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Psalm 115 as a parallel passage: idols have mouths but cannot speak

Stop Twisting Jeremiah 10 Because It's Not About Christmas Trees 00:09:50 – 00:11:23

Connecting Jeremiah 10 to a closely parallel text

Psalm 115:4-8 is a clear parallel to Jeremiah 10: idols are silver and gold, made by human hands, have mouths but cannot speak, eyes but cannot see, ears but cannot hear, hands but cannot feel, feet but cannot walk. The reason Jeremiah 10 emphasizes that these objects can't speak, can't be carried, and can't walk is precisely because they have the form of a person — a carved idol — but no life. This makes no sense if the passage is about a tree. Trees are not said to have mouths or feet.

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