God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 17:5
5“This is what the Lord says: Cursed is the person who trusts humans, who makes flesh and blood his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
Jeremiah 17:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord.
Context of Jeremiah 17:5
3and on mountains in the open country. I will turn your wealth and all your treasures into loot. I will do this because of your worship sites and your sin throughout all your territory. 4You will lose the inheritance that I gave you. I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you haven’t heard of. I will do this because you have stirred up the fire of my anger. It will burn forever. “This is what the Lord says: Cursed is the person who trusts humans, who makes flesh and blood his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6He will be like a bush in the wilderness. He will not see when something good comes. He will live in the dry places in the desert, in a salty land where no one can live. 7Blessed is the person who trusts the Lord. The Lord will be his confidence.
Read all of Jeremiah 17Jeremiah 17:5 word by word
כֹּ֣ה׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אָר֤וּר הַגֶּ֙בֶר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִבְטַ֣ח בָּֽאָדָ֔ם וְשָׂ֥ם בָּשָׂ֖ר זְרֹע֑וֹ וּמִן־יְהוָ֖ה יָס֥וּר לִבּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- Cursedאָרַר'ârar · to curseH779
- the manגָּבֶרgeber · great manH1397
- that trustethבָּטַחbâţach · to trustH982
- in manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- and makethשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- his armזְרוֹעַzerôa‛ zerôa‛ zerô‛âh zerô‛âh · armH2220
- and whose heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- departethסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: turn asideH5493
Cross-references for Jeremiah 17:5
- Psalms 62:9Common people are only a whisper in the wind. Important people are only a delusion. When all of them are weighed on a scale, they amount to nothing. They are less than a whisper in the wind.
- Psalms 118:8It is better to depend on the Lord than to trust mortals.
- Psalms 146:3Do not trust influential people, mortals who cannot help you.
- Isaiah 2:22Stop trusting people. Their life is in their nostrils. How can they be worth anything?
- Isaiah 30:1The Lord declares, “How horrible it will be for those rebellious children. They carry out plans, but not mine. They make alliances against my will. They pile sin on top of sin.
- Isaiah 31:1How horrible it will be for those who go to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who depend on many chariots, who depend on very strong war horses. They don’t look to the Holy One of Israel. They don’t seek the Lord.
- Isaiah 36:6Look! When you trust Egypt, you’re trusting a broken stick for a staff. If you lean on it, it stabs your hand and goes through it. This is what Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) is like for everyone who trusts him.
- Ezekiel 29:6Then all those living in Egypt will know that I am the Lord. Egypt, you have become like a ⌞broken⌟ walking stick to the nation of Israel.
- 2 Chronicles 32:8The king of Assyria has human power on his side, but the Lord our God is on our side to help us and fight our battles.” So the people were encouraged by what King Hezekiah of Judah said.
- Isaiah 31:3The Egyptians are humans, not gods. Their horses are flesh and blood, not spirit. When the Lord uses his powerful hand, the one who gives help will stumble, and the one who receives help will fall. Both will die together.
- Psalms 18:21because I have kept the ways of the Lord and I have not wickedly turned away from my God,
- Isaiah 59:15Truth is missing. Those who turn away from evil make themselves victims. The Lord sees it, and he’s angry because there’s no justice.
- Ezekiel 6:9Then those who escape will remember me among the nations where they are taken captive. I was hurt by their adulterous hearts, which turned away from me, and by their eyes, which lusted after idols. They will hate themselves for the evil and disgusting things that they have done.
- Hosea 1:2When the Lord first spoke to Hosea, the Lord told him, “Marry a prostitute and have children with that prostitute. The people in this land have acted like prostitutes and abandoned the Lord.”
- Hebrews 3:12Be careful, brothers and sisters, that none of you ever develop a wicked, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 17:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Cursed be the man that trusteth in man - This reprehends their vain confidence in trusting in Egypt, which was too feeble itself to help, and, had it been otherwise, too ill disposed towards them to help them heartily. An arm of flesh is put here for a weak and ineffectual support. And he who, in reference to the salvation of his soul, trusts in an arm of flesh - in himself or others, or in any thing he has done or suffered, will inherit a curse instead…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5-18Verses 5-18 In the rest of the prophecy Jeremiah dwells upon the moral faults which had led to Judah‘s ruin. Jeremiah 17:6 Like the heath - Or, “like a destitute man” Psalm 102:17. The verbs “he shall see” (or fear) and “shall inhabit” plainly show that a man is here meant and not a plant. Jeremiah 17:8 The river - Or, “water-course” Isaiah 30:25, made for purposes of irrigation. Shall not see - Or, “shall not fear Jeremiah 17:6.” God‘s people feel…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-11Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Trust is a mindset that leads to obedience (see Jeremiah 11:4; Deuteronomy 27:15–26).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Referring to the Jews' proneness to rely on Egypt, in its fear of Assyria and Babylon (Is 31:1, 3). trusteth--This word is emphatic. We may expect help from men, so far as God enables them to help us, but we must rest our trust in God alone (Psa 62:5).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 17:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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