New Living Translation
Jeremiah 17:1
1“The sin of Judah is inscribed with an iron chisel— engraved with a diamond point on their stony hearts and on the corners of their altars.
Jeremiah 17:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;
- New International Version (NIV)“Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed with a flint point, on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars,
- New King James Version (NKJV)“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; With the point of a diamond it is engraved On the tablet of their heart, And on the horns of your altars,
Context of Jeremiah 17:1
“The sin of Judah is inscribed with an iron chisel— engraved with a diamond point on their stony hearts and on the corners of their altars. 2Even their children go to worship at their pagan altars and Asherah poles, beneath every green tree and on every high hill. 3So I will hand over my holy mountain— along with all your wealth and treasures and your pagan shrines— as plunder to your enemies, for sin runs rampant in your land.
Read all of Jeremiah 17Jeremiah 17:1 word by word
חַטַּ֣את יְהוּדָ֗ה כְּתוּבָ֛ה בְּעֵ֥ט בַּרְזֶ֖ל בְּצִפֹּ֣רֶן שָׁמִ֑יר חֲרוּשָׁה֙ עַל־ל֣וּחַ לִבָּ֔ם וּלְקַרְנ֖וֹת מִזְבְּחוֹתֵיכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The sinחַטָּאתchaţţâ'âh chaţţâ'th · sinH2403
- of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- writtenכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
- with a penעֵט‛êţ · stylusH5842
- of ironבַּרְזֶלbarzel · ironH1270
- with the pointצִפֹּ֫רֶןtsippôren · fingernailH6856
- of a diamondשָׁמִירshâmîyr · thornH8068
- gravenחָרַשׁchârash · to plow/plotH2790
- upon the tableלוּחַlûach lûach · tabletH3871
- of their heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- and upon the hornsקֶ֫רֶןqeren · hornH7161
- of your altarsמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
Cross-references for Jeremiah 17:1
- Job 19:23“Oh, that my words could be recorded. Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument,
- Proverbs 3:3Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.
- Proverbs 7:3Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.
- 2 Corinthians 3:3Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.
- Leviticus 4:17dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the inner curtain.
- Hosea 12:11But the people of Gilead are worthless because of their idol worship. And in Gilgal, too, they sacrifice bulls; their altars are lined up like the heaps of stone along the edges of a plowed field.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 17:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1The sin of Judah - Idolatry. Is written with a pen of iron - It is deeply and indelibly written in their heart, and shall be as indelibly written in their punishment. Writing with the point of a diamond must refer to glass, or some vitrified substance, as it is distinguished here from engraving with a steel burine, or graver. Their altars show what the deities are which they worship. There may be reference here to the different methods of recording events…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1This section Jeremiah 17:1-4 is inseparably connected with the preceding. Judah‘s sin had been described Jeremiah 16:19 as one of which the very Gentiles will become ashamed. and for which she will shortly be punished by, an intervention of God‘s hand more marked than anything in her previous history. Jeremiah now dwells upon the indelible nature of her sin. A pen of iron - i. e., an iron chisel for cutting inscriptions upon tables of stone. The point of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The fatal consequences of the idolatry of the Jews. (Jr 17:1-4) The happiness of the man that trusts in God; the end of the opposite character. (Jr 17:5-11) The malice of the prophet's enemies. (Jr 17:12-18) The observance of the sabbath. (Jr 17:19-27) Verses 1-4 The sins which men commit make little impression on their minds, yet every sin is marked in the book of God; they are all so graven upon the table of the heart, that they will all be remembered…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1A stone mason used an iron chisel or a diamond point to carve images and texts on stones permanently. Idol worship had so hardened the people's thoughts, emotions, and will that change seemed impossible. In Old Testament times, the corners of altars had projections called “horns” (for example, Exodus 27:1–2). According to covenant rules, when offering an animal sacrifice, they applied blood to these horns. How Baal worshipers treated them is unknown.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-27The the Septuagint omits the first four verses, but other Greek versions have them. 1. The first of the four clauses relates to the third, the second to the fourth, by alternate parallelism. The sense is: They are as keen after idols as if their propensity was "graven with an iron pen (Job 19:24) on their hearts," or as if it were sanctioned by a law "inscribed with a diamond point" on their altars. The names of their gods used to be written on "the horns…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 17:1
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
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