What does Jeremiah 17:1 Mean?

Study Notes

The Lord
Or, JEHOVAH. Psalms 83:18 .

Verse Meaning

The indictment against Judah for her deeply ingrained sins was written permanently on the people"s hearts (cf. Job 19:24). It stood etched there and, also figuratively, on their most prominent places of worship, the pagan altars throughout the land. Sins engraved on the heart pictures the chief characteristic that marked the inner life of the people, which was indelible sin. When Yahweh had given Israel the covenant at Mount Sinai, He inscribed it on tablets of stone ( Exodus 24:12; Amos 4:4-5). But now, what was authoritative for the people was sin, that they had inscribed on tablets of flesh. [source][source]

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Rather than blood, on the horns of the brazen altar in the temple courtyard, testifying to the people"s commitment to Him, the Lord saw their sins staining the horns of their pagan altars (cf. Jeremiah 7:21-26; Exodus 31:18). The brazen altar was a place of sacrifice where their sins could be removed, but the horns of their altars had become places of sacrilege where their sins stood recorded. [source][source]

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". . . the people"s heart has guilt not only written all over it but etched into it, engraved ... beyond erasure." ^[1] [source]

In the future, God promised to write His law on His people"s hearts ( Jeremiah 31:31-34), but until then their sins were what marked their hearts. Then He would remember their sins no more, but now they remained recorded and unforgiven. [source][source]

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Context Summary

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