Jeremiah 17

Jeremiah 17 is one of the chapters of prophecy against Judah in the early part of Jeremiah. Following the announcement of judgment and exile in chapter 16, it opens by declaring how deeply Judah's sin is engraved.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 Judah's sin is indelible, as though written with a pen of iron and the point of a diamond on the tablet of the heart and on the horns of the altars. Even the children remember the Asherah poles and the high places (altars on elevated sites). As a result, Judah will lose its heritage and serve its enemies in a land it does not know.
• Verses 5–8 The one who trusts in man and turns away from the LORD is like a shrub in the desert, while the one who trusts in the LORD is like a tree planted by the waters.
• Verses 9–11 The human heart is deceitful above all things, yet the LORD searches the heart and repays each person according to his ways. Wealth gained unjustly will slip away, like the eggs of another bird that a partridge sits on but does not hatch.
• Verses 12–18 Jeremiah's prayer. He calls the LORD "the fountain of living waters" and asks to be healed and saved. He pleads for shame and destruction to come upon the persecutors who mock him.
• Verses 19–27 Standing at the gates of Jerusalem, Jeremiah proclaims that the people must not carry burdens on the Sabbath. If they keep the Sabbath, the throne of David and the city will endure forever, and offerings will be brought to the house of the LORD. If they disobey, an unquenchable fire will be kindled in the gates.

Key Verses

• Jeremiah 17:7–8 "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD … For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters" — a classic image of the life of trust.
• Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" — frequently cited in discussions of the sinfulness of the human heart.
• Jeremiah 17:14 "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed" — widely read as a prayer for healing and salvation.

People and Places

• Jeremiah: The central figure of this chapter's prayer and sermon at the gates.
• Jerusalem: The city whose gates were the setting for Jeremiah's Sabbath message.
• David: The kings who sit on his throne are named in the promise.
• Land of Benjamin: The region north of Jerusalem, mentioned as one of the places from which people will come bringing offerings.
• Asherah: The Canaanite goddess worshiped by Judah, as well as the cultic objects that represented her.

Points for Reflection

• Verses 5–8 closely resemble the imagery of the two ways in Psalm 1. Combined with verses 9–10, the passage Jeremiah 17:5–10 is often read as a separate unit.
• In the Reformed tradition, verse 9 is frequently cited in support of the doctrine of total depravity. Other traditions sometimes emphasize the same verse as a call to repentance and a change of heart.
• The phrase "I the LORD search the heart" in verse 10 reappears in nearly identical form in Revelation 2:23.
• "The fountain of living waters" in verse 13 echoes Jeremiah 2:13. It is also read alongside the sayings about living water in John 4 and 7.
• Interpreters differ on how to read the plea against persecutors in verse 18 in light of the New Testament teaching on love for one's enemies.
• The Sabbath passage in verses 19–27 is sometimes cited by denominations that observe a Saturday Sabbath. Most Protestants interpret it within the framework of the relationship between the Sabbath and the Lord's Day.

In the Korean Church

Verses 5–8 are often used, together with Psalm 1, as sermon texts on the blessed life. Verse 9 is commonly cited in evangelism and preaching to explain the sinfulness of the human heart.