Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

JEREMIAH 10:2KJV
Know the Bible

Jeremiah 10:2 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 10:2 mean?

Jeremiah 10:2 warns the people of Israel not to adopt the customs or beliefs of surrounding nations, especially their fear of astrological signs or omens. The verse tells Israel not to be troubled by the things that cause other nations to worry, because those nations do not know or trust the LORD.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking to the people of Judah on behalf of the LORD (God), addressing their temptation to imitate the religious practices of neighboring peoples. The historical setting is a time when many Israelites were influenced by pagan nations and their superstitions, especially regarding the stars and heavens. Jeremiah’s message is a call to trust in the LORD rather than being anxious about signs in the sky, which the surrounding nations (called "heathen" here) viewed with fear.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 10:2

  • "heathen" (גּוֹיִם, goyim): This word refers to the nations outside Israel, often used to mean peoples who do not worship the LORD. Here, it highlights the contrast between Israel and its neighbors.
  • "dismayed" (חָתַת, chatat): This word means to be shattered, terrified, or deeply troubled. The verse uses it twice to emphasize how the nations react with fear to signs in the heavens, while Israel is told not to share that fear.
  • "signs" (אוֹת, ot): This word can mean a mark, signal, or omen. In this context, it refers to things seen in the sky (like eclipses or comets) that people thought predicted disaster or change.
  • "heaven" (שָׁמַיִם, shamayim): This word means the sky or the heavens. The focus here is on visible phenomena in the sky that ancient peoples often interpreted as messages from the gods.

Why Jeremiah 10:2 matters

  • Jeremiah 10:2 clarifies that God’s people are not to be guided by superstition or fear of omens, setting them apart from other nations who look to the stars for guidance.
  • The verse emphasizes trust in the LORD rather than anxiety about the unknown, which is a recurring theme in Jeremiah’s message to Judah.
  • This warning connects to the larger passage, where Jeremiah criticizes idolatry and urges Israel to remain faithful to their unique relationship with God, rather than blending in with the beliefs of surrounding cultures.

Where else these words appear

“them” Hebrew H1992 · used in 44 verses

  • Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
  • Numbers 13:3 And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.
  • Psalms 16:3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

“dismayed” Hebrew H2865 · used in 48 verses

  • Deuteronomy 1:21 Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.
  • Job 31:34 Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?
  • Jeremiah 17:18 Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

“signs” Hebrew H226 · used in 77 verses

  • Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
  • Numbers 17:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
  • Job 21:29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,

“Learn” Hebrew H3925 · used in 80 verses

  • Deuteronomy 4:1 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.
  • Psalms 25:4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
  • Proverbs 5:13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!