The Meaning of Jeremiah 17:13 Explained

Jeremiah 17:13

KJV: O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.

YLT: The hope of Israel is Jehovah, All forsaking Thee are ashamed, And 'My apostates' in the earth are written, For they have forsaken Jehovah, A fountain of living waters.

Darby: Thou hope of Israel, Jehovah! all that forsake thee shall be ashamed. They that depart from me shall be written in the earth; because they have forsaken Jehovah, the fountain of living waters.

ASV: O Jehovah, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be put to shame. They that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken Jehovah, the fountain of living waters.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O LORD,  the hope  of Israel,  all that forsake  thee shall be ashamed,  [and] they that depart  from me  shall be written  in the earth,  because they have forsaken  the LORD,  the fountain  of living  waters. 

What does Jeremiah 17:13 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This had been true because Yahweh Himself was the hope of His people (cf. Jeremiah 14:8; Jeremiah 50:7). Consequently all who break covenant and forsake Him, the Fountain of Living Water ( Jeremiah 2:13), will suffer humiliation and will become the objects of His judgment. The Lord keeps a record of those who turn away from Him (cf. Jeremiah 17:1).
Jeremiah 17:14-18 are another of Jeremiah"s "confessions." The guilt of Judah is prominent in the first part of this chapter, but now the innocence of Jeremiah presents a contrast.

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 17:13 mean?

The hope of Israel Yahweh all who forsake You shall be ashamed - Those who depart from Me in the earth shall be written because they have forsaken the fountain of waters Living - Yahweh -
מִקְוֵ֤ה יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ יְהוָ֔ה כָּל־ עֹזְבֶ֖יךָ יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ [יסורי] (וְסוּרַי֙) בָּאָ֣רֶץ יִכָּתֵ֔בוּ כִּ֥י עָזְב֛וּ מְק֥וֹר מַֽיִם־ חַיִּ֖ים אֶת־ יְהוָֽה ס

מִקְוֵ֤ה  The  hope 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִקְוֶה 
Sense: hope.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עֹזְבֶ֖יךָ  who  forsake  You 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ  shall  be  ashamed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
[יסורי]  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
(וְסוּרַי֙)  Those  who  depart  from  Me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: סוּר  
Sense: those departing, revolting.
בָּאָ֣רֶץ  in  the  earth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
יִכָּתֵ֔בוּ  shall  be  written 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
כִּ֥י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
עָזְב֛וּ  they  have  forsaken 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
מְק֥וֹר  the  fountain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מָקֹור  
Sense: spring, fountain.
מַֽיִם־  of  waters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
חַיִּ֖ים  Living 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
ס    - 
Parse: Punctuation