5 Thus says the Lord , " Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength , And whose heart turns away from the Lord . 6 "For he will be like a bush in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes , But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness , A land of salt without inhabitant . 7 " Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord And whose trust is the Lord . 8 "For he will be like a tree planted by the water , That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes ; But its leaves will be green , And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit . 9 "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick ; Who can understand it? 10 "I, the Lord , search the heart , I test the mind , Even to give to each man according to his ways , According to the results of his deeds . 11 "As a partridge that hatches eggs which it has not laid , So is he who makes a fortune , but unjustly e ; In the midst of his days it will forsake him, And in the end he will be a fool ."
12 A glorious throne on high from the beginning Is the place of our sanctuary . 13 O Lord , the hope of Israel , All who forsake You will be put to shame . Those who turn away on earth will be written down , Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water , even the Lord . 14 Heal me, O Lord , and I will be healed ; Save me and I will be saved , For You are my praise . 15 Look , they keep saying to me, "Where is the word of the Lord ? Let it come now !" 16 But as for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd after You, Nor have I longed for the woeful day ; You Yourself know that the utterance of my lips Was in Your presence . 17 Do not be a terror to me; You are my refuge in the day of disaster . 18 Let those who persecute me be put to shame , but as for me, let me not be put to shame ; Let them be dismayed , but let me not be dismayed . Bring on them a day of disaster , And crush them with twofold destruction !
19 Thus the Lord said to me, "Go and stand in the public gate , through which the kings of Judah come in and go out, as well as in all the gates of Jerusalem ; 20 and say to them, ' Listen to the word of the Lord , kings of Judah , and all Judah and all inhabitants of Jerusalem who come in through these gates : 21 'Thus says the Lord , " Take heed for yourselves , and do not carry any load on the sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem . 22 "You shall not bring a load out of your houses on the sabbath day nor do any work , but keep the sabbath day holy , as I commanded your forefathers . 23 "Yet they did not listen or incline their ears , but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction . 24 "But it will come about, if you listen attentively to Me," declares the Lord , "to bring no load in through the gates of this city on the sabbath day , but to keep the sabbath day holy by doing no e work on it, 25 then there will come in through the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on 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 will be inhabited forever . 26 "They will come in from the cities of Judah and from the environs of Jerusalem , from the land of Benjamin , from the lowland , from the hill country and from the Negev , bringing burnt offerings , sacrifices , grain offerings and incense , and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the Lord . 27 "But if you do not listen to Me to keep the sabbath day holy by not carrying a load and coming in through 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 not be quenched .""'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 17:5-27
Commentary on Jeremiah 17:5-11
(Read Jeremiah 17:5-11)
He who puts confidence in man, shall be like the heath in a desert, a naked tree, a sorry shrub, the product of barren ground, useless and worthless. Those who trust to their own righteousness and strength, and think they can do without Christ, make flesh their arm, and their souls cannot prosper in graces or comforts. Those who make God their Hope, shall flourish like a tree always green, whose leaf does not wither. They shall be fixed in peace and satisfaction of mind; they shall not be anxious in a year of drought. Those who make God their Hope, have enough in him to make up the want of all creature-comforts. They shall not cease from yielding fruit in holiness and good works. The heart, the conscience of man, in his corrupt and fallen state, is deceitful above all things. It calls evil good, and good evil; and cries peace to those to whom it does not belong. Herein the heart is desperately wicked; it is deadly, it is desperate. The case is bad indeed, if the conscience, which should set right the errors of other faculties, is a leader in the delusion. We cannot know our own hearts, nor what they will do in an hour of temptation. Who can understand his errors? Much less can we know the hearts of others, or depend upon them. He that believes God's testimony in this matter, and learns to watch his own heart, will find this is a correct, though a sad picture, and learns many lessons to direct his conduct. But much in our own hearts and in the hearts of others, will remain unknown. Yet whatever wickedness there is in the heart, God sees it. Men may be imposed upon, but God cannot be deceived. He that gets riches, and not by right, though he may make them his hope, never shall have joy of them. This shows what vexation it is to a worldly man at death, that he must leave his riches behind; but though the wealth will not follow to another world, guilt will, and everlasting torment. The rich man takes pains to get an estate, and sits brooding upon it, but never has any satisfaction in it; by sinful courses it comes to nothing. Let us be wise in time; what we get, let us get it honestly; and what we have, use it charitably, that we may be wise for eternity.
Commentary on Jeremiah 17:12-18
(Read Jeremiah 17:12-18)
The prophet acknowledges the favour of God in setting up religion. There is fulness of comfort in God, overflowing, ever-flowing fulness, like a fountain. It is always fresh and clear, like spring-water, while the pleasures of sin are puddle-waters. He prays to God for healing, saving mercy. He appeals to God concerning his faithful discharge of the office to which he was called. He humbly begs that God would own and protect him in the work to which he had plainly called him. Whatever wounds or diseases we find to be in our hearts and consciences, let us apply to the Lord to heal us, to save us, that our souls may praise his name. His hands can bind up the troubled conscience, and heal the broken heart; he can cure the worst diseases of our nature.
Commentary on Jeremiah 17:19-27
(Read Jeremiah 17:19-27)
The prophet was to lay before the rulers and the people of Judah, the command to keep holy the sabbath day. Let them strictly observe the fourth command. If they obeyed this word, their prosperity should be restored. It is a day of rest, and must not be made a day of labour, unless in cases of necessity. Take heed, watch against the profanation of the sabbath. Let not the soul be burdened with the cares of this world on sabbath days. The streams of religion run deep or shallow, according as the banks of the sabbath are kept up or neglected. The degree of strictness with which this ordinance is observed, or the neglect shown towards it, is a good test to find the state of spiritual religion in any land. Let all; by their own example, by attention to their families, strive to check this evil, that national prosperity may be preserved, and, above all, that souls may be saved.