Jeremiah 16:20 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 16:20 mean?

Jeremiah 16:20 asks whether people can make their own gods, even though these so-called gods are not truly divine. The verse points out the emptiness of idols made by human hands and questions the logic of worshipping things that have no real power or life.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking God’s message to the people of Judah, who were turning to idols and false gods. The question is meant to challenge the people’s actions and highlight the difference between the living God and man-made objects. The verse fits into a larger warning about the consequences of abandoning the true God for worthless substitutes.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 16:20

• man (אָדָם, 'adam): This word refers to a human being, emphasizing the contrast between limited humans and the idea of creating something divine.
• make (עָשָׂה, 'asah): This verb means to make or do, stressing the human effort involved in crafting idols, which are ultimately powerless.
• gods (אֱלֹהִים, 'elohim): Used twice in this verse, this word can mean gods or God, but here it refers to supposed deities that people create. The repetition underlines the irony—humans are making things and calling them 'elohim,' yet they are not truly gods at all.

Why Jeremiah 16:20 matters

• Jeremiah 16:20 clears up the misunderstanding that anything made by human hands could ever be divine or worthy of worship.
• The verse emphasizes the foolishness and futility of idolatry, which is a major theme throughout Jeremiah’s message to a nation tempted by surrounding cultures.
• This question sets up the following verses, where God contrasts Himself with idols and promises to show His true power to all nations.