Jeremiah 17:5-8

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 17:7

Verse 7 Observed ought to be the order which the Prophet keeps; for he could not have profitably spoken of this second part had he not first taken away that false confidence to which the Jews had long cleaved; for when any one casts seed on an uncultivated soil, what fruit can there be to his labor? As then it is necessary to make use of the plough before the seed is sown, so also, when we seek to teach profitably, it is necessary to pull up the vices which have their roots in the hearts of... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 17:8

Verse 8 He then adds a comparison, answerable to that in the former clause, He shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which sends its roots upon, or nigh the river, which shall not see when heat comes. Here the Prophet points out the difference between the true servants of God, who trust in him, and those who are inflated with their own false imaginations, so that they seek safety either from themselves or from others: he had said of the unbelieving, that they are like tamarisks, which... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 17:1-27

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 17:5-8

The desert shrub and the flourishing tree. I. THE DESERT SHRUB EXEMPLIFIES THE CURSE OF WORLDLY CONFIDENCE . 1. Note the character of worldly confidence. 2. Consider the curse of this worldly confidence. It makes one like a desert shrub. II. THE FLOURISHING TREE EXEMPLIFIES THE BLESSEDNESS OF TRUST IN GOD . 1. Note the character of trust in God. 2. Consider the blessedness of this trust in God. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 17:5-8

Trust: human and Divine. The prophet here presents before us a vivid contrast between two types of human character. He does this by the use of suggestive images drawn from the realm of nature, as one accustomed to see the great lessons of man's moral life and destiny reflected in visible forms in the sandy desert and sterile places of the wilderness, and in the fertile valleys and woody banks of the flowing river. The imagery is peculiarly Oriental We can all appreciate it in some measure,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 17:5-11

In the higher gnomic or proverbial style. God and man, flesh and spirit, are natural antitheses (comp. Isaiah 31:3 ; Psalms 56:4 ). The prayer of the believer is, "Be thou (O Jehovah) their arm every morning;" not Egypt, not Assyria, not any "arm of flesh." read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 17:6

Like the heath in the desert ; as forlorn as some well-known desert plant. But which plant? St. Jerome explains, "Et erit quasi myrice ['tamarisk'], quae Hebraice dicitur Aroer (?) sire, at interpretatus est Syrus, lignum infructuosum." The versions agree in supposing the comparison to be to a plant; and a very similar word in Arabic ( ghargar ) means the mountain juniper; Tristram, the dwarf juniper. Most, however, take the word to be an adjective equivalent to "destitute." Dr. Thomson... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 17:6

The curse upon the man who trusts in man . In considering this passage it is important to bear in mind that two different Hebrew words ( גֶּבֶד and אָדָם ) are rendered by the one word "man." A recollection of this difference will bring much more meaning out of the passage. I. There is suggested for consideration MAN IN HIS OPINION OF HIMSELF . He reckons himself as גֶּבֶד , the strong one. He likes to estimate his great resources and use them for his own... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 17:7-8

The blessing on the man who trusts in Jehovah. I. MAN 'S CLAIM TO BE RECKONED AS STRONG NEED NOT BE AN EMPTY ONE . He deserves the appellation of גֶּבֶר if only he will set the right way to obtain it. Weak as he appears from the point of view given, when his natural resources are fully opened up and tested, he may nevertheless become strong by the favor of Jehovah to perform the most extraordinary achievements. From one extreme where the strength of the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 17:8

Shall not see ; rather, shall not fear— this is the reading of the Hebrew text, and of the Septuagint, Peshito, and Vulgate. The Authorized Version represents that of the margin, which is conformed to Jeremiah 17:6 , but is against the parallelisms. read more

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