The Meaning of Jeremiah 17:8 Explained

Jeremiah 17:8

KJV: For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

YLT: And hath been as a tree planted by waters, And by a rivulet he sendeth forth his roots, And he doth not see when heat cometh, And his leaf hath been green, And in a year of dearth he is not sorrowful, Nor doth he cease from making fruit.

Darby: For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out its roots by the stream, and he shall not see when heat cometh, but his leaf shall be green; and in the year of drought he shall not be careful, neither shall he cease to yield fruit.

ASV: For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat cometh, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Discover Jeremiah 17:8

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Jeremiah 17:8?

MEANING: What does Jeremiah 17:8 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Jeremiah 17:8 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Jeremiah 17:8?

What is the context of Jeremiah 17:8?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and [that] spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

What does Jeremiah 17:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Such a person would experience a constantly growing and fruitful life. He or she would enjoy stability, confidence, mental health, freedom from anxiety even in trying times, and a consistently radiant testimony before others (cf. Psalm 1:3). An essential difference between a bush and a tree is its root system. A tree can outlast a drought, and continue to bear fruit, whereas a bush cannot (cf. Matthew 13:6; Matthew 13:21).

"These verses are a reflection of Jeremiah"s own experience. He had known the drought experience when Yahweh seemed to him like a deceitful brook, like waters that failed when sought by a thirsty man ( Jeremiah 15:18).... In Jeremiah 17:5-8 we see a man who has repented from foolish thoughts of despair and consternation before the powerful pressure of public opinion. He had learned to trust Yahweh rather than the opinions of men. The present passage is to be understood as his personal affirmation that he has survived his dry period. Indeed these verses constitute a response to Yahweh"s call to repentance in Jeremiah 15:19-21." ^[1]

Jeremiah 17:9-11 appear to have been well-known proverbs that Jeremiah used for his own purposes. Many scholars classify this passage as one of Jeremiah"s "confessions."

"If there is such blessing in trusting God, then why do people so generally depend on their fellow humans? Why is it that the blessed are not more numerous than the cursed? The answer lies in the innate depravity of the human heart ( Jeremiah 17:9)." ^[2]

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 17:8 mean?

For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters and by the river which spreads out its roots and not - will fear when comes heat but will be its leaf green and in the year of drought not will be anxious nor will cease from yielding fruit

וְהָיָ֞ה כְּעֵ֣ץ ׀ שָׁת֣וּל עַל־ מַ֗יִם וְעַל־ יוּבַל֙ יְשַׁלַּ֣ח שָֽׁרָשָׁ֔יו וְלֹ֤א [ירא] (יִרְאֶה֙) כִּֽי־ יָבֹ֣א חֹ֔ם וְהָיָ֥ה עָלֵ֖הוּ רַֽעֲנָ֑ן וּבִשְׁנַ֤ת בַּצֹּ֙רֶת֙ לֹ֣א יִדְאָ֔ג וְלֹ֥א יָמִ֖ישׁ מֵעֲשׂ֥וֹת פֶּֽרִי

וְהָיָ֞ה	For he shall be
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular Root: אֶהְיֶה Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כְּעֵ֣ץ ׀	like a tree
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular Root: עֵץ Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
שָׁת֣וּל	planted
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular Root: שָׁתַל Sense: (Qal) to plant, transplant.
מַ֗יִם	the waters
Parse: Noun, masculine plural Root: מַיִם Sense: water, waters.
וְעַל־	and by
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition Root: עַל Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יוּבַל֙	the river
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: יוּבַל Sense: stream.
יְשַׁלַּ֣ח	which spreads out
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular Root: שָׁלַח Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
שָֽׁרָשָׁ֔יו	its roots
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular Root: שֹׁרֶשׁ Sense: root.
וְלֹ֤א	and not
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle Root: הֲלֹא Sense: not, no.
[ירא]	-
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
(יִרְאֶה֙)	will fear
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular Root: יָרֵא Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
יָבֹ֣א	comes
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular Root: בֹּוא Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
חֹ֔ם	heat
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: חֹם Sense: heat, hot.
וְהָיָ֥ה	but will be
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular Root: אֶהְיֶה Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
עָלֵ֖הוּ	its leaf
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular Root: עָלֶה Sense: leaf, leafage.
רַֽעֲנָ֑ן	green
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular Root: רָעַן Sense: (Palel) to be or grow luxuriant or fresh or green adj.
וּבִשְׁנַ֤ת	and in the year
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct Root: שָׁנָה Sense: year.
בַּצֹּ֙רֶת֙	of drought
Parse: Noun, feminine singular Root: בַּצָּרָה Sense: dearth, drought, destitution.
יִדְאָ֔ג	will be anxious
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular Root: דָּאַג Sense: to fear, be anxious, be concerned, be afraid, be careful.
וְלֹ֥א	nor
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle Root: הֲלֹא Sense: not, no.
יָמִ֖ישׁ	will cease
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular Root: מוּשׁ Sense: to depart, remove.
מֵעֲשׂ֥וֹת	from yielding
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct Root: עָשָׂה Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
פֶּֽרִי	fruit
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: פְּרִי Sense: fruit.

What are the major concepts related to Jeremiah 17:8?

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Similar Scriptures for Jeremiah 17:8

		Psalms 1:3 [25]
		Isaiah 58:11 [20]
		Ezekiel 31:4-10 [17]
		Ezekiel 47:12 [17]
		Psalms 92:10-15 [15]
		Job 8:16 [11]
		Jeremiah 14:1-6 [7]