Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse uses the image of a scarecrow in a cucumber field to highlight the utter powerlessness of idols; they are not only inanimate and immobile, but utterly incapable of any action, good or bad, making them objects of ridicule rather than fear. This contrasts sharply with the true God, who alone has the power to act and to judge.
Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is exposing the utter worthlessness of the idols worshipped by surrounding nations and, tragically, by some in Israel. He likens these statues to inanimate objects, emphasizing their inability to move, speak, or act independently. This leads directly into his urgent plea for Judah to trust only the true God, who alone has power and authority.
Imagine setting up a scarecrow that can't even stand on its own. That's the picture Jeremiah paints of the idols people were worshipping.
Jeremiah uses vivid imagery to strip away any awe or reverence people might have for their idols. He compares them to scarecrows in a cucumber field – a completely ineffective object.
We often fear things that can hurt us, or seek out things that can help us. But what if the object of your devotion can do neither?
The most striking point Jeremiah makes is the absolute neutrality of these idols in terms of power. They possess no inherent ability to act.
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This cripples their entire purpose as objects of worship. True worship is directed towards the God who can act – who judges evil and bestows good.
Understand the original words
atsab · Hebrew Noun
Representations of false gods, typically crafted from created materials, intended to be objects of worship but devoid of divine life or power.
ra' · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
In biblical terms, the rejection of God's sovereignty; it represents active moral wrongdoing or the capacity to inflict harm and suffering.
towb · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
Moral uprightness, excellence of character, or beneficial actions performed in accordance with God's will.
Jeremiah's vivid imagery of useless idols as mere scarecrows speaks directly to the despair and disillusionment of the people during the Babylonian exile, a time when their own fortifications and gods had failed them utterly.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian deportations of Israelites
The Assyrian Empire conducted widespread deportations of the northern Kingdom of Israel, scattering its population and weakening its cultural identity. This set a precedent for future exiles.
605 BC
First Babylonian deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Judah and deported a significant portion of its elite, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marked the beginning of Babylonian dominance over Judah.
597 BC
Second Babylonian deportation
Another wave of deportations occurred, this time including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, further intensifying Judah's subjugation under Babylon.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and its temple, exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon. This catastrophic event profoundly shaped Jeremiah's prophetic message and the exiles' identity.
c. 540 BC
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon
Cyrus the Persian conquered the Babylonian Empire, creating a new political landscape. This shift eventually led to the decree allowing Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem.
539 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus issued a decree permitting the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple in Jerusalem. This marked the end of the Babylonian exile.
This passage describes the creation of an idol from wood, highlighting its lifelessness and the futility of worshipping it, echoing Jeremiah's description of idols' inability to move or speak.
Psalm 115:4-8This psalm directly contrasts the living God with idols made by human hands, emphasizing their inability to see, hear, speak, or walk, mirroring Jeremiah's critique of their immobility and silence.
This text, sometimes considered part of the Apocrypha and referred to as the 'Epistle of Jeremiah,' vividly compares idols to scarecrows in a field and describes how they must be carried, directly aligning with the imagery and critique in Jeremiah 10:5.
This verse challenges those who worship man-made gods, asking who among them can predict the future, similar to how Jeremiah highlights that idols lack the power to act or offer true guidance, good or bad.
clarkeJeremiah 10:5: "They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good."
They are upright as the palm tree - As straight and as stiff as the trees out of which they are hewn.
calvinJeremiah 10:4-5: "They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."
- Sicuti palma aequalis (hoc est, stat effigies illa aequalis tanquam palma, id est, assurgit in rectitudinem;) et non loquuntur; et tollendo tolluntur, quia non ambulabunt (hoc est, non possunt ambulare:) ne timeatis ab illis; quia non male faciunt, atque etiam bene facere non penes ipsos.
He goes on with the same subject, and borrows his words from the forty -- fourth cha…
The verse uses the image of a scarecrow in a cucumber field to highlight the utter powerlessness of idols; they are not only inanimate and immobile, but utterly incapable of any action, good or bad, making them objects of ridicule rather than fear. This contrasts sharply with the true God, who alone has the power to act and to judge.
Jeremiah is exposing the utter worthlessness of the idols worshipped by surrounding nations and, tragically, by some in Israel. He likens these statues to inanimate objects, emphasizing their inability to move, speak, or act independently. This leads directly into his urgent plea for Judah to trust only the true God, who alone has power and authority.
Jeremiah is exposing the utter worthlessness of the idols worshipped by surrounding nations and, tragically, by some in Israel. He likens these statues to inanimate objects, emphasizing their inability to move, speak, or act independently. This leads directly into his urgent plea for Judah to trust only the true God, who alone has power and authority.
"Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to…" — The verse uses the image of a scarecrow in a cucumber field to highlight the utter powerlessness of idols; they are not only inanimate and immobile, but utterly incapable of any action, good or bad,…
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Last reviewed October 2026