Jeremiah 17:3

3 and on the mountains in the open country. I will have your enemies take away your wealth and your treasures because of all the sins you have committed throughout your land.

Jeremiah 17:3 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 17:3

O my mountain in the midst of the field
Meaning either the temple, called the mountain of the house, and of the Lord's house, ( Micah 3:12 ) ( 4:1 ) , or else Jerusalem, which stood on a hill in the midst of a plain, surrounded with fruitful fields and gardens; or in the midst of a land like a field. The Targum is,

``because thou worshippest idols upon the mountains in the field:''
I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil;
all the riches of the city and temple to be the spoil and plunder of the enemy; (See Gill on Jeremiah 15:13). and thy high places for sin,
throughout all thy borders. The sense is, that all their substance and treasure throughout their borders, the riches of the whole land, as well as of the city and temple, ( Jeremiah 15:13 ) and all their high places throughout the land, which were used for sin, for idolatrous practices, on account thereof, should become the spoil of the enemy.

Jeremiah 17:3 In-Context

1 The Lord says, "People of Judah, your sin is written with an iron pen; it is engraved on your hearts with a diamond point and carved on the corners of your altars.
2 Your people worship at the altars and the symbols that have been set up for the goddess Asherah by every green tree and on the hilltops
3 and on the mountains in the open country. I will have your enemies take away your wealth and your treasures because of all the sins you have committed throughout your land.
4 You will have to give up the land I gave you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land you know nothing about, because my anger is like a fire, and it will burn forever."
5 The Lord says, "I will condemn those who turn away from me and put their trust in human beings, in the strength of mortals.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. [Probable text] because of all the sins you have committed; [Hebrew] your high places for sins.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.