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Jeremiah 17:5–8

The cursed shrub and the blessed tree: Jeremiah and Psalm 1

"Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert… Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD… For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought." The same contrast of a rooted tree and a withered plant opens the Psalter (Psalm 1:1–3). In the Greek, this passage stands at the start of chapter 17, because the Greek lacks 17:1–4: Giguet's file, following its Greek text, numbers these verses 17:1–4.

Same letters, different readings: the consonants agree, but ancient readers vocalized or interpreted them differently

The family tree

Each row is a language or text tradition. Witnesses in the same row may share ancestry, revise one another, or have an uncertain relationship; the line under each box says which. A solid arrow appears only where direct copying or a documented revised edition is established. Order by date never implies copying. Scroll sideways on a phone.

✓ contains it · ✕ does not · ❝ quotes part of it · ⓘ reports on manuscripts · ▢ pages lost · – no copy survives

  • Same line, through lost copies
  • Translation
Hebrew
  1. The words as first spoken or writtenlate 7th–6th century BC (by section; debated)
  2. Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)AD 1008Descends, through lost copies, from The words as first spoken or written
  3. Psalm 1:3 (Masoretic Text)AD 1008Descends, through lost copies, from The words as first spoken or written
Greek
  1. Greek Jeremiah (library: Giguet's French)Greek translation c. 2nd century BC; French 1872Translated from the Old Greek Jeremiah (a shorter edition)
Latin
  1. Latin Vulgate (Clementine)Jerome c. AD 400, from Hebrew; edition 1592Translated from the Hebrew text Jerome used
English
  1. King James Bible1611Translated from printed Masoretic Hebrew

Every witness, in order

  1. late 7th–6th century BC (by section; debated)

    The words as first spoken or written

    – No copy survives

    No original survives, and Jeremiah circulated in at least two ancient Hebrew editions: a shorter one behind the Old Greek and the longer one preserved as the Masoretic Text. The oldest copies are six fragmentary Qumran manuscripts (2QJer, 4QJer-a to 4QJer-e), from about 200 BC to the 1st century AD.

  2. Jerome c. AD 400, from Hebrew; edition 1592

    Latin Vulgate (Clementine)

    ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from the Hebrew text Jerome used

    How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Clementine Vulgate (1592 edition).

    Hæc dicit Dominus: Maledictus homo qui confidit in homine, et ponit carnem brachium suum, et a Domino recedit cor ejus. Erit enim quasi myricæ in deserto, et non videbit cum venerit bonum: sed habitabit in siccitate in deserto, in terra salsuginis et inhabitabili. Benedictus vir qui confidit in Domino, et erit Dominus fiducia ejus. Et erit quasi lignum quod transplantatur super aquas, quod ad humorem mittit radices suas, et non timebit cum venerit æstus: et erit folium ejus viride, et in tempore siccitatis non erit sollicitum, nec aliquando desinet facere fructum.

    Latin numbering: Jeremiah 17:5–8. Jerome translated Jeremiah from Hebrew (c. AD 400).

  3. AD 1008

    Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)

    ✓ Contains this passageDescends, through lost copies, from The words as first spoken or written

    How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, a digital transcription of the Leningrad Codex.

    כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אָר֤וּר הַגֶּ֙בֶר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִבְטַ֣ח בָּֽאָדָ֔ם וְשָׂ֥ם בָּשָׂ֖ר זְרֹע֑וֹ וּמִן־יְהוָ֖ה יָס֥וּר לִבּֽוֹ׃ וְהָיָה֙ כְּעַרְעָ֣ר בָּֽעֲרָבָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א יִרְאֶ֖ה כִּי־יָב֣וֹא ט֑וֹב וְשָׁכַ֤ן חֲרֵרִים֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר אֶ֥רֶץ מְלֵחָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א תֵשֵֽׁב׃ בָּר֣וּךְ הַגֶּ֔בֶר אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִבְטַ֖ח בַּֽיהוָ֑ה וְהָיָ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה מִבְטַחֽוֹ׃ וְהָיָ֞ה כְּעֵ֣ץ ׀ שָׁת֣וּל עַל־מַ֗יִם וְעַל־יוּבַל֙ יְשַׁלַּ֣ח שָֽׁרָשָׁ֔יו וְלֹ֤א ירא יִרְאֶה֙ כִּֽי־יָבֹ֣א חֹ֔ם וְהָיָ֥ה עָלֵ֖הוּ רַֽעֲנָ֑ן וּבִשְׁנַ֤ת בַּצֹּ֙רֶת֙ לֹ֣א יִדְאָ֔ג וְלֹ֥א יָמִ֖ישׁ מֵעֲשׂ֥וֹת פֶּֽרִי׃

    He shall be like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream; it does not fear when heat comes, its leaves stay green, and in a year of drought it is not anxious (v. 8)

    Hebrew numbering: Jeremiah 17:5–8.

  4. AD 1008

    Psalm 1:3 (Masoretic Text)

    ✓ Contains this passageDescends, through lost copies, from The words as first spoken or written

    How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, a digital transcription of the Leningrad Codex.

    וְֽהָיָ֗ה כְּעֵץ֮ שָׁת֢וּל עַֽל־פַּלְגֵ֫י מָ֥יִם אֲשֶׁ֤ר פִּרְי֨וֹ ׀ יִתֵּ֬ן בְּעִתּ֗וֹ וְעָלֵ֥הוּ לֹֽא־יִבּ֑וֹל וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה יַצְלִֽיחַ׃

    He shall be like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither

    The parallel at the head of the Psalter.

  5. 1611

    King James Bible

    ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from printed Masoretic Hebrew

    How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: King James Version (1769 text).

    Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

  6. Greek translation c. 2nd century BC; French 1872

    Greek Jeremiah (library: Giguet's French)

    ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from the Old Greek Jeremiah (a shorter edition)

    How the site knows this: Known here only through a translation.

    (Vulg., 5.) Maudit l’homme qui a mis en l’homme son espérance, et appuie sur lui la chair de son bras, quand son cœur s’est éloigné de Dieu. (6.) Il sera comme la bruyère dans le désert; il ne verra pas le bien lui venir; il demeurera dans un désert de sel, dans une terre saumâtre et inhabitable. (7.) Béni l’homme qui a mis sa confiance dans le Seigneur, le Seigneur sera son espoir. (8.) Il sera comme un arbre croissant au bord des eaux; il enfoncera ses racines dans un terrain humide; il ne craindra rien quand viendra l’ardente chaleur; ses branches touffues l’ombrageront; il ne craindra rien en une année de sécheresse, et il ne cessera de porter des fruits.

    Greek (digital file) numbering: Jeremiah 17:1–4. Giguet's 1872 French of a printed Greek text (D check only), in the Greek book's own order and verse numbering; a C check needs Ziegler's Göttingen Jeremiah or Rahlfs–Hanhart. The Greek lacks 17:1–4, so Giguet's 17:1–4 are Hebrew and English 17:5–8. This is a real difference of the Greek edition, not an error in the file.

What changed, and why

Classification: a genuine edition difference (the Old Greek lacks 17:1–4, so its verse numbers in chapter 17 run four lower) and a literary parallel with Psalm 1.

The "heath" (ar'ar) is probably a juniper or a desert shrub such as the Phoenician juniper; identification uncertain.

Which came first, Jeremiah 17:5–8 or Psalm 1, is debated: many think Psalm 1 (often dated late, as an introduction to the Psalter) draws on Jeremiah; others think both draw on a common wisdom saying. The site does not decide.

What the evidence shows

  • Strongly supportedThe Old Greek lacks Jeremiah 17:1–4. Library's Giguet numbering; C check against Ziegler.
  • What the text saysJeremiah 17:5–8 and Psalm 1:1–3 share the image of a tree planted by water.
  • DisputedPsalm 1 borrows from Jeremiah 17.

Sources

    Related lessons

    • Jeremiah 17: The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things →"The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars" (17:1–4). "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man": he is like a desert shrub; "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD": he is like a tree planted by water, untroubled "in the year of drought" (vv. 5–8). "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways" (vv. 9–10). The unjustly rich are like a partridge sitting on eggs it did not lay (v. 11). God's throne, "the hope of Israel… the fountain of living waters" (vv. 12–13). The fourth confession: "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed… Be not a terror unto me… bring upon them the day of evil" (vv. 14–18). Stand in the gates and say: bring no burden in on the Sabbath; if you keep it, kings will enter and the city will stand for ever; if not, fire in the gates (vv. 19–27).