Jeremiah 17:6
New International Version
That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

New Living Translation
They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
He will be like a shrub in the desert; he will not see when prosperity comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited.

New American Standard Bible
“For he will be like a bush in the desert, And will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt that is not inhabited.

NASB 1995
“For he will be like a bush in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt without inhabitant.

NASB 1977
“For he will be like a bush in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt without inhabitant.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he will be like a juniper in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes, But will dwell in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt which is not inhabited.

Amplified Bible
“For he will be like a shrub in the [parched] desert; And shall not see prosperity when it comes, But shall live in the rocky places of the wilderness, In an uninhabited salt land.

Christian Standard Bible
He will be like a juniper in the Arabah; he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He will be like a juniper in the Arabah; he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives.

American Standard Version
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, a salt land and not inhabited.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
He shall be as a root in the plain, and he shall not see when good will come, and shall dwell in a cavern in the wilderness in the earth, a salt pit that is uninhabited

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he shall be as the wild tamarisk in the desert: he shall not see when good comes; but he shall dwell in barren places, and in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited.

Contemporary English Version
They will dry up like a bush in salty desert soil, where nothing can grow.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For he shall be like tamaric in the desert, and he shall not see when good shall come: but he shall dwell in dryness in the desert in a salt land, and not inhabited.

English Revised Version
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, a salt land and not inhabited.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He will be like a bush in the wilderness. He will not see when something good comes. He will live in the dry places in the desert, in a salty land where no one can live.

Good News Translation
He is like a bush in the desert, which grows in the dry wasteland, on salty ground where nothing else grows. Nothing good ever happens to him.

International Standard Version
He will be like a bush in the desert, and he won't see when good comes. He will dwell in parched places in the wilderness, a land of salt, without inhabitants.

JPS Tanakh 1917
For he shall be like a tamarisk in the desert, And shall not see when good cometh; But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, A salt land and not inhabited.

Literal Standard Version
And he has been as a naked thing in a desert, | And does not see when good comes, | And has inhabited parched places in a wilderness, | A salt land, and not inhabited.

Majority Standard Bible
He will be like a shrub in the desert; he will not see when prosperity comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

New American Bible
He is like a barren bush in the wasteland that enjoys no change of season, But stands in lava beds in the wilderness, a land, salty and uninhabited.

NET Bible
They will be like a shrub in the desert. They will not experience good things even when they happen. It will be as though they were growing in the desert, in a salt land where no one can live.

New Revised Standard Version
They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.

New Heart English Bible
For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
For he will be like a bush in the desert, and will not see when good comes, but will inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, an uninhabited salt land.

Young's Literal Translation
And he hath been as a naked thing in a desert, And doth not see when good cometh, And hath inhabited parched places in a wilderness, A salt land, and not inhabited.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Sin and Punishment of Judah
5This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes the flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD. 6He will be like a shrub in the desert; he will not see when prosperity comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. 7But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 29:23
All its soil will be a burning waste of sulfur and salt, unsown and unproductive, with no plant growing on it, just like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His fierce anger.

Job 39:6
I made the wilderness his home and the salt flats his dwelling.

Psalm 107:34
and fruitful land into fields of salt, because of the wickedness of its dwellers.

Jeremiah 29:32
this is what the LORD says: 'I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good that I will bring to My people, declares the LORD, for he has preached rebellion against the LORD.'"

Jeremiah 48:6
Flee! Run for your lives! Become like a juniper in the desert.'


Treasury of Scripture

For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good comes; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

like.

Jeremiah 48:6
Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.

Job 8:11-13
Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water? …

Job 15:30-34
He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away…

and shall.

2 Kings 7:1,19,20
Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria…

John 20:17
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

a salt.

Deuteronomy 29:23
And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:

Judges 9:45
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

Ezekiel 47:11
But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.

Jump to Previous
Brushwood Bush Desert Dry Dwell Good Heath Inhabit Inhabitant Inhabited Live Naked Parched Places Prosperity Salt Shrub Stony Tamarisk Uninhabited Unpeopled Waste Wastelands Wastes Wilderness
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Brushwood Bush Desert Dry Dwell Good Heath Inhabit Inhabitant Inhabited Live Naked Parched Places Prosperity Salt Shrub Stony Tamarisk Uninhabited Unpeopled Waste Wastelands Wastes Wilderness
Jeremiah 17
1. The captivity of Judah for her sin.
5. Trust in man is cursed;
7. in God is blessed.
9. The deceitful heart cannot deceive God.
12. The salvation of God.
15. The prophet complains of the mockers of his prophecy.
19. He is sent to renew the covenant in hallowing the Sabbath.














(6) Like the heath in the desert.--The word rendered heath is, literally, bare or naked, and as such is translated by "destitute" in Psalm 102:17. That meaning has accordingly been given to it here by some recent commentators. No picture of desolation could be more complete than that of a man utterly destitute, yet inhabiting the "parched places of the wilderness." All the older versions, however, including the Targum, and some of the best modern (e.g. Ewald), take the word as describing the "heath" or other like shrubs standing alone in a barren land. A like word with the same meaning is found in Jeremiah 48:6, and stands in Arabic for the "juniper." Both views are tenable, but the latter, as being a bolder similitude, and balancing the comparison to a "tree planted by the waters" in Jeremiah 17:8, is more after the manner of a poet-prophet. There is something weak in saying "A man shall be like a destitute man." The word rendered "desert" (arabah) is applied specially to the Jordan valley (sometimes, indeed, to its more fertile parts), and its connection here with the "salt land" points to the wild, barren land of the Jordan as it flows into the Dead Sea (Deuteronomy 29:23).

Shall not see when good cometh.--The words describe the yearning that has been so often disappointed that at last, when the brighter day dawns, it is blind to the signs of its approach. It comes too late, as rain falls too late on the dead or withered heath.

Verse 6. - Like the heath in the desert; as forlorn as some well-known desert plant. But which plant? St. Jerome explains, "Et erit quasi myrice ['tamarisk'], quae Hebraice dicitur Aroer (?) sire, at interpretatus est Syrus, lignum infructuosum." The versions agree in supposing the comparison to be to a plant; and a very similar word in Arabic (ghargar) means the mountain juniper; Tristram, the dwarf juniper. Most, however, take the word to be an adjective equivalent to "destitute." Dr. Thomson tells a story of a poor destitute woman he found in the desert (comp. Jeremiah 48:6 - the form there is Aroer, here it is 'ar'ar; Psalm 102:18). Shall not see; i.e. shall not perceive, or feel any evil consequences (comp. Isaiah 44:16, "I have seen the fire," equivalent to "feel the flame"). A salt land; i.e. one entirely barren (comp. Deuteronomy 29:23).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He will be
וְהָיָה֙ (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

like a shrub
כְּעַרְעָ֣ר (kə·‘ar·‘ār)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6176: (probably a tree or bush) perhaps juniper

in the desert;
בָּֽעֲרָבָ֔ה (bā·‘ă·rā·ḇāh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6160: Arabah -- a steppe or desert plain, also a desert valley running south from the Sea of Galilee

he will not
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

see
יִרְאֶ֖ה (yir·’eh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

when
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

prosperity
ט֑וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

comes.
יָב֣וֹא (yā·ḇō·w)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

He will dwell
וְשָׁכַ֤ן (wə·šā·ḵan)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7931: To settle down, abide, dwell

in the parched places
חֲרֵרִים֙ (ḥă·rê·rîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2788: A parched place

of the desert,
בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר (bam·miḏ·bār)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

in a salt
מְלֵחָ֖ה (mə·lê·ḥāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4420: Saltiness, barrenness

land
אֶ֥רֶץ (’e·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

where no
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

one lives.
תֵשֵֽׁב׃ (ṯê·šêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 17:6 For he shall be like the heath (Jer.)
Jeremiah 17:5
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