Jeremiah 16:20Shall a man make to himself gods, which yet are no gods?
The setting
Jerusalem, ~605 BC. Jeremiah points to the golden calves and Asherah poles in the temple courts, his voice dripping with sarcasm...
The emotion here: exasperated by the obvious stupidity of idol worship
The original word
ʾĕlōhîm (אֱלֹהִים) — gods, the same word used for the true God but here meaning powerless counterfeits
Why it matters
Archaeologists have found hundreds of fertility goddess figurines in Israelite homes from this period
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 16:20
This rhetorical question expects the obvious answer 'NO!' but people kept doing it anyway
Common misconceptionPeople think this only applies to carved statues, but Jeremiah is addressing the human tendency to manufacture security from things that can't actually save us—career, appearance, relationships.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 16:20
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 16:20 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 16:20 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Jeremiah. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include idolatry, false gods. Notable phrases: which yet are no gods.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 16:20 mean to you, today?
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