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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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This verse completes the picture of the blessed person begun in verse 7, contrasting them with the shrub in the desert described in verse 6.
What Does Jeremiah 17:8 Mean?
The one who trusts the Lord is like a tree planted by water, with deep roots, green leaves, and steady fruit even in drought. This vivid image explains the blessing of verse 7. A tree by a riverbank does not depend on rainfall; its roots reach a constant supply, so when scorching heat arrives it does not even register the threat -- "shall not see when heat cometh." In the year of drought, when other plants wither and farmers grow anxious, this tree stays green and keeps bearing fruit. The secret is entirely in the location of its roots.
The spiritual meaning is plain. The person whose trust is sunk into God draws from a source that does not run dry, so seasons of difficulty do not destroy them. Notice the verse does not promise the heat and drought will stay away; trouble still comes. What changes is the response: no panic, no barrenness, sustained life and usefulness. The phrase "shall not be careful" means free from anxious fear. This is a portrait of resilience offered to every reader -- not the absence of hardship, but unshaken fruitfulness because the roots reach living water.
In the Original Language
The phrase "shall not be careful" uses da'ag, to be anxious or fearful. "Drought" is batstsoreth, a time of dryness -- so the tree is free from anxiety even when the land is parched.
Cross References
“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;”
- Psalms 1:3
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”
- Matthew 6:34
“And thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.”
- Isaiah 58:11
Application
Sink your roots deep into God through steady trust and time in His word, so that when hard seasons come you can stay fruitful and free from anxious fear.