Jeremiah 10:15
They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
Original Language Analysis
הֶ֣בֶל
They are vanity
H1892
הֶ֣בֶל
They are vanity
Strong's:
H1892
Word #:
1 of 7
emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb
מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה
and the work
H4639
מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה
and the work
Strong's:
H4639
Word #:
3 of 7
an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically, a poem) or (generally) property
בְּעֵ֥ת
in the time
H6256
בְּעֵ֥ת
in the time
Strong's:
H6256
Word #:
5 of 7
time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc
Cross References
Isaiah 41:24Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.Jeremiah 14:22Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things.Jeremiah 51:18They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.Jeremiah 8:19Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities?Jeremiah 8:12Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.Zechariah 13:2And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.Jonah 2:8They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
Historical Context
When Babylon fell to Persia (539 BC), its gods proved powerless. When Persia fell to Greece, their gods vanished. Every empire's collapse exposed its gods' impotence. Archaeological evidence shows idol destruction during conquests—invaders melted them for metal or broke them for sport. The gods could not save themselves.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the promise that idols will 'perish in their visitation' mean for those who trust them?
- How have historical events confirmed the transience of human-made 'gods'?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
This verse pronounces judgment on idols: 'They are vanity, and the work of errors.' hevel (הֶבֶל, vanity, vapor, nothing) again dismisses idols as non-entities. 'Work of errors' (ma'aseh ta'tu'im, מַעֲשֵׂה תַּעְתֻּעִים) suggests mockery, delusion, or deception—idols are products of confused thinking. 'In the time of their visitation they shall perish.' The Hebrew paqad (פָּקַד, visitation) here means judgment, reckoning. When God judges, idols prove helpless—they cannot save themselves, much less their worshippers. They 'perish' (yovedu) while YHWH, the everlasting King (v. 10), endures forever.