The Meaning of Jeremiah 17:10 Explained

Jeremiah 17:10

KJV: I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

YLT: I Jehovah do search the heart, try the reins, Even to give to each according to his way, According to the fruit of his doings.

Darby: I Jehovah search the heart, I try the reins, even to give each one according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

ASV: I, Jehovah, search the mind, I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I the LORD  search  the heart,  [I] try  the reins,  even to give  every man  according to his ways,  [and] according to the fruit  of his doings. 

What does Jeremiah 17:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Even though we cannot understand our hearts, the Lord searches them and knows our inner thoughts and motives. "Heart" and "mind" (lit. kidneys, from the Heb. kelayoth, meaning "hidden depths") are not that distinct in Old Testament psychology; they are virtually synonymous here and in many other places. Together these terms cover the range of hidden elements in human character and personality.
God gives to each person what he or she actually deserves. He judges on the basis of works because what we do reflects what we truly value, the condition of our hearts.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 17:1-14 - Human And Divine Help Contrasted
The Jews were always seeking alliance either with Egypt or Babylon. What was true of them applies to us all; but we cannot depend upon human aid, without departing from the Lord. The heath is probably the juniper, a lonely tree, dwelling in arid wastes, unvisited by dew. The soul that rests on God is watered from His throne. The roots of such are fed from the hidden springs of Eternity. The heart is deceitful; it tends constantly to substitute the arm of flesh for the living God. Desperately wicked means "incurably sick." It was the ancient notion that the partridge stole the eggs of other birds and hatched them as her own. The covetous man is sure to reap disappointment. He steals other people's goods, but is driven off the nest before they hatch out for the benefit of himself. God's glorious throne is a defense to all who trust Him; while those who depart from Him shall be forgotten, as a sentence written in the sand is obliterated by the next puff of wind. Contrast Job 19:23-24. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 17

1  The captivity of Judah for her sin
5  Trust in man is cursed;
7  in God is blessed
9  The deceitful heart cannot deceive God
12  The salvation of God
15  The prophet complains of the mockers of his prophecy
19  He is sent to renew the covenant in hallowing the Sabbath

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 17:10 mean?

I Yahweh search the heart [I] test the mind and Even to give every man - according to his ways According to the fruit of his doings -
אֲנִ֧י יְהוָ֛ה חֹקֵ֥ר לֵ֖ב בֹּחֵ֣ן כְּלָי֑וֹת וְלָתֵ֤ת לְאִישׁ֙ [כדרכו] (כִּדְרָכָ֔יו) כִּפְרִ֖י מַעֲלָלָֽיו ס

יְהוָ֛ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
חֹקֵ֥ר  search 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חָקַר  
Sense: to search, search for, search out, examine, investigate.
לֵ֖ב  the  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
בֹּחֵ֣ן  [I]  test 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בָּחַן  
Sense: to examine, try, prove.
כְּלָי֑וֹת  the  mind 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: כִּלְיָה  
Sense: kidneys.
וְלָתֵ֤ת  and  Even  to  give 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לְאִישׁ֙  every  man 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
[כדרכו]  - 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
(כִּדְרָכָ֔יו)  according  to  his  ways 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
כִּפְרִ֖י  According  to  the  fruit 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.
מַעֲלָלָֽיו  of  his  doings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַעֲלִיל 
Sense: deed, practice.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation