Jeremiah 17:3

3 making sacrifice in the field in high mountains, I shall give thy strength and all thy treasures into ravishing, thine high things for sins in all thine ends. (and make sacrifice in the fields, I shall give thy wealth and all thy treasures to robbing, or for spoils, and thy high places, or thy hill shrines, for more sins, in all thy terms, or in all thy 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 sin of Judah is written with an iron pointel, in a nail of adamant; it is written on the breadth of the heart of them, and in the horns of the altars of them. (The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus, with an adamant point; it is written on the breadth of their hearts, and on the corners of their altars.)
2 When the sons of them bethink on their altars, and [maumet] woods, and on the trees full of boughs, (While their sons and daughters worship at their altars, and in their sacred woods, by the trees full of branches, in the high mountains,)
3 making sacrifice in the field in high mountains, I shall give thy strength and all thy treasures into ravishing, thine high things for sins in all thine ends. (and make sacrifice in the fields, I shall give thy wealth and all thy treasures to robbing, or for spoils, and thy high places, or thy hill shrines, for more sins, in all thy terms, or in all thy land.)
4 And thou shalt be left alone from thine heritage which I gave to thee (And thou shalt be taken away from thy inheritance which I gave thee); and I shall make thee to serve thine enemies, in the land which thou knowest not; for thou hast kindled (a) fire in my strong vengeance, it shall burn till into without end.
5 The Lord saith these things, Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and setteth flesh his arm, and his heart goeth away from the Lord. (The Lord saith these things, Cursed is the person who trusteth in people, and maketh any flesh his source of power and security, and his heart goeth away from the Lord.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.