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Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.&#8221 <a href="/nlt/jeremiah/10.htm">New Living Translation</a> Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.” <a href="/esv/jeremiah/10.htm">English Standard Version</a> Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.” <a href="/bsb/jeremiah/10.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a> Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.” <a href="/kjv/jeremiah/10.htm">King James Bible</a> They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. <a href="/nkjv/jeremiah/10.htm">New King James Version</a> They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.” <a href="/nasb_/jeremiah/10.htm">New American Standard Bible</a> “They are like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good.” <a href="/nasb/jeremiah/10.htm">NASB 1995</a> &#8220Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good.&#8221 <a href="/nasb77/jeremiah/10.htm">NASB 1977 </a> “Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good.” <a href="/lsb/jeremiah/10.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a> Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried Because they cannot take a step! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good.” <a href="/amp/jeremiah/10.htm">Amplified Bible</a> “They are like scarecrows in a cucumber field; They cannot speak; They have to be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not be afraid of them, For they can do no harm or evil, Nor can they do any good.” <a href="/csb/jeremiah/10.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a> Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them for they can do no harm — and they cannot do any good. <a href="/hcsb/jeremiah/10.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a> Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them for they can do no harm— and they cannot do any good. <a href="/asv/jeremiah/10.htm">American Standard Version</a> They are like a palm-tree, of turned work, and speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good. <a href="/cev/jeremiah/10.htm">Contemporary English Version</a> An idol is no better than a scarecrow. It can't speak, and it has to be carried, because it can't walk. Why worship an idol that can't help or harm you? <a href="/erv/jeremiah/10.htm">English Revised Version</a> They are like a palm tree, of turned work, and speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good. <a href="/gwt/jeremiah/10.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a> These trees are like scarecrows in cucumber gardens. They aren't able to speak. They have to be carried, because they can't walk. Don't be afraid of them. They can't harm you. They can't do you any good either. <a href="/gnt/jeremiah/10.htm">Good News Translation</a> Such idols are like scarecrows in a field of melons; they cannot speak; they have to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them: they can cause you no harm, and they can do you no good." <a href="/isv/jeremiah/10.htm">International Standard Version</a> Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field. They can't speak! They must always be carried because they can't walk! Don't be afraid of them because they can do no harm, nor can they do any good." <a href="/msb/jeremiah/10.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a> Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.? <a href="/net/jeremiah/10.htm">NET Bible</a> Such idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field. They cannot talk. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them because they cannot hurt you. And they do not have any power to help you." <a href="/nheb/jeremiah/10.htm">New Heart English Bible</a> They are like a palm tree, of turned work, and do not speak: they must be carried, because they can't go. Do not be afraid of them; for they can't do evil, neither is it in them to do good." <a href="/wbt/jeremiah/10.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a> They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. <a href="/web/jeremiah/10.htm">World English Bible</a> They are like a palm tree, of turned work, and don’t speak. They must be carried, because they can’t move. Don’t be afraid of them; for they can’t do evil, neither is it in them to do good.” <div class="vheading2">Literal Translations</div><a href="/lsv/jeremiah/10.htm">Literal Standard Version</a> They [are] stiff as a palm, and they do not speak, "" They are surely carried, for they do not step, "" Do not be afraid of them, for they do no evil, "" Indeed, to do good is also not in them.” <a href="/ylt/jeremiah/10.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a> As a palm they are stiff, and they speak not, They are surely borne, for they step not, Be not afraid of them, for they do no evil, Yea, also to do good is not in them. <a href="/slt/jeremiah/10.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a> They are of turned work, as the palm tree, and they shall not speak; being lifted up they shall be lifted up, for they shall not mount up. Ye shall not be afraid of them, for they will not do evil, and also doing good is not with them.<div class="vheading2">Catholic Translations</div><a href="/drb/jeremiah/10.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a> They are framed after the likeness of a palm tree, and shall not speak: they must be carried to be removed, because they cannot go. Therefore, fear them not, for they can neither do evil nor good. <a href="/cpdv/jeremiah/10.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a> They have been fabricated in the likeness of a palm tree, and they will not speak. They must be carried to be moved, because they do not have the ability to walk. Therefore, do not be willing to fear them, for they can do neither evil nor good.” <a href="/nabre/jeremiah/10.htm">New American Bible</a> Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, they cannot speak; They must be carried about, for they cannot walk. Do not fear them, they can do no harm, neither can they do good. <a href="/nrsvce/jeremiah/10.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a> Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor is it in them to do good.<div class="vheading2">Translations from Aramaic</div><a href="/lamsa/jeremiah/10.htm">Lamsa Bible</a> They are set up straight as palm trees, but they do not speak; they must be carried, for they cannot walk. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither can they do good. <a href="/hpbt/jeremiah/10.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a> They stand like palm trees and they do not speak; certainly they move them because they do not walk. You shall not be in awe of them, because they do no evil, neither do good’<div class="vheading2">OT Translations</div><a href="/jps/jeremiah/10.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a> They are like a pillar in a garden of cucumbers, and speak not; They must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, Neither is it in them to do good. <a href="/sep/jeremiah/10.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a> they will set them up that they may not move; it is wrought silver, they will not walk, it is forged silver They must certainly be borne, for they cannot ride of themselves. Fear them not; for they cannot do any evil, and there is no good in them. <a href="/parallel/jeremiah/10-5.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv">Audio Bible</div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5k55c51ZGhs?start=3098" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="vheadingv">Context</div><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/10.htm">The Sovereignty of God</a> …4They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. 5<a href="/hebrew/8560.htm" title="8560: kə·ṯō·mer (Prep-k:: N-msc) -- Palm tree, post. From the same root as tamar; a palm trunk.">Like scarecrows</a> <a href="/hebrew/4750.htm" title="4750: miq·šāh (N-fs) -- Field of cucumbers. Denominative from qishshu'; literally, a cucumbered field, i.e. A cucumber patch.">in a cucumber patch,</a> <a href="/hebrew/1992.htm" title="1992: hêm·māh (Pro-3mp) -- They. Or hemmah; masculine plural from halak; they.">their idols</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: wə·lō (Conj-w:: Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">cannot</a> <a href="/hebrew/1696.htm" title="1696: yə·ḏab·bê·rū (V-Piel-Imperf-3mp) -- To speak. A primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively, to speak; rarely to subdue.">speak.</a> <a href="/hebrew/5375.htm" title="5375: nā·śō·w (V-Qal-InfAbs) -- Or nacah ('abad); a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absol. And rel.">They must be carried</a> <a href="/hebrew/5375.htm" title="5375: yin·nā·śū (V-Nifal-Imperf-3mp) -- Or nacah ('abad); a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absol. And rel."></a> <a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: kî (Conj) -- That, for, when. ">because</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">they cannot</a> <a href="/hebrew/6805.htm" title="6805: yiṣ·‘ā·ḏū (V-Qal-Imperf-3mp) -- To step, march. A primitive root; to pace, i.e. Step regularly; to mount; to march; to hurl.">walk.</a> <a href="/hebrew/408.htm" title="408: ’al- (Adv) -- Not (a subjective neg.). A negative particle; not; once as a noun, nothing.">Do not</a> <a href="/hebrew/3372.htm" title="3372: tî·rə·’ū (V-Qal-Imperf-2mp) -- To fear, to revere, caus, to frighten. A primitive root; to fear; morally, to revere; caus. To frighten.">fear</a> <a href="/hebrew/mê·hem (Prep-m:: Pro-3mp) -- ">them,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: kî- (Conj) -- That, for, when. ">for</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">they can do no</a> <a href="/hebrew/7489.htm" title="7489: yā·rê·‘ū (V-Hifil-Imperf-3mp) -- A primitive root; properly, to spoil; figuratively, to make good for nothing, i.e. Bad.">harm,</a> <a href="/hebrew/1571.htm" title="1571: wə·ḡam- (Conj) -- Also, moreover, yea. ">and</a> <a href="/hebrew/369.htm" title="369: ’ên (Adv) -- As if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle.">neither can they</a> <a href="/hebrew/854.htm" title="854: ’ō·w·ṯām (Prep:: 3mp) -- With (denoting proximity). Probably from 'anah; properly, nearness, near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc."></a> <a href="/hebrew/3190.htm" title="3190: hê·ṭêḇ (V-Hifil-InfAbs) -- To be good, well, glad, or pleasing. A primitive root; to be make well, literally or figuratively.">do any good.”</a> 6There is none like You, O LORD. You are great, and Your name is mighty in power.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div> <a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><a href="/isaiah/44-9.htm">Isaiah 44:9-20</a> 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. ... <a href="/psalms/115-4.htm">Psalm 115:4-8</a> 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; ... <a href="/psalms/135-15.htm">Psalm 135:15-18</a> 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. ... <a href="/habakkuk/2-18.htm">Habakkuk 2:18-19</a> 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.” <a href="/isaiah/46-5.htm">Isaiah 46:5-7</a> 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. <a href="/1_corinthians/8-4.htm">1 Corinthians 8:4-6</a> 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. <a href="/isaiah/41-6.htm">Isaiah 41:6-7</a> 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. <a href="/isaiah/40-18.htm">Isaiah 40:18-20</a> 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. <a href="/1_kings/18-26.htm">1 Kings 18:26-29</a> 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. ... <a href="/deuteronomy/4-28.htm">Deuteronomy 4:28</a> And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. <a href="/1_corinthians/12-2.htm">1 Corinthians 12:2</a> You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. <a href="/isaiah/2-8.htm">Isaiah 2:8</a> Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made. <a href="/isaiah/45-20.htm">Isaiah 45:20</a> Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry idols of wood and pray to a god that cannot save. <a href="/acts/17-29.htm">Acts 17:29</a> 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. <a href="/hosea/8-4.htm">Hosea 8:4-6</a> 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.</div> <a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div>They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.speak.<a href="/psalms/115-5.htm">Psalm 115:5-8</a> They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: … <a href="/psalms/135-16.htm">Psalm 135:16-18</a> They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; … <a href="/habakkuk/2-19.htm">Habakkuk 2:19</a> Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.be borne.<a href="/isaiah/46-1.htm">Isaiah 46:1,7</a> Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast… do evil.<a href="/isaiah/41-23.htm">Isaiah 41:23,24</a> Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together… <a href="/isaiah/44-9.htm">Isaiah 44:9,10</a> 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… <a href="/isaiah/45-20.htm">Isaiah 45:20</a> Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.<div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/jeremiah/9-12.htm">Able</a> <a href="/jeremiah/2-12.htm">Afraid</a> <a href="/isaiah/66-12.htm">Borne</a> <a href="/isaiah/66-12.htm">Carried</a> <a href="/isaiah/1-8.htm">Cucumber</a> <a href="/isaiah/1-8.htm">Cucumbers</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-4.htm">Evil</a> <a href="/jeremiah/8-21.htm">Fear</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-22.htm">Field</a> <a href="/isaiah/61-11.htm">Garden</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-3.htm">Good</a> <a href="/jeremiah/7-6.htm">Harm</a> <a href="/jeremiah/8-19.htm">Idols</a> <a href="/jeremiah/8-4.htm">Lifted</a> <a href="/jeremiah/5-7.htm">Needs</a> <a href="/isaiah/19-15.htm">Palm</a> <a href="/songs/7-8.htm">Palm-Tree</a> <a href="/jeremiah/1-18.htm">Pillar</a> <a href="/isaiah/44-14.htm">Plants</a> <a href="/jeremiah/8-17.htm">Power</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-22.htm">Speak</a> <a href="/isaiah/27-4.htm">Step</a> <a href="/jeremiah/7-26.htm">Stiff</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-3.htm">Tree</a> <a href="/jeremiah/8-6.htm">Turned</a> <a href="/jeremiah/7-6.htm">Upright</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-19.htm">Voice</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-14.htm">Walk</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-14.htm">Walking</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-3.htm">Work</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/jeremiah/10-10.htm">Able</a> <a href="/jeremiah/22-25.htm">Afraid</a> <a href="/jeremiah/15-9.htm">Borne</a> <a href="/jeremiah/13-17.htm">Carried</a> <a href="/isaiah/1-8.htm">Cucumber</a> <a href="/numbers/11-5.htm">Cucumbers</a> <a href="/jeremiah/11-8.htm">Evil</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-7.htm">Fear</a> <a href="/jeremiah/12-4.htm">Field</a> <a href="/jeremiah/31-12.htm">Garden</a> <a href="/jeremiah/12-6.htm">Good</a> <a href="/jeremiah/21-10.htm">Harm</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-8.htm">Idols</a> <a href="/jeremiah/13-15.htm">Lifted</a> <a href="/matthew/6-8.htm">Needs</a> <a href="/ezekiel/40-16.htm">Palm</a> <a href="/ezekiel/41-18.htm">Palm-Tree</a> <a href="/jeremiah/48-9.htm">Pillar</a> <a href="/jeremiah/48-32.htm">Plants</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-6.htm">Power</a> <a href="/jeremiah/11-2.htm">Speak</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-23.htm">Step</a> <a href="/jeremiah/17-23.htm">Stiff</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-8.htm">Tree</a> <a href="/jeremiah/11-10.htm">Turned</a> <a href="/jeremiah/20-12.htm">Upright</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-13.htm">Voice</a> <a href="/jeremiah/11-8.htm">Walk</a> <a href="/jeremiah/16-12.htm">Walking</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-9.htm">Work</a><div class="vheading2">Jeremiah 10</div>1. <a href="/jeremiah/10-1.htm">The unequal comparison of God and idols.</a> 17. <a href="/jeremiah/10-17.htm">The prophet exhorts to flee from the calamity to come.</a> 19. <a href="/jeremiah/10-19.htm">He laments the spoil of the tabernacle by foolish pastors.</a> 23. <a href="/jeremiah/10-23.htm">He makes an humble supplication.</a> </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>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div> <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> </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>Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch This phrase uses a vivid agricultural metaphor to describe the idols. In ancient Near Eastern culture, scarecrows were used to deter birds and pests from crops, much like today. The comparison highlights the lifelessness and impotence of idols, which are as ineffective as scarecrows in providing any real protection or benefit. This imagery underscores the futility of idol worship, contrasting the living God with man-made objects.Their idols cannot speak The inability of idols to speak emphasizes their lack of divinity and power. In biblical times, communication was a key attribute of deity, as seen in the God of Israel who speaks to His people through prophets and scripture. This phrase contrasts the living God, who actively communicates, with mute idols, reinforcing the message that idols are powerless and unworthy of worship.They must be carried because they cannot walk This highlights the dependency and helplessness of idols. Unlike the God of Israel, who is omnipresent and active, idols require human effort to be moved or positioned. This dependency is a stark reminder of their lack of life and power. The imagery also recalls the Ark of the Covenant, which was carried by the Israelites, yet represented the presence of a living, active God who led and protected His people.Do not fear them The command not to fear idols reassures the faithful of their impotence. In the ancient world, fear of deities was common, as people believed they could influence events and outcomes. This phrase encourages trust in the one true God, who alone is sovereign and worthy of reverence. It echoes the biblical theme of fearing God rather than man-made objects or false gods.For they can do no harm This statement further diminishes the perceived power of idols, asserting their inability to cause any real damage. In contrast to the living God, who has the power to judge and save, idols are impotent. This assurance would have been comforting to the Israelites, who were surrounded by nations practicing idolatry and attributing power to their gods.And neither can they do any good The final phrase completes the argument against idol worship by stating that idols are not only harmless but also incapable of providing any benefit. This reinforces the futility of relying on them for help or blessing. The living God, in contrast, is the source of all good and the provider for His people, as seen throughout scripture in His acts of deliverance and provision.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <a href="/topical/j/jeremiah.htm">Jeremiah</a> A major prophet in the Old Testament, known for his messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. 2. <a href="/topical/j/judah.htm">Judah</a> The southern kingdom of Israel, often warned by prophets like Jeremiah about their idolatry and disobedience to God. 3. <a href="/topical/i/idols.htm">Idols</a> Man-made objects of worship, often representing false gods, which were prevalent in the cultures surrounding Israel and Judah. 4. <a href="/topical/c/cucumber_patch.htm">Cucumber Patch</a> A metaphorical setting used by Jeremiah to illustrate the futility and lifelessness of idols. 5. <a href="/topical/s/scarecrows.htm">Scarecrows</a> Used as a metaphor to describe the impotence and lifelessness of idols, emphasizing their inability to act or speak.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><a href="/topical/t/the_futility_of_idolatry.htm">The Futility of Idolatry</a> Idols are powerless and cannot affect our lives positively or negatively. Trust should be placed in God alone. <a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty.htm">God's Sovereignty</a> Unlike idols, God is active and sovereign over all creation. He is the one who speaks, acts, and intervenes in our lives. <a href="/topical/f/fear_not.htm">Fear Not</a> Believers are encouraged not to fear idols or false gods, as they hold no real power. Our reverence should be directed towards God. <a href="/topical/d/discernment_in_worship.htm">Discernment in Worship</a> Evaluate what modern "idols" may exist in our lives today—anything that takes the place of God in our hearts. <a href="/topical/l/living_faith.htm">Living Faith</a> Our faith should be in the living God who hears, speaks, and acts, rather than in lifeless objects or concepts.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_jeremiah_10.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Jeremiah 10</a> <a href="/q/why_worship_silent,_immobile_idols.htm">Why worship idols that cannot speak or move?</a> <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> <a href="/q/how_reconcile_psalm_96_5_with_other_deities.htm">Psalm 96:5 says “all the gods of the nations are idols,” so how can this claim be reconciled with historical evidence of other thriving religious traditions and deities? </a> <a href="/q/how_to_address_ancient_belief_in_idols.htm">Psalm 135:15–18 dismisses idols as mere human constructs—how do we address ancient records and artifacts that suggest widespread and longstanding belief in these deities? </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>(5) Upright as the palm tree.--Better, perhaps, A pillar in a garden of gourds are they. The Hebrew word translated "upright" has two very different, though not entirely unconnected, meanings--(1) "twisted, rounded, carved," and in this sense it is translated commonly as "beaten work" (<a href="/exodus/25-18.htm" title="And you shall make two cherubim of gold, of beaten work shall you make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.">Exodus 25:18</a>; <a href="/exodus/25-31.htm" title="And you shall make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.">Exodus 25:31</a>; <a href="/exodus/25-36.htm" title="Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.">Exodus 25:36</a>), and is here applied (if we accept this meaning) to the twisted palm-like columns of a temple, to which the stiff, formal figure of the idol, with arms pressed close to the side, and none of the action which we find in Greek statues, is compared; (2) the other meaning adopted by many commentators is that of "a garden of gourds or cucumbers," and the word is so rendered in <a href="/isaiah/1-8.htm" title="And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.">Isaiah 1:8</a>. The comparison, in the so-called "Epistle of Jeremy" in the apocryphal book of Baruch (10:70), of an idol to "a scarecrow in a garden of cucumbers" shows that the latter meaning was the accepted one when that Epistle was written. The thought, on this view, is that the idol which the men of Judah were worshipping was like one of the "pillars" (so the word for "palm tree" is translated in <a href="/songs/3-6.htm" title="Who is this that comes out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?">Song of Solomon 3:6</a>; <a href="/joel/2-30.htm" title="And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.">Joel 2:30</a>), the Hermes, or Priapus-figures which were placed by Greeks and Romans in gardens and orchards as scarecrows. Like figures appear to have been used by the Ph?nicians for the same purpose, and the practice, like the kindred worship of the Asherah, would seem to have been gaining ground even in Judah. . . . <div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/jeremiah/10.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div>Verse 5. - They are upright as the palm tree; rather, they are like a pillar (i.e. a scarecrow) in a field of cucumbers. This is the interpretation given to our passage in Ver. 70 of the apocryphal Epistle o! Jeremiah (written in the Maccabean period, evidently with reference to our prophecy), and is much more striking than the rival translation, "like a palm tree of turned work," i.e. stiff, immovable (comp. Virgil, 'Georg.,' 4:110, 111; Horace, 'Sat.,' 1. 8, 1-4). They must needs be borne... they cannot do evil; a reminiscence, apparently, of <a href="/isaiah/46-7.htm">Isaiah 46:7</a>; <a href="/isaiah/41-23.htm">Isaiah 41:23</a>. <a href="/commentaries/jeremiah/10-5.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a> <a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div>Like scarecrows כְּתֹ֨מֶר (kə·ṯō·mer) Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_8560.htm">Strong's 8560: </a> Palm tree, post in a cucumber patch, מִקְשָׁ֥ה (miq·šāh) Noun - feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_4749.htm">Strong's 4749: </a> Rounded work, moulded by hammering their idols הֵ֙מָּה֙ (hêm·māh) Pronoun - third person masculine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_1992.htm">Strong's 1992: </a> They cannot וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> Not, no speak. יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ (yə·ḏab·bê·rū) Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_1696.htm">Strong's 1696: </a> To arrange, to speak, to subdue They must be carried נָשׂ֥וֹא (nā·śō·w) Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5375.htm">Strong's 5375: </a> To lift, carry, take because כִּ֣י (kî) Conjunction <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> A relative conjunction they cannot לֹ֣א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> Not, no walk. יִצְעָ֑דוּ (yiṣ·‘ā·ḏū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_6805.htm">Strong's 6805: </a> To pace, step regularly, to mount, to march, to hurl Do not אַל־ (’al-) Adverb <a href="/hebrew/strongs_408.htm">Strong's 408: </a> Not fear תִּֽירְא֤וּ (tî·rə·’ū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3372.htm">Strong's 3372: </a> To fear, to revere, caus, to frighten them, מֵהֶם֙ (mê·hem) Preposition-m | Pronoun - third person masculine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_1992.htm">Strong's 1992: </a> They for כִּי־ (kî-) Conjunction <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> A relative conjunction they can do no לֹ֣א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> Not, no harm, יָרֵ֔עוּ (yā·rê·‘ū) Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_7489.htm">Strong's 7489: </a> To spoil, to make, good for, nothing, bad and וְגַם־ (wə·ḡam-) Conjunctive waw | Conjunction <a href="/hebrew/strongs_1571.htm">Strong's 1571: </a> Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and neither can they אֵ֥ין (’ên) Adverb <a href="/hebrew/strongs_369.htm">Strong's 369: </a> A non-entity, a negative particle do any good.” הֵיטֵ֖יב (hê·ṭêḇ) Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3190.htm">Strong's 3190: </a> To be good, well, glad, or pleasing <div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/jeremiah/10-5.htm">Jeremiah 10:5 NIV</a> <a href="/nlt/jeremiah/10-5.htm">Jeremiah 10:5 NLT</a> <a href="/esv/jeremiah/10-5.htm">Jeremiah 10:5 ESV</a> <a href="/nasb/jeremiah/10-5.htm">Jeremiah 10:5 NASB</a> <a href="/kjv/jeremiah/10-5.htm">Jeremiah 10:5 KJV</a> <a href="//bibleapps.com/jeremiah/10-5.htm">Jeremiah 10:5 BibleApps.com</a> <a href="//bibliaparalela.com/jeremiah/10-5.htm">Jeremiah 10:5 Biblia Paralela</a> <a href="//holybible.com.cn/jeremiah/10-5.htm">Jeremiah 10:5 Chinese Bible</a> <a href="//saintebible.com/jeremiah/10-5.htm">Jeremiah 10:5 French Bible</a> <a href="/catholic/jeremiah/10-5.htm">Jeremiah 10:5 Catholic Bible</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-5.htm">OT Prophets: Jeremiah 10:5 They are like a palm tree (Jer.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/jeremiah/10-4.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Jeremiah 10:4"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Jeremiah 10:4" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/jeremiah/10-6.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Jeremiah 10:6"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Jeremiah 10:6" /></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>