</a> <a href="/jeremiah/3-24.htm">Work</a> <a href="/jeremiah/8-8.htm">Worked</a> <a href="/isaiah/40-20.htm">Workman</a> <a href="/jeremiah/8-19.htm">Worthless</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/jeremiah/10-9.htm">Artizan</a> <a href="/matthew/3-10.htm">Ax</a> <a href="/jeremiah/51-20.htm">Axe</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-9.htm">Craftsman</a> <a href="/ezekiel/23-24.htm">Customs</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-11.htm">Cut</a> <a href="/jeremiah/22-14.htm">Cuts</a> <a href="/jeremiah/22-14.htm">Cutteth</a> <a href="/jeremiah/16-6.htm">Cutting</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-15.htm">Delusion</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-8.htm">False.</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-8.htm">Foolish</a> <a href="/jeremiah/12-8.htm">Forest</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-9.htm">Hands</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-25.htm">Peoples</a> <a href="/revelation/9-7.htm">Shapes</a> <a href="/jeremiah/17-1.htm">Tool</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-5.htm">Tree</a> <a href="/jeremiah/18-12.htm">Vain</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-15.htm">Vanity</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-8.htm">Wood</a> <a href="/jeremiah/46-23.htm">Woods</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-5.htm">Work</a> <a href="/jeremiah/11-15.htm">Worked</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-9.htm">Workman</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-8.htm">Worthless</a><div class="vheading2">Jeremiah 10</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/10-1.htm">The unequal comparison of God and idols.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">17. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/10-17.htm">The prophet exhorts to flee from the calamity to come.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">19. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/10-19.htm">He laments the spoil of the tabernacle by foolish pastors.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">23. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/10-23.htm">He makes an humble supplication.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/jeremiah/10.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/jeremiah/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/jeremiah/10.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>For the customs of the peoples are worthless;</b><br>This phrase highlights the futility of pagan practices, contrasting them with the worship of the true God. In the historical context, Israel was surrounded by nations with idolatrous customs, which often tempted them away from their covenant with God. The term "worthless" underscores the emptiness and ineffectiveness of these practices, as they cannot provide salvation or true guidance. This echoes the broader biblical theme found in passages like <a href="/isaiah/44-9.htm">Isaiah 44:9-20</a>, where idols are described as powerless and deceptive.<p><b>they cut down a tree from the forest;</b><br>This imagery refers to the process of creating idols, which often began with selecting a tree. The act of cutting down a tree signifies the human effort involved in idol-making, contrasting with the divine creation of the world. This practice was common among ancient Near Eastern cultures, where wood was a primary material for crafting idols. The reference to the forest emphasizes the natural origin of these idols, highlighting their inability to transcend their earthly materials.<p><b>it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman.</b><br>The craftsmanship involved in idol-making is depicted here, pointing to the skill and artistry required to fashion these objects of worship. This phrase underscores the irony that these idols, despite being crafted with human hands, are revered as gods. The use of a chisel indicates the transformation of raw material into a finished product, yet it remains a man-made object. This critique of idolatry is consistent with other biblical passages, such as <a href="/psalms/115-4.htm">Psalm 115:4-8</a>, which mock the lifelessness and impotence of idols. The emphasis on human involvement in creating idols serves as a reminder of their inherent limitations and the superiority of the Creator God, who is not made by human hands.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/j/jeremiah.htm">Jeremiah</a></b><br>A major prophet in the Old Testament, known for his prophecies concerning the judgment of Judah and the call to repentance.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_peoples.htm">The Peoples</a></b><br>Refers to the pagan nations surrounding Israel, whose customs and practices were often contrary to the worship of Yahweh.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_craftsman.htm">The Craftsman</a></b><br>Represents those who create idols, shaping wood into objects of worship, highlighting the futility of idol-making.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_forest.htm">The Forest</a></b><br>Symbolizes the natural world, from which materials are taken to create idols, emphasizing the contrast between God's creation and man-made idols.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/i/idolatry.htm">Idolatry</a></b><br>The central event or practice being critiqued, where people worship objects made by human hands instead of the living God.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_futility_of_idolatry.htm">The Futility of Idolatry</a></b><br>Idols are man-made and powerless, contrasting with the living God who is the Creator of all.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/cultural_discernment.htm">Cultural Discernment</a></b><br>Believers are called to discern and reject cultural practices that lead away from true worship of God.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_unchanging_nature_of_god.htm">The Unchanging Nature of God</a></b><br>Unlike idols, God is unchanging and eternal, deserving of our worship and trust.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_call_to_true_worship.htm">The Call to True Worship</a></b><br>Worship should be directed to God alone, who is spirit and truth, rather than to objects or images.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/guarding_against_modern_idolatry.htm">Guarding Against Modern Idolatry</a></b><br>In today's context, idolatry can take many forms, such as materialism or the elevation of personal desires above God.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_jeremiah_10.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Jeremiah 10</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_does_jeremiah_10_3-4_relate_to_christmas_trees.htm">Jeremiah 10:3–4: How do we reconcile this passage condemning the practice of decorating a cut tree with modern traditions like Christmas trees? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/who_was_tatian_of_adiabene.htm">Who was Tatian of Adiabene?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/origin_of_christmas_tree_tradition.htm">Where did the Christmas tree tradition originate?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/was_child_sacrifice_widespread_in_israel.htm">Isaiah 57:5: Is there credible archaeological evidence that child sacrifice was widespread among Israelites, or is this an exaggerated polemic?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/jeremiah/10.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(3) <span class= "bld">The customs of the people.</span>--Better, <span class= "ital">ordinances of the peoples. </span>The prophet is speaking, not of common customs, but of religious institutions, and of these as belonging, not to "the people," <span class= "ital">i.e., </span>Israel, but to the nations round them. The verses that follow are so closely parallel to <a href="/isaiah/41-7.htm" title="So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smoothes with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the soldering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.">Isaiah 41:7</a>; <a href="/context/isaiah/44-9.htm" title="They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.">Isaiah 44:9-17</a>; <a href="/context/isaiah/46-5.htm" title="To whom will you liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?">Isaiah 46:5-7</a> (where see Notes), that the natural conclusion is that one writer had seen the work of the other. The grandeur and fulness of Isaiah's language, and the unlikeness of what we find here to Jeremiah's usual style, makes it more probable that he was the copyist, and so far adds to the argument for the authorship of the chapter ascribed to Isaiah. It is, however, possible, as some critics have thought, that these verses are an interpolation, and in that case they supply no evidence either way. The fact that they are found in the LXX. as well as in the Hebrew is, however, in favour of their genuineness. It may be noted that the substance of what follows has a parallel in the Epistle ascribed to Jeremiah in the apocryphal book of Baruch.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/jeremiah/10.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 3.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">The customs of the people</span>. "People" should, as usual, be corrected into <span class="accented">peoples</span> - the heathen nations are referred to. The Hebrew has "the statutes;" but the Authorized Version is substantially right, customs having a force as of iron in Eastern countries. It seems to be implied that the "customs" are of religious origin (setup. <a href="/2_kings/17-8.htm">2 Kings 17:8</a>, where "the statutes of the heathen" are obviously the rites and customs of polytheism. <span class="cmt_word">For one cutteth a tree</span>, etc. This is intended to prove the foregoing statement of the "vanity," or groundlessness, of idolatry. The order of the Hebrew, however, is more forcible, for <span class="accented">as wood out of the forest one cutteth it</span>, <span class="accented">viz</span>. the idol. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/jeremiah/10-3.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">For</span><br /><span class="heb">כִּֽי־</span> <span class="translit">(kî-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> </span><span class="str2">A relative conjunction</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the customs</span><br /><span class="heb">חֻקּ֥וֹת</span> <span class="translit">(ḥuq·qō·wṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine plural construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2708.htm">Strong's 2708: </a> </span><span class="str2">Something prescribed, an enactment, statute</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of the peoples</span><br /><span class="heb">הָֽעַמִּ֖ים</span> <span class="translit">(hā·‘am·mîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5971.htm">Strong's 5971: </a> </span><span class="str2">A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock</span><br /><br /><span class="word">are worthless;</span><br /><span class="heb">הֶ֣בֶל</span> <span class="translit">(he·ḇel)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1892.htm">Strong's 1892: </a> </span><span class="str2">Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory</span><br /><br /><span class="word">they cut down</span><br /><span class="heb">כְּרָת֔וֹ</span> <span class="translit">(kə·rā·ṯōw)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3772.htm">Strong's 3772: </a> </span><span class="str2">To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenant</span><br /><br /><span class="word">a tree</span><br /><span class="heb">עֵץ֙</span> <span class="translit">(‘êṣ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6086.htm">Strong's 6086: </a> </span><span class="str2">Tree, trees, wood</span><br /><br /><span class="word">from the forest;</span><br /><span class="heb">מִיַּ֣עַר</span> <span class="translit">(mî·ya·‘ar)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3293.htm">Strong's 3293: </a> </span><span class="str2">A copse of bushes, a forest, honey in the comb</span><br /><br /><span class="word">it is shaped</span><br /><span class="heb">מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה</span> <span class="translit">(ma·‘ă·śêh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4639.htm">Strong's 4639: </a> </span><span class="str2">An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property</span><br /><br /><span class="word">with a chisel</span><br /><span class="heb">בַּֽמַּעֲצָֽד׃</span> <span class="translit">(bam·ma·‘ă·ṣāḏ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4621.htm">Strong's 4621: </a> </span><span class="str2">An axe</span><br /><br /><span class="word">by the hands</span><br /><span class="heb">יְדֵ֥י־</span> <span class="translit">(yə·ḏê-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - fdc<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3027.htm">Strong's 3027: </a> </span><span class="str2">A hand</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of a craftsman.</span><br /><span class="heb">חָרָ֖שׁ</span> <span class="translit">(ḥā·rāš)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2796.htm">Strong's 2796: </a> </span><span class="str2">A fabricator, any material</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/jeremiah/10-3.htm">Jeremiah 10:3 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/jeremiah/10-3.htm">Jeremiah 10:3 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/jeremiah/10-3.htm">Jeremiah 10:3 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/jeremiah/10-3.htm">Jeremiah 10:3 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/jeremiah/10-3.htm">Jeremiah 10:3 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/jeremiah/10-3.htm">Jeremiah 10:3 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/jeremiah/10-3.htm">Jeremiah 10:3 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/jeremiah/10-3.htm">Jeremiah 10:3 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/jeremiah/10-3.htm">Jeremiah 10:3 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/jeremiah/10-3.htm">Jeremiah 10:3 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/jeremiah/10-3.htm">OT Prophets: Jeremiah 10:3 For the customs of the peoples (Jer.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/jeremiah/10-2.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Jeremiah 10:2"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Jeremiah 10:2" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/jeremiah/10-4.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Jeremiah 10:4"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Jeremiah 10:4" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>