God & Savior

Jeremiah 17:7-8

7But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. 8He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
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Study notes

Verse 7

Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord and whose confidence is in Him.

Explanation

This contrasts with verses 5-6, which describe the one who trusts in human strength as a dry desert shrub. The one who trusts the LORD is blessed.

Original language
  • בָּר֣וּךְ (ba.Rukh): to bless
    Hebrew · Verb, qal, participle (passive), masculine, singular, absolute · Strong's H1288 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Blessed.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Jeremiah 17:7, word 1

  • יִבְטַ֖ח (yiv.Tach): to trust
    Hebrew · Verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · Strong's H0982 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    He trusts.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Jeremiah 17:7, word 4

  • מִבְטַחֽוֹ (miv.ta.Cho): confidence
    Hebrew · Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · Strong's H4009 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Trust, confidence.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Jeremiah 17:7, word 8

Cross-references
  • Jeremiah 17:5-6 · Contrast

    Cursed is the one who trusts in man.

  • Psalm 1:1-3 · Same theme

    Like a tree planted by streams of water.

  • Psalm 34:8 · Same theme

    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.

Sources

Verse 8

The one who trusts God is like a tree planted by water, which does not fear heat or drought and keeps bearing fruit.

Explanation

The picture continues verse 7. A tree with roots by the stream stays green in heat and fruitful in drought. Trust in God gives life that does not depend on outward conditions.

Original language
  • כְּעֵ֣ץ׀ (ke.'Etz): tree
    Hebrew · Preposition + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · Strong's H6086H · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Tree.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Jeremiah 17:8, word 2

  • שָׁת֣וּל (sha.Tul): to transplant
    Hebrew · Verb, qal, participle (passive), masculine, singular, absolute · Strong's H8362 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Planted.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Jeremiah 17:8, word 3

  • שָֽׁרָשָׁ֔יו (sha.ra.Shav): root
    Hebrew · Noun, masculine, plural, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · Strong's H8328 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Roots.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Jeremiah 17:8, word 9

  • יִדְאָ֔ג (yid.'Ag): be anxious
    Hebrew · Verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · Strong's H1672 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    It will be anxious.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Jeremiah 17:8, word 21

  • פֶּֽרִי (Pe.ri): fruit
    Hebrew · Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · Strong's H6529 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Fruit.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Jeremiah 17:8, word 25

Cross-references
  • Psalm 1:3 · Parallel account

    A very similar picture in Psalm 1.

  • Jeremiah 17:7 · Surrounding passage

    Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD.

Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Verse 7

Original language (Hebrew)

בָּר֣וּךְ הַגֶּ֔בֶר אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִבְטַ֖ח בַּֽיהוָ֑ה וְהָיָ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה מִבְטַחֽוֹ׃

  1. בָּר֣וּךְba.Rukh“[is] blessed”
    Verb, qal, participle (passive), masculine, singular, absolute · from בָּרַךְ · “to bless” · Strong's H1288
  2. הַגֶּ֔בֶרha.Ge.ver“the man”
    Definite article + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from גֶּ֫בֶר · “great man” · Strong's H1397
  3. אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sher“who”
    Particle, relative · from אֲשֶׁר · “which” · Strong's H0834A
  4. יִבְטַ֖חyiv.Tach“he trusts”
    Verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from בָּטַח · “to trust” · Strong's H0982
  5. בַּֽיהוָ֑הba.Yah.weh“in Yahweh”
    Preposition + Noun, proper name, title · from יהוה · “LORD” · Strong's H3068G
  6. וְהָיָ֥הve.ha.Yah“and he is”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from הָיָה · “to be” · Strong's H1961
  7. יְהוָ֖הYah.weh“Yahweh”
    Noun, proper name, title · from יהוה · “LORD” · Strong's H3068G
  8. מִבְטַחֽוֹ׃miv.ta.Cho“trust his”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from מִבְטָח · “confidence” · Strong's H4009

Verse 8

Original language (Hebrew)

וְהָיָ֞ה כְּעֵ֣ץ׀ שָׁת֣וּל עַל־מַ֗יִם וְעַל־יוּבַל֙ יְשַׁלַּ֣ח שָֽׁרָשָׁ֔יו וְלֹ֤א יִרְאֶה֙ כִּֽי־יָבֹ֣א חֹ֔ם וְהָיָ֥ה עָלֵ֖הוּ רַֽעֲנָ֑ן וּבִשְׁנַ֤ת בַּצֹּ֙רֶת֙ לֹ֣א יִדְאָ֔ג וְלֹ֥א יָמִ֖ישׁ מֵעֲשׂ֥וֹת פֶּֽרִי׃

  1. וְהָיָ֞הve.ha.Yah“and he will be”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from הָיָה · “to be” · Strong's H1961
  2. כְּעֵ֣ץ׀ke.'Etz“like a tree”
    Preposition + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from עֵץ · “tree” · Strong's H6086H
  3. שָׁת֣וּלsha.Tul“planted”
    Verb, qal, participle (passive), masculine, singular, absolute · from שָׁתַל · “to transplant” · Strong's H8362
  4. עַל־'al-“at”
    Preposition · from עַל · “upon” · Strong's H5921A
  5. מַ֗יִםMa.yim“water”
    Noun, masculine, plural, absolute · from מַי · “water” · Strong's H4325G
  6. וְעַל־ve.'al-“and [which] at”
    Conjunction + Preposition · from עַל · “upon” · Strong's H5921A
  7. יוּבַל֙yu.Val“a stream”
    Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from יוּבַל · “stream” · Strong's H3105
  8. יְשַׁלַּ֣חye.sha.Lach“it sends out”
    Verb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from שָׁלַח · “depart” · Strong's H7971G
  9. שָֽׁרָשָׁ֔יוsha.ra.Shav“roots its”
    Noun, masculine, plural, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from שֹׁ֫רֶשׁ · “root” · Strong's H8328
  10. וְלֹ֤אve.Lo'“and not”
    Conjunction + Particle, negative · from לֹא · “not” · Strong's H3808
  11. יִרְאֶה֙yi.ra“he will see”
    Verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from רָאָה · “see” · Strong's H7200G
    Qere: the scribes' reading in the margin
  12. כִּֽי־ki-“if”
    Particle · from כִּי · “for” · Strong's H3588A
  13. יָבֹ֣אya.Vo'“it will come”
    Verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from בּוֹא · “come” · Strong's H0935G
  14. חֹ֔םChom“heat”
    Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from חֹם · “heat” · Strong's H2527
  15. וְהָיָ֥הve.ha.Yah“and it will be”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from הָיָה · “to be” · Strong's H1961
  16. עָלֵ֖הוּ'a.Le.hu“leafage its”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from עָלֶה · “leaf” · Strong's H5929
  17. רַֽעֲנָ֑ןra.'a.Nan“luxuriant”
    Adjective, masculine, singular, absolute · from רַעֲנָן · “luxuriant” · Strong's H7488B
  18. וּבִשְׁנַ֤תu.vish.Nat“and in a year of”
    Conjunction + Preposition + Noun, feminine, singular, construct · from שָׁנָה · “year” · Strong's H8141
  19. בַּצֹּ֙רֶת֙ba.Tzo.ret“drought”
    Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · from בַּצֹּרֶת · “drought” · Strong's H1226
  20. לֹ֣אlo'“not”
    Particle, negative · from לֹא · “not” · Strong's H3808
  21. יִדְאָ֔גyid.'Ag“it will be anxious”
    Verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from דָּאַג · “be anxious” · Strong's H1672
  22. וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'“and not”
    Conjunction + Particle, negative · from לֹא · “not” · Strong's H3808
  23. יָמִ֖ישׁya.Mish“it will cease”
    Verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from מוּשׁ · “to remove” · Strong's H4185
  24. מֵעֲשׂ֥וֹתme.'a.Sot“from producing”
    Preposition + Verb, qal, infinitive construct, common · from עָשָׂה · “make(OBJECT)” · Strong's H6213H
  25. פֶּֽרִי׃Pe.ri“fruit”
    Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from פְּרִי · “fruit” · Strong's H6529
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)