Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 10:4
They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
4. The idol is covered with plates of silver and gold, and secured to its place.
move ] lit. shake. Cp. Isa 40:20; Isa 41:7.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They deck it – It was covered with plates of gold and silver, and then fastened with nails in its place, that it might not more, i. e. tumble down.
The agreement in this and the following verses with the argument in Isa. 4044 is so manifest, that no one can doubt that the one is modelled upon the other. If, therefore, Jeremiah took the thoughts and phrases from Isaiah, it is plain that the last 27 chapters of Isaiah were prior in date to Jeremiahs time, and were not therefore written at the close of the Babylonian exile. This passage then is a crucial one to the pseudo-Isaiah theory. Two answers are attempted,
(1) that the pseudo-Isaiah borrowed from Jeremiah. But this is refuted by the style, which is not that usual with Jeremiah.
(2) that it is an interpolation in Jeremiah.
But how then are we to account for its being found in the Septuagint Version? The only argument of real importance is that these verses break the continuity of thought; but the whole chapter is somewhat fragmentary, and not so closely connected as the previous three. Still there is a connection. The prophet had just included all Israel under the ban of uncircumcision: he now shows them their last chance of safety by enlarging upon the truth, that (compare Jer 9:23-24) their true glory is their God, not an idol of wood, but the King of nations. Then comes the sad feeling that they have rejected God and chosen idols Jer 10:17-18; then the nations deep grief Jer 10:19-22 and earnest prayer Jer 10:23-25. It is quite possible that only portions of the concluding part of Jeremiahs templesermon were embodied in Baruchs scroll, and that had the whole been preserved, we should have found the thoughts as orderly in development as those in Jer. 79.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
A further description of their workmanship, having no other comeliness but what they confer upon it, and they no greater security or certainty of it than as they can with hammer and nail make it fast, and fix it to some place, the wooden god being not able to preserve itself from falling; therefore it is rather to be meant of fastening to some wall or pillar, than of fastening their parts together, because they seem to be cut out of one entire piece, and therefore need it not.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. fasten . . . move notthatis, that it may stand upright without risk of falling, which the god(!) would do, if left to itself (Isa41:7).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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, that it move not. The sense is, either that the idol was fastened to some post or pillar, or in some certain place on a pedestal, that it might not fall, it not being able otherwise to support itself; or the plates of silver and gold, as Kimchi thinks, were fastened to the idol with nails and hammers, that so 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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Jer 10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
Ver. 4. They deck it with silver and with gold. ] Gild it over to make it sightly; goodly gods there while. See Isa 4:4 .
That it move not.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
deck: Psa 115:4, Psa 135:15, Isa 40:19, Isa 40:20
fasten: Isa 41:6, Isa 44:12, Isa 46:7
Reciprocal: Isa 46:6 – lavish Jer 10:9 – Silver Dan 5:4 – of gold Hos 13:2 – have made Hab 2:19 – it is Act 17:29 – graven
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
10:4 They deck it {c} with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it may not move.
(c) The prophets use thus plainly and simply to set forth the vile absurdity of the idolaters that men might learn to be ashamed of that to which their corrupt nature is most subject, Isa 44:12 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
They decorated their idols with precious metal and nailed them in place so they would not fall over. How ridiculous it is to worship something that cannot even keep itself upright, much less its devotees!