Bible Commentaries
Jeremiah 17

Verses 1-4

Jer 17:1-4

Jeremiah 17:1-4

JUDAH’S DESTRUCTION INEVITABLE

From Jeremiah 17:15 it is clear that this chapter was written prior to the Babylonian conquest. "Attempts have been made to date the chapter, but they are generally unsatisfactory, because of the lack of chronological data."

No pattern of any kind appears in the chapter; and it seems to be a collection of various important declarations of this great prophet. Kuist noted that, "It contains a variety of examples of prophetic preaching, namely, an indictment of Judah’s guilt (Jeremiah 17:1-4), a psalm (Jeremiah 17:5-8), two proverbs (Jeremiah 17:9-10 and Jeremiah 17:11), an invocation (Jeremiah 17:12-13), a prayer (Jeremiah 17:14-18), and a sabbath proclamation (Jeremiah 17:19-27)."

The prayer (Jeremiah 17:14-18) is also identified by many writers as "Jeremiah’s Third Personal Lament." This distinction is not noted in the chapter headings of the KJV; but, aside from that, the following chapter divisions are noted: (1) Judah’s destruction due to sin (Jeremiah 17:1-4), (2) trusting in men is cursed (Jeremiah 17:5-8), (3) the deceitful heart unable to deceive God (Jeremiah 17:9-11), (4) the salvation of God (Jeremiah 17:12-13), (5) Jeremiah’s third personal lament (Jeremiah 17:14-18), (6) regarding sabbath observance (Jeremiah 17:19-23), (7) continued violation of God’s law ends in terminal punishment (Jeremiah 17:24-27).

Jeremiah 17:1-4

The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, [and] with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the tablet of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars; whilst their children remember their altars and their Asherim by the green trees upon the high hills. O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures for a spoil, [and] thy high places, because of sin, throughout all thy borders. And thou, even of thyself, shalt discontinue from thy heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger which shall burn for ever.

There are imperfections in the Hebrew text here which have made it difficult for scholars to determine the exact translation; but the broad thrust of the passage is clear enough.

Pen of iron. point of a diamond .....

(Jeremiah 17:1). There are two things stressed here, (1) the permanence of the record of sin, and (2) the hardness of the heart of the people, the implication being that only a diamond-pointed stylus would be able to inscribe anything on the hearts of the Israelites!

"What is thus engraved upon the heart, though covered and closed for a time, can never be erased, but will be produced in evidence when the books are opened."

Your altars. their altars .....

(Jeremiah 17:1-2). There is uncertainty regarding which altars are meant by the first of these expressions. Some prefer to view them as the same as the pagan altars mentioned next; but Keil and Cheyne both pointed out that there were two altars in the temple and construed the first reference as pertaining to the true altars.

The broad meaning of the whole passage is clear enough. Back in Jeremiah 16:10, the people demanded to know, "What is our iniquity, and what is our sin?" God answered their query there; but he did so again here. He indicted them with a charge of their heartless apostasy and proved it, pointing out that they had no excuse, and that, "They could plead no extenuating circumstances of their crime that could either arrest the judgment or result in the mitigation of the deserved punishment."

Their children remember. their Asherim .....

(Jeremiah 17:2). These were wooden pillars, or monuments, set up in honor of Ashteroth, or Astarte. Not much is known of these objects; but it is believed that many of them, at least, were phallic symbols. This writer saw more than a hundred of these in all sizes up to eight or ten feet tall in Japan in 1952. Such devices were used in the cultic worship of the fertility gods and goddesses of ancient Canaan, a pagan practice to which the Jews proved to be quite vulnerable.

It should be remembered that the sacred text here is damaged and that some questions remain about exact translations. As Thompson said, "It seems clear that we have here a reference to the prevalence of Canaanite worship with its altars, sacred poles, and other paraphernalia of the cult, a clear rejection of the sole sovereignty of God."

"Jeremiah 17:2-3 are difficult and can be rendered metrically (that is, as poetry) only by forcing." This is a good place to observe that much of the "poetry" in some renditions of Old Testament books is obtained in the same manner. Also, there is the dictum of some of the critics that Jeremiah could not have written both prose and poetry, resulting in their denial of one or the other as authentic Jeremiahic prophecies. To be sure, there is no sense at all in such a dictum. The application of such a foolish rule would deny that Sir Walter Scott wrote The Lay of the Last Minstrel, or The Lady of the Lake, since he was also the author of Rob Roy, and The Talisman, being also the greatest prose writer of a thousand years!

O my mountain in the field...

(Jeremiah 17:3) This is a reference to Jerusalem; and ’the field’ signifies the surrounding country.

Thy substance and all thy treasures for a spoil...

(Jeremiah 17:3). Again on Jeremiah 17:3-4 the scholars warn of an impaired text; but it is a mistake to make too much of it. Despite specific problems, the overall idea is that sinfulness would cost Judah their wealth, their homeland, and their freedom.

Thou shalt discontinue from the heritage that I gave thee...

(Jeremiah 17:4). Barnes tells us that the verb ’discontinue’ as used here, Is the term for letting the land rest (Exodus 23:11), and of releasing creditors (Deuteronomy 15:2) in the sabbatical year. The same author noted that:

As Judah had not kept those sabbatical years which God commanded, during her captivity, she would be forced to leave off tillage of the ground until the land had had its rest.

Thou, even of thyself, shall discontinue...

(Jeremiah 17:4). The meaning of the expression ’even of thyself’ may mean ’through thyself,’ that is, ’through your own fault.’

Verses 1-11

Jer 17:1-11

The first eleven verses of chapter 17 contain three independent sayings of the prophet probably from three different sermons. These sayings do not seem to have any logical connection with one another. In them Jeremiah is concerned about the guilt of the nation (Jeremiah 17:1-4), trusting the Lord (Jeremiah 17:5-8) and the nature of the human heart (Jeremiah 17:9-11).

The Guilt of the Nation Jeremiah 17:1-4

A stylus of iron with diamond point was used by the artisans of Egypt and Babylon to chisel into solid rock the glorious records of their civilizations. Those records of rock have survived the ravishes of time and today can be studied first hand by students of ancient history. Sin also leaves a record; and Jeremiah points to three areas where the record of Judah’s sin could be found. (1) Judah’s sin was indelibly written upon the tablet of their heart. The inhabitants of the land had made their hearts as hard as stone and consequently the word of God could not penetrate their lives. If the people would but examine their own hearts they would see clearly the record of every rebellion and disobedience. (2) Judah’s sin was also written upon the horns of their altars (Jeremiah 17:1). Both the altar of incense and the huge altar of burnt offering had projections at the four corners upon which the blood of the sacrificial victims was smeared. These “horns” were regarded as the most sacred part of the altar. How ironical it is that in the very spot where one should have been able to find forgiveness of sin, the record of sin was obvious to any observer. Jeremiah no doubt here alludes to the hypocrisy and pagan practices which had perverted true worship. (3) Perhaps most important, the sin of Judah has been inscribed on the memory of the children of the land. From their earliest days all that the children could remember was pagan worship. They remembered the Asherahs (not groves as in KJV), a sacred pole erected beside pagan altars. They remembered the green shady spots on the hill tops where the licentious rites were conducted in honor of the fertility gods (Jeremiah 17:2).

Because of her record of sin and rebellion all the wealth of Jerusalem and all her high places will be given as spoil to an enemy. Jerusalem is here addressed as “My mountain in the field” (Jeremiah 17:3). The word “field” here is best understood as meaning an open place rather than a level place. Mt. Zion upon which Jerusalem is built rises abruptly, like a mountain, out of the midst of the surrounding valleys. The inhabitants of Judah will lose their inheritance and be deported to a distant land. By their perpetual rebellion they have kindled the fire of divine wrath (Jeremiah 17:4). People who play with the fire of sin are bound to get scorched!

The Desert Shrub and the Flourishing Tree Jeremiah 17:5-8

In Jeremiah 17:5-8 Jeremiah draws a picture of contrast between the unbeliever and the believer. Jeremiah 17:5 mentions two characteristics of the unbeliever. The unbeliever continuously (Hebrew imperfect) puts his trust in flesh i.e., he puts his trust in what is weak, sinful, mortal and temporal. While he may give lip service to the Almighty he has departed from the Lord in his own heart. It is interesting that two Hebrew words for man are used in Jeremiah 17:5. The first word is gever which refers to man in his strength, man as he was intended to be. The second word is adam which signifies man in his creaturely weakness. Thus, cursed is the man (gever) who trusts in man (adam). After indicating the characteristics of the unbeliever Jeremiah describes in Jeremiah 17:6 the conditions of such a man. He is like the tamarisk, a twisted, gnarled, dwarfed little tree which grows in the most barren and rocky parts of the desert. The roots of the tamarisk constantly grope for water but find precious little. That starved and stunted shrub just hangs on to a miserable existence. So it is with the unbeliever. “He shall not see when good comes.” He is always groping, searching for the good life, the more abundant life, but alas he never finds it. In spite of the riches he might possess he is not living, he is only existing. His life is a parched wilderness, “a land of salt,” i.e., a land absolutely barren (cf. Deuteronomy 29:23).

In contrast to the life of the unbeliever the one who puts his trust in God is blessed (Jeremiah 17:7). In terminology reminiscent of Psalms 1:3 Jeremiah describes the life of the believer. He is like a tree which puts its roots down alongside a perennial stream. That tree will flourish and be fruitful because the supply of water is never exhausted. So the believer has put down his roots beside the inexhaustible stream of divine grace. Even during the drought period of life, the times of severe testing and trial, he does not wilt, he does not fear. On the contrary he continues to flourish and bear fruit.

The Deceitful Human Heart Jeremiah 17:9-11

The heart, according to Hebrew psychology, was the center of one’s intellect, emotions and will. Modern psychology would agree with the observation of Jeremiah that the heart is deceitful. Few have insight into their real motivations. The heart of man is incurable or desperately sick or, according to the King James Version, desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). There is within man a tendency, a natural inclination to do that which is wrong. Only when one allows the Holy Spirit to dwell within the heart can he hope to walk in the paths of righteousness. While the natural man is unable to know his own heart God does search the hearts of men. He tries and tests the mind (literally, the kidneys), a term which in Hebrew psychology indicated the emotional aspect of man. On the basis of His divine knowledge of the inner thoughts and feelings of men, God is able to dispense justly both reward and punishment (Jeremiah 17:10), This doctrine of reward and punishment appears also in Jeremiah 32:19 (cf. Psalms 62:12; Job 34:11).

In Jeremiah 17:11 Jeremiah offers an illustration of the kind of deceit which is referred to in Jeremiah 17:9. Those who acquire wealth unjustly are like a partridge that broods but does not hatch her eggs. The partridge lays many eggs but also has many natural enemies who hunt her nest and destroy her eggs. So is the man with ill-gotten gain. He shall be deprived of his wealth as swiftly as the partridge who begins to sit upon her nest but is soon robbed of her eggs. In the midst of his days the man who has made wealth his god shall leave it all behind. His attachment to the material and temporal will prove him to be a fool in his last desperate hours. A fool in the Old Testament is not necessarily one who is stupid but one who is lacking in moral understanding and in the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. One cannot read this passage without thinking of the foolish farmer spoken of in the parable of Jesus (Luke 12:16-21). Building bigger barns was uppermost in his mind. He had forgotten that life is but a vapor of uncertain duration. In an unexpected moment this fool was summoned into eternity.

Verses 5-8

Jer 17:5-8

Jeremiah 17:5-8

TRUSTING IN MEN IS CURSED

Thus saith Jehovah: Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from Jehovah. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in Jehovah, and whose trust Jehovah is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat cometh, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Cursed is the man that trusteth in man...

(Jeremiah 17:5). Although the beautiful contrast given here between the fate of the wicked man and the righteous man, is applicable in all generations; nevertheless, it appears that the scholars are correct who see in this warning a special message for Judah in the days of Jehoiachim, who, when threatened with the Chaldean invasion, were tempted to look to the king of Egypt for protection, instead of trusting God.

Like the heath...

(Jeremiah 17:6). The Anchor Bible renders this, like a desert scrub; and some renditions favor, like a juniper; the true rendition of the word is like a destitute man. The translators who change the meaning are influenced by the parallelism with v. 8, where the word tree is used.

Of course, the whole passage closely resembles Psalms 1.

Verses 9-11

Jer 17:9-11

Jeremiah 17:9-11

The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it? I, Jehovah, search the mind, I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. As the partridge that sitteth on [eggs] which she hath not laid, so is he that getteth riches, and not by right; in the midst of his days they shall leave him, and at his end he shall be a fool.

The question that surfaces here is, if the one who serves God fares so much better in this life than the unrighteous person, why do men then trust the arm of flesh? Barnes attempted an answer to this, saying, "Because man’s deceitful heart is incapable of seeing things in a straight-forward manner; it is full of shrewd guile."

Our heart’s a soil that breeds

The sweetest flowers or vilest weeds,

Flowers lovely as the morning light,

Or weeds as deadly as the aconite.

The mention here in Jeremiah 17:11 of a partridge setting upon eggs she did not lay derived from, "A popular belief of antiquity, which Jeremiah used to illustrate the truth that riches unlawfully acquired are a precarious possession." Translators usually render this as a statement that the eggs would not hatch; but John Bright in the Anchor Bible rendered it "Like a partridge hatching eggs that it laid not."

The personal experience of this writer and his brother Robert verifies the truth that hatching "strange eggs" can be a terrible mistake for the hatcher!. Robert had a pet hen, named Bob White; we found a hawk’s nest and put two of the eggs under Bob White when the hen was setting, and one of the hawk eggs hatched. Our father wanted to kill it, but we insisted on keeping it. Then, one day when we came home from church the young hawk was sitting on the gate post with Bob White’s feathers scattered all around! He had eaten his own mother!

The old proverb about the partridge’s hatching eggs that she had not laid is not supposed to be true to natural history; but that did not prevent Jeremiah’s use of it as an illustration. There is no necessity to charge Jeremiah with believing the saying. Besides that, since the species of bird is not clearly identifiable, there might have been some bird, unknown to us now, of which the old saying was altogether true.

In fact, there was a Dr. Blayney, who thought that the bird here was not a partridge at all; and he translated the passage: "As the kore that hatcheth what it does not lay, So is he that getteth riches, and not according to right."

Verses 12-18

Jer 17:12-18

Jeremiah 17:12-13

THE SALVATION OF GOD

A glorious throne, [set] on high from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary. O Jehovah, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be put to shame. They that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken Jehovah, the fountain of living waters.

A glorious throne...

(Jeremiah 17:12). These verses are an expression of Jeremiah’s trustful faith in Jehovah and of his confidence that God’s justice will be vindicated by the overthrow of the wicked and the reward of the righteous. This mention of ’the glorious throne’ Apostrophizes the Jewish temple as the seat of God’s glory in Zion; but in this context it is equivalent to God who is enthroned in glory.

They that depart. shall be written in the earth .....

(Jeremiah 17:13). Unlike those graven in the rock forever (Job 19:24), the names written in the earth shall quickly disappear. This interpretation was given earlier by Payne Smith; but John Bright, quoting Dahood’s work in 1959, suggests that, Based upon Ugaritic evidence, ’earth’ indicates the underworld, with the meaning that, ’those written in the earth are those listed for death.’

Several have quoted Origen’s remark that, "All men are written somewhere, the saints in heaven, but sinners on earth." All men should so live that they may hope, at the last day, to find their names inscribed in "The Book of Life" (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; Revelation 21:27, etc.).

Jeremiah 17:14-18

JEREMIAH’S THIRD PERSONAL LAMENT

Heal me, O Jehovah, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of Jehovah? let it come now. As for me, I have not hastened from being a shepherd after thee; neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was before thy face. Be not a terror unto me: thou art my refuge in the day of evil. Let them be put to shame that persecute me, but let not me be put to shame; let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed; bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

Scholars have been unable to date this lament; but, as we have frequently noted, the exact date of various chapters in this prophecy, or in any other, is of little or no importance. The only clue to a date in the whole passage is in Jeremiah 17:15, where, the people taunted Jeremiah because none of his prophecies had come to pass. This means that the passage had to be written before the Babylonian invasion, the capture of Jerusalem, or the captivity.

"The sense of the paragraph seems to be that Jeremiah was not going to abandon his prophetic ministry simply because he had been disbelieved and persecuted. Instead, he prayed for grace to withstand opposition until the truth would be manifested, at which time all would see that it was God’s Word, and not his own, that he had been faithfully proclaiming."

I have not hastened from being a shepherd after thee...

(Jeremiah 17:16). This was merely Jeremiah’s way of saying, I have not abandoned the mission you have given me.

Destroy them with double destruction...

(Jeremiah 17:18). This expression is often found in scripture, as in Jeremiah 16:18, above, and in Revelation 18:6; but the idiom never means more than the sinner deserves. On the other hand, as Cheyne noted, It means amply sufficient.

PROPHETIC PRAYER Jeremiah 17:12-18

It is difficult to know in Jeremiah 17:12 whether “throne of glory” and “place of our sanctuary” refer to Jerusalem or to God Himself. The American Standard and King James versions suggest the former interpretation; but the Hebrew would allow just as well for the latter view. If the reference is to Jerusalem it is difficult to see how the verse relates to the rest of the prayer. The verse fits well however as part of the address of the prayer. God is called “the throne exalted from the beginning” by metonymy. This title suggests that God from the beginning of time was the exalted ruler over all the earth. God is called “the place of our sanctuary” because true worship is grounded in Him. In Jeremiah 17:13 the Lord is called “the hope of Israel” and “the fountain of living waters.” It is interesting to note that the prophet who called God a deceitful stream in a recent prayer (Jeremiah 15:18) now refers to Him as the fountain of living waters. Jeremiah is confident that anyone who turns from God will be put to shame. So confident is Jeremiah that he is the true spokesman for God that he can equate turning from God with turning from himself. To depart from Jeremiah—to refuse to hear his message—is to turn away from the Lord. Such as refuse to hear the word of God will be written in the land or ground. A name scratched in the dust of the ground is soon obliterated. So it is with the unbeliever. For a while he may hold the limelight; but in short order he fades from the scene and his name is forgotten. M. J. Dahood has recently suggested another interpretation of this verse. On the basis of certain Ugaritic evidence he takes “earth” here to mean underworld or death. The apostates then will be listed for death.

From invocation and declaration of faith in the Lord Jeremiah moves in his prayer to petition. He cries out for healing but not the healing of the body; he yearns for the spiritual and mental healing. His heart is broken because the people he loves rejected the message. He cries out for deliverance from the sneers and jeers of the apostates. He knows that God can and will heal and deliver him and for this reason he makes God the object of his praise (Jeremiah 17:14).

Jeremiah moves on in his prayer to narrative. He describes to God his own situation. The people are mocking Jeremiah. They are demanding that his prophecies be fulfilled. According to Deuteronomy 18:22 one whose prediction did not come true was to be treated as a false prophet. SO far none of Jeremiah’s dire predictions concerning the fate of Jerusalem had come to pass. No doubt this prayer dates to the period prior to the first Babylonian invasion of Judah in 605 B.C. For years Jeremiah had been predicting a calamity which would befall Judah at the hands of the enemy from the north. So far nothing had happened. Some, no doubt, were charging Jeremiah with being a false prophet. Others may have even gone so far as to question whether the Lord had the power to carry out His threats. The recent drought which God had sent upon the land had utterly failed to impress the hardened sinners of Judah. Instead of heeding the warnings issued by the prophet of God the inhabitants of Judah chuckled and said “Let it come!”

In his prayer Jeremiah defends himself and calls attention to his loyalty to God. He makes three points. (1) Jeremiah had not hastened or hurried away from his responsibility of being God’s shepherd to Israel. Even though he faced opposition and persecution almost from the outset of his ministry he had not quickly abandoned his work. He did not quit when the going got tough. Rather he continued in his position as an undershepherd following “after” the Lord. Jeremiah walked in the footsteps of his God and sought to lead the flock of God in those old paths which the Lord had so clearly identified in His word. (2) Jeremiah did not desire the incurable (same word used in Jeremiah 17:9) day or woeful day. Here the day of Judah’s punishment is metaphorically called “sick” or incurable. Jeremiah took no malicious delight in announcing the doom which was to befall Judah. He was not merely giving vent to his own hostilities. He preached judgment because that message was laid upon him by the Lord. In spite of the fact that the message brought was personally distasteful, Jeremiah kept preaching. (3) Jeremiah was utterly sincere in his ministry. God knew that. Every word which the prophet had uttered was known to the Lord. He had not diminished from nor added to the word which was laid upon his heart. He had been a faithful messenger.

Following the narrative portion of his prayer Jeremiah adds further petition. Many years earlier God had commanded Jeremiah not to be dismayed or terrified before his enemies (Jeremiah 1:17). But by delaying the punishment which the prophet had been threatening God was allowing Jeremiah to become the object of ridicule and harassment. Jeremiah therefore prays that God will keep His word, that He will not be a terror to his prophet. In effect Jeremiah is praying that he will not be embarrassed, dismayed or terrified because of his loyalty to God and His word. Jeremiah knows that he personally has nothing to fear in the evil day i.e., the day of divine punishment (Jeremiah 17:17). Therefore he calls upon God to utterly silence the sneering, scoffing enemies by sending the threatened judgment. He asks that his enemies be confounded and confused. He asks that they receive double destruction i.e., complete, total destruction.

Some commentators see a contradiction between what the prophet has previously said in his prayer and what he asks God to do in Jeremiah 17:18. In Jeremiah 17:16 Jeremiah said that he did not desire the evil day; here he calls on God to send the evil day. The solution to this apparent contradiction is simple. Jeremiah desired and prayed for the salvation of Judah as a nation. But within the nation are certain hard core, utterly perverse antagonists who are the enemies of God as well as the enemies of God’s prophet. They deserve the punishment which Jeremiah has been threatening. When the prophet asks God to pour out his wrath upon these hardened sinners there is no personal animosity or vindictiveness. Rather here as in similar prayers Jeremiah is jealous for the Lord his God.

Verses 19-23

Jer 17:19-23

Jeremiah 17:19-23

A SABBATH PROCLAMATION

Thus said Jehovah unto me: Go, and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; and say unto them, Hear ye the word of Jehovah, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates: Thus saith Jehovah, Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work: but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. But they hearkened not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, and might not receive instruction.

Despite the prominence of the sabbath regulation here, one gets the impression that the Fourth Commandment of the Decalogue stands here as a synecdoche for the whole Mosaic Law.

There has been a great deal of quibbling about which gate was meant by "the gate of the children of the people"; but the passage clearly shows that no particular gate is meant. Jeremiah was to stand and preach wherever the people were.

Gate of the children of the people. in all the gates of Jerusalem ... these gates ... in the gates of Jerusalem .....

(Jeremiah 17:19-21). No gate was to be exempt from Jeremiah’s preaching, not even the gate used by the kings of Judah.

Some commentators deny this passage to Jeremiah on their false assumption that sabbath observance was a feature of the post-exilic times; but for those interested in such groundless denials, Green has provided some answers. He also noted that the appearance of the Sabbath Day in this context "is a sign of the Mosaic Covenant."

Throughout Jeremiah the conditional nature of prophecies of doom is continually stressed, a fact that will receive special attention in the next chapter, where all prophecies, whether of blessing or condemnation, are revealed as absolutely conditional. Thompson’s comment here is, "Jeremiah made it clear that the people of Judah held their destiny in their own hands."

The particular violation of the sabbath regulations which might have precipitated this choice of that commandment to stand by metonymy for the whole Law of Moses was suggested by Feinberg as follows: "The people who lived in the fields surrounding Jerusalem and worked the fields during the week selected the Sabbath as the day to bring their produce into the city, and the people of the city brought stores of goods and materials out of their houses to exchange for the produce, contrary to the express commandment of God through Moses.

Chapter 17 ends with a prose discourse urging the keeping of the Sabbath. Like Amos (Amos 8:4-6) and Isaiah (Isaiah 56, 58) before him, Jeremiah regarded violation of the Sabbath as a serious offense. Jeremiah in this sermon addressed to the royal house makes Sabbath observance the condition for national survival. The sermon moves through three phases: (1) exhortation (Jeremiah 17:19-23); (2) promise (Jeremiah 17:24-26); and (3) threat (Jeremiah 17:27).

Exhortation Jeremiah 17:19-23

Jeremiah is commissioned to preach this sermon in the gates of the city of Jerusalem. He is to start at that gate which was most frequently used by the kings. This gate, called “the gate of the children of the people,” cannot be identified (Jeremiah 17:19). He addresses his message to the kings of Judah, the population of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 17:20). The question has been raised as to why Jeremiah uses the plural “kings.” Perhaps the message was to be applied to successive kings of Judah. But more likely Jeremiah is addressing the entire royal house under this title. There is evidence in this period that the members of the royal family exercised considerable authority. Zedekiah, for example, seems to have been completely dominated by this group. Thus here the word “kings” is used loosely to refer to all the princes of the realm.

Jeremiah’s object in this message is to get the people to hallow the Sabbath day. Apparently the Sabbath law was, disregarded. Goods from far and near were being transported into the city and business was being conducted as usual on the seventh day. For this reason Jeremiah calls upon the merchants to cease bringing goods into the city on the Sabbath (Jeremiah 17:21) and calls upon the people to cease bringing articles from their houses with which to barter for the produce of the merchants. He exhorts the inhabitants of Jerusalem to sanctify the Sabbath in the way in which God commanded their fathers to do (Jeremiah 17:22). The fathers had rejected the commandment of God and as a result had suffered divine correction. But even this divine correction had not induced repentance on the part of the previous generation (Jeremiah 17:23). The nation had continued on the path of disobedience until now Judah was faced with the inevitable national destruction.

Verses 24-27

Jer 17:24-27

Jeremiah 17:24-27

THE FIRE THAT WILL NOT GO OUT

And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith Jehovah, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but to hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein; then shall there enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall remain for ever. And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places round about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the lowland, and from the hill-country, and from the South, bringing burnt-offerings, and sacrifices, and meal-offerings, and frankincense, and bringing [sacrifices of] thanksgiving, unto the house of Jehovah. But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.

Critics, ever eager to discover something that they can classify as ’an error’ find fault with Jeremiah 17:25, where it is declared that, "Kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David" should enter the gates of Jerusalem, "This is factually in error, since only the king occupied the throne." As far as we are concerned, this is surely a gratuitous error! The singular noun "throne" already prevented ordinary people from misunderstanding the passage, anyway! If the prophet had intended the passage to mean the princes were on thrones also, he would have represented them as entering with the kings "on thrones (plural)."

What an amazing promise is included here! If, only IF, Judah had heeded the Word of God and had turned to him with their whole hearts in full obedience, God would, even at that late date, have turned aside all dangers and established Jerusalem forever! Such repentance and return Judah stubbornly refused to do.

Instead, due to the people’s continued rejection of their true God, and their persistency in idolatry, God would punish and destroy Israel. As Adam Clarke stated it:

Their sin lay at their own door. How fully were they warned; and how basely did they reject the counsel of God against themselves!

Promise and Threat Jeremiah 17:24-27

If there was any manifestation of national repentance with regard to the Sabbath observance the city would be spared. Things would continue as usual with kings and their entourages passing through the gates of the city (Jeremiah 17:24-25). From all parts of the territories of Judah and Benjamin men would continue to come to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice. The Shephelah, the Negev and the hill country are the three geographical regions of Judah. The Shephelah was the lowland region which separated the coastal plains from the hill country. The Negev was the region south of Beersheba. The different types of sacrifice or offerings enumerated prove conclusively that Jeremiah was not opposed to sacrifice as such. He mentions (1) burnt offerings, (2) sacrifices or peace offerings, (3) meal offerings, (4) incense, and (5) thank-offerings. If the people of Judah would only keep the Sabbath commandment business and worship would continue as usual. But if the exhortation to sanctify the Sabbath is ignored, then God will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem. Fire here as in Amos 1:4 to Amos 2:5 is symbolic of war.

Jeremiah’s sermon on Sabbath observance underscores the fact that prophecies, no matter how final in tone, are conditional. God is always ready to receive the repentant sinner and forgive him. While Jeremiah had on numerous occasions spoken of the judgment to come as inevitable, he here makes it clear that he had a program for the people, a program which if followed could in fact avert the disaster. Jeremiah had been pleading with the people to put their trust in God alone. Now he urges them to show their faith by their works. By sanctifying the Sabbath day the inhabitants of Judah could demonstrate their faith in God. The Lord had promised to so bless their six days of labor that they could afford to set aside the seventh day for His service (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). If they really had faith in God they would not hesitate to sanctify the Sabbath. Of course the generation of Jeremiah’s day did not comply with the conditions stipulated in this sermon and consequently the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar,

Day of Disaster - Jeremiah 16:1 to Jeremiah 17:27

Open It

1. For what have you relied on someone else who then turned out to be unreliable?

2. Under what circumstances does participation in routine activities not make sense?

3. What have you discovered about the importance of rest to your life?

4. What do you most like to do for relaxation?

Explore It

5. What routine practices did God forbid for Jeremiah as a sign to the people? (Jeremiah 16:1-9)

6. How did Jeremiah’s boycott of marriages and funerals convey his prediction about Israel’s future? (Jeremiah 16:5-9)

7. How was Jeremiah to answer the question "What wrong have we done"? (Jeremiah 16:10-13)

8. What great event in Israel’s past did God say would be exceeded by His eventual deliverance? (Jeremiah 16:14-15)

9. What was Israel going to lose because of their sin? (Jeremiah 17:3-4)

10. What is the outcome of trusting in people? (Jeremiah 17:5-6)

11. What is promised to the person who trusts God? (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

12. What was Jeremiah’s, and God’s, perspective on the human heart? (Jeremiah 17:9)

13. What did God say would become of the person who used unjust means to gain riches? (Jeremiah 17:11)

14. What were the people saying to Jeremiah? (Jeremiah 17:15)

15. How did Jeremiah ask God to prove him right? (Jeremiah 17:14-18)

16. Where did God tell Jeremiah to deliver his message about obedience? (Jeremiah 17:19)

17. What was God’s original command to His people concerning the Sabbath? (Jeremiah 17:20-22)

18. How did God promise to bless Jeremiah’s generation if they would observe the Sabbath laws? (Jeremiah 17:24-26)

19. How did God intend to act toward Israel if they disobeyed as their ancestors had? (Jeremiah 17:27)

Get It

20. In your experience, what do we lose when we disobey God?

21. Who is the most trustworthy person you have known, and why do you consider that person trustworthy?

22. In what way is it good news, bad news, or both that God is always watching us?

23. When have you been guilty of downplaying or disregarding God’s commands?

24. How have you personally witnessed that the human heart is "deceitful above all things"?

25. In what ways do people fool themselves?

26. How has God proven Himself trustworthy in your life?

27. In what sense is respect for the Sabbath also respect for God?

28. What does it mean to honor the Sabbath?

29. How can we use days of rest to restore our well-being?

Apply It

30. How can you observe the Sabbath this week in a way that will help you rest, as God intended?

31. What action can you take this week to evaluate the spiritual condition of your heart?

Questions On Jeremiah Chapter Seventeen

By Brent Kercheville

1 What is God’s message (Jeremiah 17:1-4)? Explain the imagery.

2 What is condemned (Jeremiah 17:5-6)? Why is this condemned? What do we learn?

3 What does God call us to do (Jeremiah 17:7-8)? Why is this praised? What do we learn?

4 Why must we never trust our heart (Jeremiah 17:9-11)?

5 What does Jeremiah pray for (Jeremiah 17:12-18)? What do we learn?

6 What does God command (Jeremiah 17:19-27)? Give reasons why neglecting the Sabbath, in the face of all the other sins we have read being committed, was such a concern to the Lord.

TRANSFORMATION:

How does this relationship change your relationship with God?

What did you learn about him?

What will you do differently in your life?