Lexical Summary kasal: To be foolish, to be stupid, to be dull-hearted Original Word: כָּסַל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be foolish A primitive root; properly, to be fat, i.e. (figuratively) silly -- be foolish. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be or become stupid NASB Translation foolish (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [כָסַל] verb be or become stupid (Late Hebrew Aramaic in derivatives; Arabic  be sluggish, so North Syriac in derivatives; original meaning possibly thick, plump, fat; hence in good sense: כְּסָלִים loins, כֶּסֶל, כִּסְלָה confidence; in bad sense: כֶּסֶל, כִּסְלָה, כְּסִילוּת stupidity, folly, כְּסִיל stupid fellow) — Qal Imperfect יִכְסָ֑לוּ they become stupid Jeremiah 10:8 ("" יִבְעֲרוּ they become brutish). Topical Lexicon Definition and Nuance כָּסַל portrays a dull-witted, stubborn folly that is willfully chosen, not an unavoidable intellectual limitation. The verb carries the sense of becoming thick, insensible, or gross in one’s moral perception, so that spiritual truth fails to penetrate. It depicts self-inflicted stupidity that resists divine instruction. Canonical Occurrence Jeremiah 10:8: “But they are altogether senseless and foolish, instructed by worthless idols made of wood!” Here כָּסַל is set parallel to “senseless,” intensifying Jeremiah’s indictment of Judah’s idolatry. The people have embraced teaching that can never speak, think, or save, and in so doing have rendered themselves spiritually stupid. Prophetic Context in Jeremiah Jeremiah 10 contrasts the majestic sovereignty of the LORD with the impotence of handmade idols. The prophet’s oracles are delivered during the late reign of Jehoiakim and the early days of Zedekiah, when the Babylonian threat loomed large. Instead of repenting, Judah sought security in syncretistic worship. By using כָּסַל Jeremiah exposes the tragic irony: the very act that was meant to secure blessing (seeking help from other “gods”) actually hardened the nation into irrational folly, hastening judgment. Historical and Cultural Background Idols in Jeremiah’s day were often wooden cores overlaid with precious metals (Jeremiah 10:3-5). Craftsmen shaped them to resemble the astral deities of Mesopotamia or the fertility gods of Canaan. The surrounding nations boasted in such images, calling them “the work of our hands” (Isaiah 2:8). Israel had been commanded to be iconoclasts (Exodus 20:3-4; Deuteronomy 4:15-19). By ignoring this mandate Judah joined the nations in their cultic parade and thus became, in prophetic language, כְּסִילִים—fools. Spiritual and Theological Themes 1. Moral, not merely mental, folly. Scripture consistently depicts foolishness as an ethical stance (Proverbs 1:7; Romans 1:22). כָּסַל emphasizes that the heart chooses blindness. Echoes in the Wider Canon • Proverbs 12:1 – “He who hates correction is brutish.” Though a different Hebrew root, the sentiment matches כָּסַל: refusal of instruction produces beast-like obtuseness. Ministry Reflections and Application • Preaching: Jeremiah 10:8 provides a vivid diagnostic text on the nature of idolatry today—whether materialism, nationalism, or self-made spirituality. Related Hebrew and Greek Vocabulary • נָבָל (nabal) – another term for moral foolishness, often linked with practical atheism (Psalm 14:1). These words together illuminate the biblical portrait of folly as ethical rebellion rather than simple ignorance. Suggested Preaching and Teaching Angles 1. “Worthless Wood or Living Word?”—Contrast the deaf mute idol with the speaking God. Conclusion כָּסַל, though occurring only once, crystallizes a major biblical theme: deliberate rejection of God produces a self-imposed stupidity that leads to ruin. The antidote is surrender to the living God whose Word grants the wisdom that saves (2 Timothy 3:15). Forms and Transliterations וְיִכְסָ֑לוּ ויכסלו veyichSalu wə·yiḵ·sā·lū wəyiḵsālūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 10:8 HEB: וּבְאַחַ֖ת יִבְעֲר֣וּ וְיִכְסָ֑לוּ מוּסַ֥ר הֲבָלִ֖ים NAS: stupid and foolish [In their] discipline KJV: brutish and foolish: the stock INT: are altogether stupid and foolish discipline of delusion 1 Occurrence |
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