Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Jeremiah 10:16 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 16. 16The 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.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The prophetic word through Jeremiah states or reports “The portion of Jacob is not like them” at Jeremiah 10:16 as a specific part of “Crafted Images Contrast with the Living Creator.”
Do not learn the nations' dread of sky-signs or nailed gods
This verse is one part of that explanation in Jeremiah 10:1–16. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Jeremiah 10:1–16
Read Jeremiah 10:16 with 10:1–16. By itself, “The portion of Jacob is not like them” can be detached from the speaker, addressee, date, imperial horizon, poetic movement, or outcome that gives it force. The complete unit establishes: Wood, metal, artisans, fear of celestial signs, the living King, creation power, and Jacob's portion form an extended contrast.
Why This Verse Appears Here
This received unit develops “Crafted Images Contrast with the Living Creator” through its own speaker, addressee, date, oracle, sign, lament, or historical scene. Its non-interchangeable movement is: Wood, metal, artisans, fear of celestial signs, the living King, creation power, and Jacob's portion form an extended contrast. This verse's placement is specific: The prophetic word through Jeremiah states or reports “The portion of Jacob is not like them” at Jeremiah 10:16 as a specific part of “Crafted Images Contrast with the Living Creator.”
What Remains True
Worship, truth, justice, and treatment of neighbors belong together. In Jeremiah 10:16, that bounded truth is carried through this verse's role: The prophetic word through Jeremiah states or reports “The portion of Jacob is not like them” at Jeremiah 10:16 as a specific part of “Crafted Images Contrast with the Living Creator.”
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Jeremiah 10:1–16 — Crafted Images Contrast with the Living CreatorSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Jeremiah 10:1–16, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Jeremiah
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2; fixed commit
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology checked at the exact unit without treating morphology as a critical apparatus or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Jer.xml, OSIS 10:1–16
Open the fixed Hebrew Jeremiah file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Jeremiah with Translator, Textual, and Study Notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press; official eBible PDF distribution, NET Bible Second Edition; official PDF accessed 2026
Supports: Verse-level controls for Hebrew, syntax, older KJV language, dates, names, textual problems, and material translation alternatives.
Exact location: Official NET Bible Jeremiah PDF, pp. 1258-1459, translator, study, and textual notes attached to Jeremiah 10:1–16
Open the official NET Jeremiah PDF ↗