Jeremiah 17:1
WEB
“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond. It is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of your altars.
BSB
“The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus, engraved with a diamond point on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars.
KJV
The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H2403
n-f — offence, penalty, occasion, sacrifice, expiation, offender
Derivation: or חַטָּאת; from 2398;
an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or expiation; also (concretely) an offender
KJV: punishment (of sin), purifying(-fication for sin), sin(-ner, offering).
n.f — sin
חַטָּאת n.f. sin, sin-offering
1. sin
2. condition of sin, guilt of sin
3. punishment for sin
4. sin-offering
5. purification from sins of ceremonial uncleanness
H3063
n-pr-m — Jehudah
Derivation: from 3034; celebrated;
Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
KJV: Judah.
n.pr.m — Judah
יְהוּדָה 820 n.pr.m. et terr. Judah
I. n.pr.m.
1. son of Jacob and Leah
2. tribe descended from Judah
3. nation, of southern kingdom under dynasty of David, as distinguished from northern kingdom of Ephraim or Israel
4. Levite, Ezra’s time
5. an overseer of Jerus.
6. Levite musician
7. priest
II. n.pr.terr. land of Judah
H3789
v — grave, write
Derivation: a primitive root;
to grave, by implication, to write (describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe)
KJV: describe, record, prescribe, subscribe, write(-ing, -ten).
vb — write
כָּתַב 223 vb. write
Qal
1. write
2. = write down, describe in writing
3. = register, enroll
4. = decree
Niph.
1. be written
2. = be written down, recorded
Pi. frequent.
H5842
n-m — stylus, marking stick
Derivation: from 5860 (contracted) in the sense of swooping, i.e. side-long stroke;
a stylus or marking stick
KJV: pen.
n.m — stylus
עֵט n.m. stylus
H1270
n-m — iron, iron implement
Derivation: perhaps from the root of 1269;
iron (as cutting); by extension, an iron implement
KJV: (ax) head, iron.
n.m — iron
בַּרְזֶל n.m. iron
1. iron, lit.
2. tool of iron
3. iron in fig. of unwatered earth
H6856
n-m — claw, nail, point
Derivation: from 6852 (in the denominative sense (from 6833) of scratching);
properly, a claw, i.e. (human) nail; also the point of a style (or pen, tipped with adamant)
KJV: nail, point.
n.[m.] — nail
צִפֹּ֫רֶן n.[m.] nail (of finger), stylus-point
H8068
n-m — thorn, keenness, diamond
Derivation: from 8104 in the original sense of pricking;
a thorn; also (from its keenness for scratching) a gem, probably the diamond
KJV: adamant (stone), brier, diamond.
n.m — thorn
שָׁמִיר n.m. thorn(s), adamant, flint
H2790
v — scratch, engrave, plough, fabricate, devise, be silent, let alone, be deaf
Derivation: a primitive root;
to scratch, i.e. (by implication) to engrave, plough; hence (from the use of tools) to fabricate (of any material); figuratively, to devise (in a bad sense); hence (from the idea of secrecy) to be silent, to let alone; hence (by implication) to be deaf (as an accompaniment of dumbness)
KJV: × altogether, cease, conceal, be deaf, devise, ear, graven, imagine, leave off speaking, hold peace, plow(-er, man), be quiet, rest, practise secretly, keep silence, be silent, speak not a word, be still, hold tongue, worker.
vb — be silent
[חָרֵשׁ] vb. 1. be silent, dumb, speechless; 2. be deaf; chiefly poet.
Qal
1. be silent, alw. of God’s keeping silence when men pray
2. be deaf
Hiph.
1. be silent (= exhibit silence)
2. once causat. make silent
3. be deaf, shew deafness
vb — cut in
[חָרַשׁ] vb. cut in, engrave, plough, devise
Qal
1. cut in, engrave
2. plough
3. devise
Niph. Zion, as a field she shall be ploughed
Hiph. fabricating mischief against
H5921
prep — above, over, upon, against
Derivation: properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following);
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, × as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, × both and, by (reason of), × had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, × with.
forasmuch as
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
subst — above
עַל, עָ֑ל
I. subst. height
II. As prep. upon, and hence 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
1. Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed
a. —
(a). of clothing, etc., which any one wears
(b). With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
b. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
c. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
d. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
e. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
f. Of the ground or basis, on which a thing is done
2. It expresses excess
3. It denotes elevation or pre-eminence
4. It expresses addition
5. It expresses the idea of being extended, or suspended over anything, without however being in contact with it, above, over
6. From the sense of inclining or impending over, על comes to denote contiguity or proximity, Engl. by (or sts. on)
7. In connection with verbs of motion (actual or fig.)
8. By writers of the silver age, על is sts. used with the force of a dative
9. With other particles:
III. As conj.
a. עַל אֲשֶׁר because that
b. עַל כִּי similar in meaning, but less frequent
c. עַל alone:
(a). because
(b). notwithstanding that, although
IV. Compounds:
1. with כְּ (rare and late)
a. as concerning, as upon
b. the like of their deeds is the like of (that which) he will repay
2. מֵעַל from upon, from over, from by
H3871
n-m — glisten, tablet
Derivation: or לֻחַ; from a primitive root;
probably meaning to glisten; a tablet (as polished), of stone, wood or metal
KJV: board, plate, table.
n.m — tablet
לוּחַ n.m. tablet, board or plank, plate
1. chiefly of stone tablets on which ten words were written
2. wooden boards; planks
3. (metal) plates on bases of lavers in Solomon’s temple
H3820
n-m — heart, feelings, will, intellect, centre
Derivation: a form of 3824;
the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything
KJV: care for, comfortably, consent, × considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), × heed, × I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), × regard(-ed), × themselves, × unawares, understanding, × well, willingly, wisdom.
n.m — inner man
לֵב 599 n.m. (f.) inner man, mind, will, heart
I. seldom of things in the midst of the sea
II. elsewhere of men
1. the inner man in contrast with the outer
2. the inner man, indef., soul, comprehending mind, affections and will
3. specific reference to mind
4. spec. ref. to inclinations, resolutions and determinations of the will
5. spec. ref. to conscience
6. [various]
7. for the man himself
8. as seat of appetites
9. as seat of emotions and passions
10. seat of courage
H7161
n-f n-pr-loc — horn, flask, cornet, elephant's tooth, corner, peak, ray, power
Derivation: from 7160;
a horn (as projecting); by implication, a flask, cornet; by resemblance. an elephant's tooth (i.e. ivory), a corner (of the altar), a peak (of a mountain), a ray (of light); figuratively, power
KJV: × hill, horn.
n.f — horn
קֶ֫רֶן 75 n.f. horn
1.
a. of ram
b. used as oil-flask
c. as wind instr.
d. (from curved shape of tusks)
2. fig. of pers., symbol of strength
3. of altar, horn-like projections at corners
4. hill (so in Ar., peak, isolated hill)
5. rays at his side(s) he had (of lightning-flashes in theoph.)
n.pr.loc — Karnaim
קַרְנַ֫יִם n.pr.loc. conquered by Isr.; prob. in Bashan
H4196
n-m — altar
Derivation: from 2076;
an altar
KJV: altar.
n.m — altar
מִזְבֵּחַ 401 n.m. altar
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Verses 1–4
Jeremiah 17:1–4
The people had asked (Jer 16:10), What is our iniquity, and what is our sin? as if they could not be charged with any thing worth speaking of, for which God should enter into judgment with them; their challenge was answered there, but here we have a further reply to it, in which,
I. The indictment is fully proved upon the prisoners, both the fact and the fault; their sin is too plain to be denied and too bad to be excused, and they have nothing to plead either in extenuation of the crime or in arrest and mitigation of the judgment. 1. They cannot plead, Not guilty, for their sins are upon record in the book of God's omniscience and their own conscience; nay, and they are obvious to the eye and observation of the world, Jer 17:1, Jer 17:2. They are written before God in the most legible and indelible characters, and sealed among his treasures, never to be forgotten, Deu 32:34. They are written there with a pen of iron and with the point of a diamond; what is so written will not be worn out by time, but is, as Job speaks, graven in the rock for ever. Note, The sin of sinners is never forgotten till it is forgiven. It is ever before God, till by repentance it comes to be ever before us. It is graven upon the table of their heart; their own consciences witness against them, and are instead of a thousand witnesses. What is graven on the heart, though it may be covered and closed up for a time, yet, being graven, it cannot be erased, but will be produced in evidence when the books shall be opened. Nay, we need not appeal to the tables of the heart, perhaps they will not own the convictions of their consciences. We need go no further, for proof of the charge, than the horns of their altars, on which the blood of their idolatrous sacrifices was sprinkled, and perhaps the names of the idols to whose honour they were erected were inscribed. Their neighbours will witness against them, and all the creatures they have abused by using them in the service of their lusts. To complete the evidence, their own children shall be witnesses against them; they will tell truth when their fathers dissemble and prevaricate; they remember the altars and the groves to which their parents took them when they were little, v. 2. It appears that they were full of them, and acquainted with them betimes, they talked of them so frequently, so familiarly, and with so much delight. 2. They cannot plead that they repent, or are brought to a better mind. No, as the guilt of their sin is undeniable, so their inclination to sin is invincible and incurable. In this sense many understand Jer 17:1, Jer 17:2. Their sin is deeply engraven as with a pen of iron in the tables of their hearts. They have a rooted affection to it; it is woven into their very nature; their sin is dear to them, as that is dear to us of which we say, It is engraven on our hearts. The bias of their minds is still as strong as ever towards their idols, and they are not wrought upon either by the word or rod of God to forget them and abate their affection to them. It is written upon the horns of their altars, for they have given up their names to their idols and resolve to abide by what they have done; they have bound themselves, as with cords, to the horns of their altars. And Jer 17:2 may be read fully to this sense: As they remember their children, so remember they their altars and their groves; they are as fond of them and take as much pleasure in them as men do in their own children, and are as loth to part with them; they will live and die with their idols, and can no more forget them than a woman can forget her sucking child.
II. The indictment being thus fully proved, the judgment is affirmed and the sentence ratified, Jer 17:3, Jer 17:4. Forasmuch as they are thus wedded to their sins, and will not part with them, 1. They shall be made to part with their treasures, and those shall be given into the hands of strangers. Jerusalem is God's mountain in the field; it was built on a hill in the midst of a plain. All the treasures of that wealthy city will God give to the spoil. Or, My mountains with the fields, thy wealth and all thy treasures will I expose to spoil; both the products of the country and the stores of the city shall be seized by the Chaldeans. Justly are men stripped of that which they have served their idols with and have made the food and the fuel of their lusts. My mountain (so the whole land was, Psa 78:54, Deu 11:11) you have turned into your high places for sin, have worshipped your idols upon the high hills (Jer 17:2), and now they shall be give for a spoil in all your borders. What we make for a sin God will make for a spoil; for what comfort can we expect in that wherewith God is dishonoured? 2. They shall be made to part with their inheritance, and shall be carried captives into a strange land (Jer 17:4): Thou, even thyself (or thou thyself and those that are in thee, all the inhabitants), shall discontinue from thy heritage that I gave thee. God owns that it was their heritage, and that he gave it to them; they had an unquestionable title to it, which was an aggravation of their folly in throwing themselves out of the possession of it. It is through thyself (so some read it), through thy own default, that thou art disseised. Thou shalt discontinue, or intermit, the occupation of thy land. The law appointed them to let their land rest (it is the word here used) one year in seven, Exo 23:11. They did not observe that law, and now God would compel them to let it rest (the land shall enjoy her sabbaths, Lev 26:34); and yet it shall be not rest to them; they shall serve their enemies in a land they know not. Observe, (1.) Sin works a discontinuance of our comforts and deprives us of the enjoyment of that which God has given us. Yet, (2.) A discontinuance of the possession is not a defeasance of the right, but it is intimated that upon their repentance they shall recover possession again. For the present, you have kindled a fire in my anger, which burns so fiercely that it seems as if it would burn for ever; and so it will unless you repent, for it is the anger of an everlasting God fastening upon the immortal souls, and who knows the power of that anger?
Cross-references: Jer 16:10 · Jer 17:1 · Jer 17:2 · Deut 32:34 · Jer 17:3 · Jer 17:4 · Ps 78:54 · Deut 11:11 · Exod 23:11 · Lev 26:34