Jeremiah 10 · Verse 16

Jeremiah 10:16

The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The Lord of hosts is his name.

Jeremiah 10:16, King James Version

Jeremiah 10:16 in other translations

BSB	The 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.
WEB	The 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 Armies is his name.
ASV	The portion of Jacob is not like these; for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance: Jehovah of hosts is his name.
YLT	Not like these is the Portion of Jacob, For framer of all things is He, And Israel is the rod of His inheritance, Jehovah of Hosts is His name.
DARBY	The portion of Jacob is not like them; for it is he that hath formed all things, and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: Jehovah of hosts is his name.
BBE	The heritage of Jacob is not like these; for the maker of all things is his heritage: the Lord of armies is his name.
Webster	The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name.

What does Jeremiah 10:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

16. portion--from a Hebrew root, "to divide." God is the all-sufficient Good of His people (Nu 18:20; Psa 16:5; 73:26; La 3:24). not like them--not like the idols, a vain object of trust (De 32:31). former of all things--the Fashioner (as a potter, Is 64:8) of the universe. rod of his inheritance--The portion marked off as His inheritance by the measuring rod (Eze 48:21). As He is their portion, so are they His portion (De 32:9). A reciprocal tie (compare Jr 51:19; Psa 74:2, Margin). Others make "rod" refer to the tribal rod or scepter.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 16 The Portion of Jacob is not like them - Every nation had its tutelary god; this was its portion; in reference to this God says Deu 4:19, "He has divided the sun, moon, and stars, to all the nations under the heaven." And the Lord had taken the Israelites to be his portion; for "the Lord's portion is his people," Deu 32:9, and David says, "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance," Psa 16:5; Psa 119:67. And hence Isaiah terms the smooth stones of the brook, to which Divine honors were paid, the portion of those idolaters, Isa 57:6. But in the text he says, "The Portion, i.e., the God of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things," and they are formed by their foolish worshippers.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 10:1-16

The absurdity of idolatry. (Jr 10:1-16) Destruction denounced against Jerusalem. (Jr 10:17-25) Verses 1-16 The prophet shows the glory of Israel's God, and exposes the folly of idolaters. Charms and other attempts to obtain supernatural help, or to pry into futurity, are copied from the wicked customs of the heathen. Let us stand in awe, and not dare provoke God, by giving that glory to another which is due to him…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 10:1-16 →

Jeremiah 10:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808

כְאֵ֜לֶּהkhe.'E.leh[is] like theseH428

חֵ֣לֶקChe.lek[the] portion ofH2506

יַעֲקֹ֗בya.'a.KoJacobH3290

כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588

יוֹצֵ֤רyo.Tzer[is [the] one who] formedH3335

הַכֹּל֙ha.Kol<of the> everythingH3605

ה֔וּאHu'heH1931

וְיִ֨שְׂרָאֵ֔לve.Yis.ra.'Eland IsraelH3478

שֵׁ֖בֶטShe.vet[is] [the] tribe ofH7626

נַֽחֲלָת֑וֹna.cha.la.Toinheritance hisH5159

יְהוָ֥הYah.weh[is] YahwehH3068

צְבָא֖וֹתtze.va.'otof hostsH6635

שְׁמֽוֹ\׃\ \סshe.Moname hisH8034

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 10:16

Deuteronomy 32:9
For the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
Jeremiah 32:18
Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the Lord of hosts, is his name,
Jeremiah 31:35
Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name:
Psalms 119:57
ח CHETH. Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words.
Jeremiah 10:12
He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
Jeremiah 51:19
The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the Lord of hosts is his name.
Psalms 74:2
Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
Lamentations 3:24
The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
Psalms 135:4
For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.
Psalms 73:26
My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
Jeremiah 50:34
Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.
Exodus 19:5
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

portion.
51:19; Ps 16:5,6; 73:26; 119:57; 142:5; La 3:24
former.
12; Pr 16:4; Isa 45:7
Israel.
Ex 19:5; De 32:9; Ps 74:2; 135:4; Isa 47:6
The Lord.
31:35; 32:18; 50:34; Isa 47:4; 51:15; 54:5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Jeremiah 10:15
They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
Jeremiah 10:16
The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The Lord of hosts is his name.
Jeremiah 10:17
Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.

Read all of Jeremiah 10

Jeremiah 10:16 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	No es como ellos la suerte de Jacob: porque él es el Hacedor de todo, é Israel es la vara de su herencia: Jehová de los ejércitos es su nombre.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	La portion de Jacob n’est pas comme elles, car c’est Celui qui a tout formé, et Israël est la verge de son héritage: son nom est l’ Éternel des armées.
German Elberfelder 1871	Jakobs Teil ist nicht wie diese; denn er ist es, der das All gebildet hat, und Israel ist der Stamm seines Erbteils; Jehova der Heerscharen ist sein Name.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Non est his similis pars Jacob: qui enim formavit omnia, ipse est, et Israël virga hæreditatis ejus: Dominus exercituum nomen illi.