Jeremiah 17:9

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

The heart {H3820} is deceitful {H6121} above all things, and desperately wicked {H605}: who can know {H3045} it?

"The heart is more deceitful than anything else and mortally sick. Who can fathom it?

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?

Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV): "The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

Context of Jeremiah 17:9

Jeremiah, often called the "weeping prophet," delivered God's challenging messages to the southern kingdom of Judah during a period of profound spiritual apostasy and impending judgment by the Babylonian Empire. In Jeremiah chapter 17, the prophet contrasts the blessed state of those who trust in the Lord with the cursed state of those who rely on human strength or idolatry (Jeremiah 17:5-8). Verse 9 serves as a profound explanation for humanity's inherent tendency to turn away from God and embrace false securities: the very nature of the human heart itself is corrupt and unreliable. This verse highlights the deep-seated spiritual problem that necessitates divine intervention and a radical transformation.

Key Themes and Messages

  • The Heart's Deceitfulness: The primary assertion is that the human heart—the inner core of one's being, encompassing intellect, will, and emotions—is fundamentally untrustworthy and capable of profound self-deception. It possesses a cunning ability to mislead individuals about their true motives, intentions, and spiritual condition, often convincing them of their righteousness even when they are deeply flawed.
  • Desperate Wickedness: The phrase "desperately wicked" portrays the human heart's condition as being beyond human remedy, incurable, or terminally ill. This emphasizes the pervasive and radical nature of sin within the human spirit, indicating a deep-seated corruption that affects every aspect of one's inner life. It's not merely a tendency to sin, but a fundamental spiritual malady.
  • Unknowable by Man: The rhetorical question, "who can know it?", underscores the hidden depths of human sin and self-deception. It implies that no human being, not even oneself, can fully comprehend the extent of the heart's deceit and wickedness. This inherent mystery highlights the need for divine insight and judgment, as only God truly knows the heart.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "deceitful" is 'aqov (עָקֹב), which can also mean "insidious," "crafty," or "treacherous." It is related to the name Jacob, whose early life was marked by deception. This term emphasizes the heart's cunning and manipulative nature, even towards oneself. The phrase "desperately wicked" comes from the Hebrew 'anash (אנוש), meaning "incurable," "sick," or "frail." It paints a vivid picture of a heart that is not just prone to sin, but is fundamentally diseased and beyond self-healing, emphasizing its dire spiritual condition.

Related Scriptures

Jeremiah 17:9 powerfully articulates the universal human condition of sinfulness, a foundational truth echoed throughout Scripture. The rhetorical question, "who can know it?", finds its divine answer in God's perfect omniscience, as seen in 1 Samuel 16:7, where God declares He looks at the heart, not outward appearance. The desperate wickedness described here underscores the absolute necessity of divine intervention and transformation, a promise beautifully fulfilled in the new heart and new spirit promised by God in Ezekiel 36:26 through the New Covenant.

Practical Application

Jeremiah 17:9 serves as a crucial reminder of human frailty and the pervasive nature of sin. For believers, it underscores the constant need for humility, honest self-examination, and a deep reliance not on one's own understanding or perceived goodness, but solely on God's grace and transforming power. It teaches us to be wary of our own motives and to consistently bring our hearts before God for cleansing, insight, and renewal. Only through God's Spirit can we truly understand ourselves and begin the process of genuine change, moving from a heart that is deceitful and desperately wicked to one that is responsive and obedient to Him.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Mark 7:21

    For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

  • Mark 7:22

    Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

  • Matthew 15:19

    For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

  • Proverbs 28:26

    ¶ He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

  • Ecclesiastes 9:3

    This [is] an evil among all [things] that are done under the sun, that [there is] one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead.

  • Hebrews 3:12

    Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

  • Genesis 6:5

    And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually.
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