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Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, Chapter 17:

In the first half of this chapter, God alternates between condemning sinners and pointing out the blessing for those who trust in Him. Jeremiah then speaks of God as a healer and refuge when the day of undesired disaster arrives. Jeremiah is being persecuted, and he requests that God do to his enemies what they are doing to Jeremiah. In the last part of the chapter, Jeremiah is sent to preach at the Benjamin Gate, an entrance to the city of Jerusalem. God speaks through His prophet to address a specific sin: the people have stopped resting on the Sabbath. God explains the importance of keeping the Sabbath in spiritual and material ways. First, He tells the people that if they return to keeping the Sabbath holy, they will draw others to worship at the Temple in the capital city. Second, if they do not restore the Sabbath, the capital city shall be destroyed.

Judah’s Sin and Shame

1 “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars, 2 while their children remember their altars and their Asherim, 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 You shall loosen your hand from your heritage which I gave to you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land which you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled which shall burn for ever.”
5 Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his arm,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6 He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched
places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.
7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
8 He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year
of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
9 The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?
10 “I the Lord search the mind and test the heart,
to give to every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his doings.”
11 Like the partridge that gathers a brood which she did not hatch,
so is he who gets riches but not by right;
in the midst of his days they will leave him,
and at his end he will be a fool.
12 A glorious throne set on high         
from the beginning
is the place of our sanctuary.
13 O Lord, the hope of Israel,
all who forsake you shall be put to shame;
those who turn away from you c shall be written in the earth,
for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.
14 Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
save me, and I shall be saved;
for you are my praise.
15 Behold, they say to me, “Where is the word of the
Lord?
Let it come!”
16 I have not pressed you to send evil,
nor have I desired the day of disaster,
you know;
that which came out of my lips
was before your face.
17 Be not a terror to me;
you are my refuge in the day of evil.
18 Let those be put to shame who persecute me,
but let me not be put to shame;
let them be dismayed,
but let me not be dismayed; bring upon them the day of evil;
destroy them with double destruction!
19 Thus said the Lord to me: “Go and stand in the Benjamin Gate, by which the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem, 20 and say: ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. 21 Thus says the Lord: Take heed for the sake of your lives, and do not bear a burden on the sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. 22 And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the sabbath or do any work, but keep the sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers. 23 Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction.
24 “ ‘But if you listen to me, says the Lord, and bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but keep the sabbath day holy and do no work on it, 25 then there shall enter by the gates of this city kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall be inhabited for ever. 26 And people shall come from the cities of Judah and the places round about Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the Shephelah, from the hill country, and from the Negeb, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, cereal offerings and frankincense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. 27 But if you do not listen to me, to keep the sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.’ ”

*Daily Lectio Divina Question:

In this chapter Jeremiah is reminding his hearers to keep holy the Sabbath. He also quotes Psalm 1 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream.” (Jer 17:7-8) Lord, have we become too self-reliant at times? Help us to stretch out our roots towards you, trusting in your goodness.

Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan, an adult faith formation apostolate. cbsmich.org/join

Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
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