Jeremiah 17 · Verse 8

Jeremiah 17:8

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.
Jeremiah 17:8, King James Version

Jeremiah 17:8 in other translations

BSBHe 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.
WEBFor he will be as a tree planted by the waters, who spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes, but its leaf will be green, and will not be concerned in the year of drought. It won’t cease from yielding fruit.
ASVFor he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat cometh, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
YLTAnd hath been as a tree planted by waters, And by a rivulet he sendeth forth his roots, And he doth not see when heat cometh, And his leaf hath been green, And in a year of dearth he is not sorrowful, Nor doth he cease from making fruit.
DARBYFor he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out its roots by the stream, and he shall not see when heat cometh, but his leaf shall be green; and in the year of drought he shall not be careful, neither shall he cease to yield fruit.
BBEFor he will be like a tree planted by the waters, pushing out its roots by the stream; he will have no fear when the heat comes, but his leaf will be green; in a dry year he will have no care, and will go on giving fruit.
WebsterFor 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 anxious in the year of drouth, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

What does Jeremiah 17:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. (Psa 1:3). shall not see--that is, feel. Answering to Jr 17:6; whereas the unbelievers "shall not see (even) when good cometh," the believer "shall not see (so as to be overwhelmed by it even) when heat (fiery trial) cometh." Trials shall come upon him as on all, nay, upon him especially (He 12:6); but he shall not sink under them, because the Lord is his secret strength, just as the "roots spread out by a river" (or, "water-course") draw hidden support from it (2Co 4:8-11). careful--anxious, as one desponding (Lu 12:29; 1Pe 5:7). drought--literally, "withholding," namely, of rain (Jr 14:1); he here probably alludes to the drought which had prevailed, but makes it the type of all kinds of distress.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 A s a tree planted by the waters - Which is sufficiently supplied with moisture, though the heat be intense, and there be no rain; for the roots being spread out by the river, they absorb from it all the moisture requisite for the flourishing vegetation of the tree. Shall not see when heat cometh - Shall not feel any damage by drought, for the reason already assigned. It shall be strong and vigorous, its leaf always green; and shall produce plenty of fruit in its season.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 17:5-11

He who puts confidence in man, shall be like the heath in a desert, a naked tree, a sorry shrub, the product of barren ground, useless and worthless. Those who trust to their own righteousness and strength, and think they can do without Christ, make flesh their arm, and their souls cannot prosper in graces or comforts. Those who make God their Hope, shall flourish like a tree always green, whose leaf does not…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 17:5-11 →

Jeremiah 17:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהָיָ֞הve.ha.Yahand he will beH1961
כְּעֵ֣ץ\׀ke.'Etzlike a treeH6086
שָׁת֣וּלsha.TulplantedH8362
עַל\־'al-atH5921
מַ֗יִםMa.yimwaterH4325
וְעַל\־ve.'al-and [which] atH5921
יוּבַל֙yu.Vala streamH3105
יְשַׁלַּ֣חye.sha.Lachit sends outH7971
שָֽׁרָשָׁ֔יוsha.ra.Shavroots itsH8328
וְלֹ֤אve.Lo'and notH3808
יִרְאֶה֙yi.rahe will seeH7200
כִּֽי\־ki-ifH3588
יָבֹ֣אya.Vo'it will comeH935
חֹ֔םChomheatH2527
וְהָיָ֥הve.ha.Yahand it will beH1961
עָלֵ֖הוּ'a.Le.huleafage itsH5929
רַֽעֲנָ֑ןra.'a.NanluxuriantH7488
וּבִשְׁנַ֤תu.vish.Natand in a year ofH8141
בַּצֹּ֙רֶת֙ba.Tzo.retdroughtH1226
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
יִדְאָ֔גyid.'Agit will be anxiousH1672
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
יָמִ֖ישׁya.Mishit will ceaseH4185
מֵעֲשׂ֥וֹתme.'a.Sotfrom producingH6213
פֶּֽרִי\׃Pe.rifruitH6529

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 17:8

  • Psalms 1:3

    And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

  • Isaiah 58:11

    And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

  • Ezekiel 47:12

    And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

  • Ezekiel 31:4-10

    The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field. Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth. All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations. Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters. …

  • Psalms 92:10-15

    But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil. Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me. The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. …

  • Job 8:16

    He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.

  • Jeremiah 14:1-6

    The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth. Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up. And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads. Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he shall.
Job 8:16; Ps 1:3; 92:10-15; Isa 58:11; Eze 31:4-10; 47:12
drought. or, restraint.
14:1; *marg:

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 17:7

    Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

  • Jeremiah 17:8

    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.

  • Jeremiah 17:9

    The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Read all of Jeremiah 17

Jeremiah 17:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Porque él será como el árbol plantado junto á las aguas, que junto á la corriente echará sus raices, y no verá cuando viniere el calor, sino que su hoja estará verde; y en el año de sequía no se fatigará, ni dejará de hacer fruto.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Il sera comme un arbre planté près des eaux; et il étendra ses racines vers le courant; et il ne s’apercevra pas quand la chaleur viendra, et sa feuille sera toujours verte; et dans l’année de la sécheresse il ne craindra pas, et il ne cessera de porter du fruit.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und er wird sein wie ein Baum, der am Wasser gepflanzt ist und am Bache seine Wurzeln ausstreckt, und sich nicht fürchtet, wenn die Hitze kommt; und sein Laub ist grün, und im Jahre der Dürre ist er unbekümmert, und er hört nicht auf, Frucht zu tragen. -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
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.