Cursed or Planted: The Heart of Trust in Jeremiah 17

Jeremiah 17:1–4 — Sin Engraved on the Heart

Jeremiah 17:1–4 (WEB)
“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond. It is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of your altars. While their children remember their altars and their Asherah poles by the green trees on the high hills. My mountain in the field, I will give your substance and all your treasures for a plunder, and your high places, because of sin throughout all your borders. You will loosen your hand from your heritage that I gave you. I will cause you to serve your enemies in a land which you don’t know; for you have kindled a fire in my anger which will burn forever.”

Jeremiah begins with legal and covenantal language. Sin is not described as a mistake or temporary lapse — it is engraved. The Hebrew imagery is forceful: “written with a pen of iron… with the point of a diamond” (šāmîr, literally “hard stone,” likely corundum or diamond). This engraving conveys permanence. J.A. Thompson notes that Jeremiah portrays Judah’s apostasy as “irreversible and deeply internalized,” not momentary rebellion (Thompson, NICOT: Jeremiah, 1980, p. 455).

The inscription is on the “tablet of their heart,” using lûaḥ, the same word used for the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. The contrast is intentional. Instead of God’s law engraved on their hearts (as promised later in Jeremiah 31:33), it is sin that is written there. Walter Brueggemann observes that Jeremiah’s language reveals a people “whose imagination and identity have been rewritten by idolatry” (Brueggemann, A Commentary on Jeremiah, 1998, p. 154).

The engraving is also on the “horns of your altars.” The altar’s horns symbolized mercy and refuge (Exodus 27:2), yet Jeremiah shows that even the structures meant for worship have become contaminated. The next verse makes it worse: their children remember the altars and Asherah poles. The problem is generational idolatry, passed down and normalized. Derek Kidner comments that the tragedy is not ignorance, but “a deliberate replacement of Yahweh with the fertility gods of Canaan” (Kidner, The Message of Jeremiah, 1987, p. 63).

Verse 4 announces covenant reversal. The inheritance God gave will be removed. The Hebrew phrase “you will loosen your hand from your heritage” indicates forced surrender. The people will go into exile — a reversal of the entire story of Joshua.

Jeremiah 17:1–4 exposes the root issue: Their problem is not environment, culture, or ignorance.
Their problem is their heart. Sin is a heart issue because no one can see or enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again (John 3:3). Behavior modification can restrain external actions, but it cannot regenerate a dead heart.

Regeneration — being made into a new man, a new creation, is a miraculous act of God. I have seen generational patterns passed down: habits like alcohol or smoking, emotional patterns like anger or greed. Jeremiah’s language makes a striking contrast: God desires to engrave His law on the heart, yet sin engraves itself when we resist Him. This shows both human depravity and divine sovereignty. God is the One in control and only He can give a new heart.

Jeremiah 17:5–8 — Trust in Man vs. Trust in Yahweh

Jeremiah 17:5–8 (WEB)
“Yahweh says,
‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from Yahweh. For he will be like a shrub in the desert, and will not see when good comes, but will inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, an uninhabited salt land.’
‘Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh, and whose confidence is in Yahweh. For he will be as a tree planted by the waters, who spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes, but its leaf will be green; and will not be concerned in the year of drought, neither will cease from yielding fruit.’”

Jeremiah now shifts from engraved sin to misplaced trust. The contrast is sharp and poetic — the cursed shrub versus the blessed tree. The Hebrew word for “trust” is bāṭaḥ, meaning confident reliance or security placed in someone. To “make flesh his arm” evokes the Hebrew image of human strength (zĕrôaʿ) as the source of protection or deliverance.

In covenant language, trusting in man is not neutral — it reveals the direction of the heart’s allegiance. Thompson observes that Jeremiah describes trust not as an intellectual position but as “a total commitment of one’s confidence and hope” (Thompson, NICOT: Jeremiah, 1980, p. 459). This is why following God is not soley intellectual assent; it requires an emotional connection of your mind, soul, and heart.

The cursed person “will be like a shrub in the desert.” The Hebrew word ʿarʿār refers to a stunted desert bush in the region of the Dead Sea — isolated, exposed, and incapable of accessing water. Kidner notes that the image conveys more than barrenness: “he not only lacks sustenance, he cannot even perceive it when it comes” (Kidner, The Message of Jeremiah, 1987, p. 70). Misplaced trust blinds a person to grace; he “will not see when good comes.” This is spiritual insensitivity.

By contrast, the blessed person “will be as a tree planted by the waters.” The verb šāthal (“planted”) suggests careful placement by a gardener. This tree spreads its roots, receives constant nourishment, and remains unaffected by drought.

God is the tree. He is the lifeline that gives all the nutrients. As we understand, when a tree gets nourishment, it flourishes. When we abide in God, in Christ, we will have the light of life. We will grow healthy, our branches will stand strong, the roots will go deep, and we will be on solid ground with the Word of God.

Jeremiah echoes Psalm 1, where the righteous person delights in God’s law and bears fruit in season. Brueggemann writes that Jeremiah intentionally connects interior trust with visible fruit, revealing that “the orientation of the heart determines the shape of the life” (Brueggemann, A Commentary on Jeremiah, 1998, p. 157).

Notably, the blessed tree does not escape heat or drought. The Hebrew indicates that hardship is assumed — but trust in Yahweh removes fear, not crisis. Fruitfulness continues even in drought because the roots access a hidden water source. Jesus applies this imagery to Himself:

“Whoever believes in Me… out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38)

Jeremiah exposes the futility of self-reliance. Jesus reveals the fountain where true life flows.

Jeremiah 17:9–10 — The Deceitfulness of the Human Heart

Jeremiah 17:9–10 (WEB)
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt. Who can know it? I, Yahweh, search the mind. I test the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”

Jeremiah transitions from outward expressions of trust to the inner root problem: the human heart. In Hebrew anthropology, the “heart” (lēḇ) refers not merely to emotion but to the control center of the person — thought, will, desire, and moral decision-making. When Jeremiah says the heart is “deceitful,” he uses the Hebrew word ʿāqōb, meaning crooked, insidious, treacherous.

It shares the same root as the name Jacob, whose early character involved cunning and manipulation. Walter Brueggemann notes that Jeremiah is not condemning isolated acts of sin, but an “inner orientation toward self-deception that resists truthful discernment” (Brueggemann, A Commentary on Jeremiah, 1998, p. 159).

The phrase “exceedingly corrupt” translates ʾānash, a term used of a wound that is incurable (cf. Jeremiah 15:18). Human nature is not merely weak — it is terminally diseased apart from divine intervention. As J.A. Thompson observes, Jeremiah’s language suggests “a radical incapacity within the human condition to will or discern rightly” (NICOT: Jeremiah, 1980, p. 461). The tragedy is compounded in the question: “Who can know it?” The heart is not only deceitful; it is self-deceiving. Humans cannot accurately assess their own motives.

Verse 10 answers the despair of verse 9. While we cannot diagnose ourselves, Yahweh can: “I search the mind, I test the heart.” The verbs are decisive. “Search” (ḥāqar) refers to examining something down to its depths, like mining ore. “Test” (bāḥan) is a metallurgical term — God refines hearts like a smith refines metal, exposing impurities. Derek Kidner notes that Jeremiah is emphasizing accountability, that Yahweh “not only sees the deed but weighs the motive behind it” (The Message of Jeremiah, 1987, p. 72).

God gives “according to the fruit of his doings.” This echoes covenant justice (Deuteronomy 30:15–20) — blessing or judgment flows from the heart’s disposition toward God. Yet this produces an existential dilemma: If the heart is incurably corrupt, and we will be judged by our heart, then humanity’s hope cannot come from within.

✦ Christ Connection

Jeremiah diagnoses the disease, but Ezekiel reveals the cure:

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.” (Ezekiel 36:26)

The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34) does not improve the old heart — it replaces it.

Jesus tells Nicodemus not to reform, but to be born again (John 3:3). Transformation is not behavior modification; it is regeneration. The law written on tablets condemned; the law written on hearts transforms.

Only Christ can do heart surgery. He is the fulfillment where it says circumcision of the heart. When we become born again and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are able to produce genuine fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).

Jeremiah 17:11–13 — False Security, Empty Inheritance, and the Fountain of Living Waters

Jeremiah 17:11 (WEB)
“As the partridge that sits on eggs which she has not hatched, so is he who gets riches, and not by right. In the middle of his days they will leave him. At his end, he will be a fool.”

Jeremiah introduces a proverb to expose the futility of pursuing security apart from God. The imagery of a partridge sitting on eggs it did not hatch illustrates the illusion of possession. The bird appears to have gained something, but it will not remain. Likewise, the person who gathers wealth “not by right” (lo b’mishpat — not according to justice or righteousness) will lose it prematurely. As J.A. Thompson observes, the proverb functions as a mirror to Judah’s false confidence; “wealth obtained unjustly cannot secure the future because it stands under Yahweh’s judgment” (Thompson, NICOT: Jeremiah, 1980, p. 462). Derek Kidner adds that the loss comes “not gradually, but suddenly and shamefully,” exposing the person as a fool (Kidner, The Message of Jeremiah, 1987, p. 73).

The issue is not wealth itself, but where trust is placed. Wealth falsely promises control, stability, and significance — the very things only God can give. This anticipates Jesus’ parable of the rich fool, whose wealth disappears at death (Luke 12:16–21). Riches can cushion a man from reality for a time, but they cannot protect him from judgment.

Jeremiah 17:12–13 (WEB)
“A glorious throne, set on high from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary. Yahweh, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be disappointed. Those who depart from me will be written in the earth, because they have forsaken Yahweh, the spring of living waters.”

In contrast to the instability of wealth, Jeremiah turns to the unshakable throne of Yahweh — the true sanctuary. God’s throne is “set on high from the beginning,” asserting His eternal sovereignty. Walter Brueggemann notes that Jeremiah juxtaposes the illusory security of wealth with the eternal stability of Yahweh’s rule; one evaporates, the other endures (Brueggemann, A Commentary on Jeremiah, 1998, p. 160).

We can’t take money with us to the grave. Money doesn’t have any power over death. Money has no power when you have a terminal illness. Wealth is not defined by material gain; rather, wealth is defined by your spiritual growth and connection to God by faith. In the end, your body may fail you, and your wealth may disintegrate, but your spirit is eternal. Your soul belongs to God. Chase him. Pursue him, for that is the ultimate trophy in life!

To forsake Yahweh is to choose instability. Jeremiah says those who depart from Him “will be written in the earth” — an image of impermanence. Names written in dust will be wiped away, unlike the names written in God’s book (cf. Psalm 69:28; Luke 10:20). This is covenant reversal: the unfaithful are erased from the covenant community.

The final line is Jeremiah’s indictment and summary:

They have forsaken Yahweh, the spring of living waters.

This phrase ties directly back to Jeremiah 2:13, where God accuses Judah of rejecting the fountain in exchange for broken cisterns. Kidner calls it “spiritual insanity — exchanging flowing living water for stagnant mud” (Kidner, p. 74). Jeremiah’s theology of living water anticipates Christ:

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.”— Jesus (John 7:37). The heritage Judah abandons is not merely land — it is God Himself.

Jeremiah 17:14–18 — Jeremiah’s Personal Prayer: Heal Me, Defend Me, Vindicate Your Word

Jeremiah 17:14–18 (WEB)
“Heal me, Yahweh, and I will be healed. Save me, and I will be saved; for you are my praise. Behold, they ask me, ‘Where is Yahweh’s word? Let it be fulfilled now.’ As for me, I have not hurried from being a shepherd after you. I have not desired the woeful day; you know. That which came out of my lips was before your face. Don’t be a terror to me. You are my refuge in the day of evil. Let them be disappointed who persecute me, but don’t let me be disappointed. Let them be dismayed, but don’t let me be dismayed. Bring on them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.”

Jeremiah’s prophetic boldness suddenly becomes deeply personal. After confronting Judah’s idolatry and misplaced trust, he turns toward God with an honest cry for healing and deliverance. His prayer begins with parallelism: “Heal me… Save me…” The repetition reinforces that salvation and restoration are entirely God’s work, not Jeremiah’s effort. J.A. Thompson notes that Jeremiah understands healing “not simply in physical terms, but in the total sense of restoration to wholeness that only Yahweh can provide” (Thompson, NICOT: Jeremiah, 1980, p. 464).

Jeremiah is under attack. Mockers taunt him: “Where is Yahweh’s word? Let it be fulfilled now.” They demand proof of judgment, assuming its delay equals its absurdity. Walter Brueggemann points out that Jeremiah’s ministry is “costly because he bears Yahweh’s anguish and Israel’s hostility simultaneously” (Brueggemann, A Commentary on Jeremiah, 1998, p. 161). This ridicule echoes what Peter warns of — scoffers who mock the promises of God (2 Peter 3:3–4).

Jeremiah defends his integrity: “I have not hurried from being a shepherd after You.” He has not run from God’s calling, nor has he secretly wished for judgment to fall. Unlike Jonah, he did not desire the “woeful day.” Jeremiah is a reluctant but obedient shepherd — wounded by the message he must deliver.

“Don’t be a terror to me.”
The Hebrew word here (mechittah) conveys dread or horror. Jeremiah fears not his enemies — but the possibility of God withdrawing His presence. Derek Kidner observes that Jeremiah’s plea shows that “the prophet can withstand the hostility of men so long as God is not hostile toward him” (The Message of Jeremiah, 1987, p. 76). His security lies in relationship, not results.

This is powerful. The attitude Jeremiah has here is what we should imitate in our lives. We may have hostility in relationship with others, for good reasons. But we can’t have hostility with God. We don’t want enmity with God; for He is our hope, our judge, our King, and our authority. It’s good to be subject to the benevolent king and honor him.

Jeremiah prays not for revenge, but for divine vindication:
“Let them be disappointed… let them be dismayed.”
He appeals to God’s justice, asking that the mockers’ outcome reflect their rebellion. This is imprecatory language — not personal bitterness — aligned with the covenant curses of Deuteronomy.

✦ Christ Connection

Jeremiah foreshadows Christ in Gethsemane.
Both were rejected, mocked, and misunderstood.

Jeremiah: “Don’t be a terror to me.”
Christ: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Jeremiah carried the message of judgment.
Christ carried the judgment itself.

Jeremiah asked God to destroy his persecutors.
Christ prayed, “Father, forgive them.”

Jeremiah 17:19–27 — The Sabbath Command as a Test of Covenant Faithfulness

Jeremiah 17:19–27 (WEB)
“Yahweh said this to me: ‘Go, and stand in the gate of the children of the people, through which the kings of Judah come in and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem. Tell them, “Hear the word of Yahweh, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates: Yahweh says, ‘Be careful, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. Don’t carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day. Don’t do any work, but make the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers. But they didn’t listen. They didn’t turn their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, and might not receive instruction.’”

“‘It will happen, if you diligently listen to me,’ says Yahweh, ‘to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but to make the Sabbath day holy, to do no work therein; then there will enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on David’s throne, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city will remain forever.’”

“‘But if you will not listen to me to make the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden, when entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it will not be quenched.’”

Jeremiah’s final message in this chapter is delivered not privately, but publicly at the city gates — where business, trade, travel, and political activity took place. The Sabbath command becomes a covenantal test. J.A. Thompson notes that Sabbath observance was “a visible sign of covenant loyalty,” an outward expression of an inward alliance with Yahweh (Thompson, NICOT: Jeremiah, 1980, p. 468).

Moreover, it’s vital that we understand the Shabbat as a command from the very beginning. It was written on tablet stone and given to Moses on Mount Sinai. This idea of rest honors God. He worked six days and rested on the seventh, and we are to imitate God, for we are all created in His image. But it’s also important to understand what God intended the Sabbath for.

The focus is not simply on refraining from work — but on refusing to carry burdens through the gates. To carry a load on the Sabbath meant treating it like an ordinary economic day. The Sabbath represented trust: trust that God provides, that the world keeps spinning even when one rests. Walter Brueggemann emphasizes that Sabbath is “an act of defiance against systems of production and anxiety” (Brueggemann, Sabbath as Resistance, 2014). For Judah, Sabbath violation revealed the same heart issue we saw earlier in the chapter — self-reliance.

This idea is practical today. We see so many businesses open on Saturday. I am actually working at an open house today while I am writing this paper. How hypocritical of me, but I want to be completely transparent. I am really resting because I so enjoy writing about God and resting in His mercy and grace.

In verses 24–26, Jeremiah gives a conditional promise:
if they honor the Sabbath → kings will continue to reign on David’s throne
if they profane it → fire will consume the gates and palaces

The Sabbath functions much like the tree planted by water earlier in the chapter. Obedience leads to flourishing; rebellion leads to barrenness. Sabbath is not primarily about inactivity — it is about faith. To break Sabbath is to declare:
“I trust my work more than I trust God.”

This theme threads through the chapter:

Jeremiah 17 Theme	Expression
Trust in man vs. trust in God	vv. 5–8
Deceitful heart	vv. 9–10
False security in wealth	v. 11
True security in Yahweh	vv. 12–13
Jeremiah’s personal reliance on God	vv. 14–18
Sabbath as public expression of trust	vv. 19–27

Sabbath was not about restriction — but about rest rooted in faith.

✦ Christ Connection

Jesus declares Himself Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8).
He gives rest not weekly, but fully:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
— Matthew 11:28

Sabbath was the shadow; Christ is the substance. This is important to understand today. We are able to rest in God almighty everyday. We can worship him at every moment. God has given us his spirit to be free. For He is the Lord of the Sabbath. Praise be to God.

Conclusion

Jeremiah 17 confronts the core of Israel’s rebellion — not merely their outward idolatry, but the inward condition of their heart. Sin is not a surface-level behavior; it is engraved deeply, written “with a pen of iron” and “with the point of a diamond” upon the heart (Jer. 17:1). The chapter exposes the futility of trusting in human strength, wealth, or religious forms. Whether it is alliances, riches, or self-reliance, every alternative refuge proves to be a desert shrub — stunted, barren, unable to perceive goodness even when it arrives.

In contrast, those who trust in Yahweh are like a tree planted beside flowing water — nourished, stable, fearless in drought (Jer. 17:7–8). This fruitfulness does not come from favorable circumstances, but from an unseen, deeper source: rooted trust in God’s character. Jeremiah identifies the real problem: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and exceedingly corrupt” (17:9). Humanity cannot regenerate itself. The sinner cannot repair the tablet of his heart. Only Yahweh searches, tests, and transforms the heart (17:10). The chapter’s tension is resolved not by trying harder, but by God’s promise of a new heart (Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 36:26).

Jeremiah’s own prayer reveals the only proper posture:
“Heal me, Yahweh… save me” (17:14).
He appeals not to his performance, but to God’s mercy.

The chapter ends with the Sabbath as a visible expression of trust — resting instead of striving (17:19–27). Sabbath is more than a command; it is a confession:

God, not my work, holds my future.

Jeremiah 17 calls every generation to examine its trust structures. Where we place our confidence determines whether we become a shrub in the desert or a tree by living water. Ultimately, Jesus fulfills the promise of Jeremiah: He is the fountain of living waters (John 7:37–38), the giver of the new heart (John 3:3), and the Lord of true Sabbath rest (Matt. 11:28–30; 12:8).

The way of blessing is not complex:
Trust in Yahweh alone.

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Bibliography

Brueggemann, Walter. A Commentary on Jeremiah: Exile and Homecoming. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.
Brueggemann, Walter. Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2014.
Keil, C.F., and Franz Delitzsch. Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 8: Jeremiah, Lamentations. Reprint. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2006.
Kidner, Derek. The Message of Jeremiah. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987.
Thompson, J.A. The Book of Jeremiah. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1980.