Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;

JEREMIAH 18:15KJV
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Jeremiah 18:15 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 18:15 mean?

Jeremiah 18:15 says that God’s people have forgotten Him and turned to empty, worthless things, burning incense to idols, which has led them off the trustworthy, ancient ways and onto paths that are unstable and not prepared for them. The verse describes a turning away from God’s guidance to follow misleading practices, resulting in confusion and trouble.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah. The situation is one of warning: the people have abandoned their relationship with God and instead worshiped false gods (“vanity”), which in the ancient world often meant idols that were powerless and empty. The “ancient paths” refer to the reliable ways of living and worshiping that God had given them, but now they are stumbling and wandering off into ways that bring harm.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 18:15

  • “Forgotten” (שָׁכַח, shakach): This word means more than just a lapse in memory; it often carries the sense of neglecting or abandoning a relationship. Here, it shows the seriousness of the people’s disregard for God.
  • “Vanity” (שָׁוְא, shav): This word means emptiness, worthlessness, or something that has no substance. The people are burning incense to things that cannot help or save them.
  • “Ancient” (עוֹלָם, olam): This word can mean everlasting or from long ago. The “ancient paths” are the tried-and-true ways God established for His people, not just old traditions but reliable, God-given guidance.
  • “Stumble” (כָּשַׁל, kashal): This word means to trip or falter. The people’s choices have caused them to lose their footing spiritually and morally.

Why Jeremiah 18:15 matters

  • Jeremiah 18:15 clarifies that the problem is not just idol worship, but a deeper forgetting and neglect of God Himself, which leads to all other problems.
  • The verse highlights the contrast between God’s “ancient paths” and the new, unstable ways the people have chosen, showing that not all change or newness is good if it leads away from what is true and reliable.
  • In the wider passage, this verse helps explain why judgment is coming: the people’s troubles are not random but are the result of turning away from God’s ways, making the warning both clear and personal.

Where else these words appear

“paths” Hebrew H7635 · used in 2 verses

  • Psalms 77:19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.

“up” Hebrew H5549 · used in 10 verses

  • Exodus 9:17 As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?
  • Psalms 68:4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
  • Isaiah 57:14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.

“paths” Hebrew H5410 · used in 26 verses

  • Judges 5:6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
  • Psalms 78:50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
  • Proverbs 8:20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:

“vanity” Hebrew H7723 · used in 48 verses

  • Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
  • Psalms 89:47 Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?
  • Jeremiah 46:11 Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.