Jeremiah 17:3

3 on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your sin throughout all your territory.

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 sin of Judah is written with an iron pen; with a diamond point it is engraved on the tablet of their hearts, and on the horns of their altars,

2 while their children remember their altars and their sacred poles, beside every green tree, and on the high hills,

3 on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your sin throughout all your territory.

4 By your own act you shall lose the heritage that I gave you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.

5 Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord.

Footnotes

• [a]. Cn: Heb [spoil your high places for sin]