Jeremiah 17:5

5 The LORD says, "Those who trust in man are under my curse. They depend on human strength. Their hearts turn away from me.

Jeremiah 17:5 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 17:5

Thus saith the Lord
Here begins a new discourse, or part of one; or, however, another cause or reason of the ruin and destruction of the Jews is suggested; namely, their trust in man, or confidence in the creature, which is resented and condemned: cursed be the man that trusteth in man;
as the Jews did in the Egyptians and Assyrians; see ( Jeremiah 2:36 Jeremiah 2:37 ) , and in Abraham their father, and in being his seed, as they did in Christ's time; and which was trusting in the flesh; and as all such may be said to do who trust in their natural descent from good men, ( Matthew 3:9 ) ( John 8:33 John 8:39 ) ( Philippians 3:4 Philippians 3:5 ) , they also trusted in Moses, in the law of Moses, and in their having, hearing, and obeying it; which pronounces every man cursed that does not perfectly perform it: they trusted in themselves, and in their own righteousness; despised others, and rejected Christ and his righteousness; and brought an anathema upon them, ( John 5:45 ) ( Luke 18:9 ) and all such that trust in their own hearts, and in their own works, trust in man, in the creature, in creature acts, and involve themselves in the curse here denounced. The Jews also, to this day, expect the Messiah to come as a mere man, and so trust in him as such; and all those that call themselves Christians, and take Christ to be a mere creature, as the Arians, and a mere man, as the Socinians, may be said to trust in man, and entail a curse upon themselves; though we trust in Christ, yet not as a man, but as he is the true and living God: and maketh flesh his arm;
or his confidence, as the Targum, to lean upon, and be protected by; man is but flesh, feeble, weak and inactive; frail and mortal; sinful and corrupt; and so very unfit to make an arm of, or to depend upon: God, and an arm of flesh, are opposed to each other; as are also rejoicing in Christ Jesus, and having confidence in the flesh, ( 2 Chronicles 32:8 ) ( Philippians 3:3 ) : and whose heart departeth from the Lord:
as men's hearts may, under the greatest show of outward religion and righteousness; and as they always do, when they put their trust in such things; every act of unbelief and distrust of the Lord, and every act of trust and confidence in the creature, carry the heart off from God; every such act is a departing from the living God; see ( Isaiah 29:13 ) ( Hebrews 3:12 ) .

Jeremiah 17:5 In-Context

3 I will give away my holy Mount Zion to the Babylonians. Your enemies will carry off your wealth and all of your treasures. I will give away your high places. That will happen because you have sinned. You have done it all through your country.

4 You will lose the land I gave you. And it will be your own fault. I will make you slaves to your enemies. You will serve them in a land you have not had anything to do with before. You have set my anger on fire. It will burn forever."

5 The LORD says, "Those who trust in man are under my curse. They depend on human strength. Their hearts turn away from me.

6 They will be like a bush in a dry and empty land. They will not enjoy success when it comes. They will live in dry places in the desert. It is a land of salt where no one else lives.

7 "But I will bless any man who trusts in me. I will show my favor to the one who depends on me.