Tree of Life Version
Jeremiah 17:6
6For he will be like a bush in the desert. He cannot see goodness when it comes, but will dwell in parched places in the wilderness— a salt land where no one lives.
Jeremiah 17:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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, in a salt land and not inhabited.
- New International Version (NIV)That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited.
Context of Jeremiah 17:6
4So you, on your own, let go of your heritage that I gave you. So I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know. For you have kindled a fire in My nose that will burn forever.” 5Thus says Adonai: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, and depends on flesh as his arm, and whose heart turns from Adonai. For he will be like a bush in the desert. He cannot see goodness when it comes, but will dwell in parched places in the wilderness— a salt land where no one lives. 7Blessed is the one who trusts in Adonai, whose confidence is in Adonai. 8For he will be like a tree planted by the waters, spreading out its roots by a stream. It has no fear when heat comes, but its leaves will be green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor depart from yielding fruit.
Read all of Jeremiah 17Jeremiah 17:6 word by word
וְהָיָה֙ כְּעַרְעָ֣ר בָּֽעֲרָבָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א יִרְאֶ֖ה כִּי־יָב֣וֹא ט֑וֹב וְשָׁכַ֤ן חֲרֵרִים֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר אֶ֥רֶץ מְלֵחָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א תֵשֵֽׁב׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For he shall be like the heathעַרְעָר‛ar‛âr · destituteH6199
- in the desertעֲרָבָה‛ărâbâh · plainH6160
- and shall not seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- when goodטוֹבţôb · goodH2896
- comethבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- but shall inhabitשָׁכַןshâkan · to dwellH7931
- the parched placesחָרֵרchârêr · parchedH2788
- in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- a saltמְלֵחָהmelêchâh · saltinessH4420
- landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and not inhabitedיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
Cross-references for Jeremiah 17:6
- Jeremiah 48:6Flee! Escape with your lives! Be like a tamarisk in the wilderness.
- Job 8:11“Can papyrus grow tall without a marsh? Can reeds flourish without water?
- Job 15:30He will not escape from the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots, and he will depart by the breath of His mouth.
- Psalms 1:4The wicked are not so. For they are like chaff that the wind blows away.
- Psalms 92:7A brutish man does not know, nor does a fool understand.
- Psalms 129:5May all who hate Zion be driven back in disgrace.
- Isaiah 1:30For you will be like an oak of withering leaf, like a garden that has no water.
- 2 Kings 7:1Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of Adonai. Thus says Adonai: Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will sell for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.”
- John 20:17Yeshua says to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet gone up to the Father. Go to My brothers and tell them, ‘I am going up to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’”
- Deuteronomy 29:23“All the nations will say, ‘Why has Adonai done this to this land? Why this great burning anger?’
- Judges 9:45So Abimelech fought against the city all that day, captured the city and killed the people that were in it. Then he razed the city and sowed it with salt.
- Ezekiel 47:11Its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be set aside for salt.
- Zephaniah 2:9Therefore, as I live, declares Adonai-Tzva’ot God of Israel, Moab will be like Sodom and Ammon like Gomorrah— a possession of weeds and a salt pit, a perpetual wasteland. The remainder of My people will plunder them. The remnant of My nation will dispossess them.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 17:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Be shall be like the heath in the desert - כערער kearar ; or, like a blasted tree, without moisture, parched and withered. Shall not see when good cometh - Shall not be sensible of it: the previous drought having rendered it incapable of absorbing any more vegetable juices. A salt land - Barren; and therefore unfit to be inhabited.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. 6The people of Judah would be completely helpless during disasters because they trusted human abilities instead of the Lord. They would be like desert shrubs that are stunted due to a lack of water.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. heath--In Psa 102:17; Is 32:11; Ha 3:9, the Hebrew is translated, "bare," "naked," "destitute"; but as the parallel in Jr 17:8 is "tree," some plant must be meant of which this is the characteristic epithet (Jr 48:6, Margin), "a naked tree." Robinson translates, "the juniper tree," found in the Arabah or Great Valley, here called "the desert," south of the Dead Sea. The "heath" was one of the plants, according to Pliny (13.21; 16.26), excluded from…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 17:6
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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