Jeremiah 17:6 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →One who trusts in human strength will be barren and dry like scrubland in the desert, missing all good and living in desolation.
The Context of Jeremiah 17:6
The curse unfolds as spiritual and material barrenness for those who reject God.
What Does Jeremiah 17:6 Mean?
The heath is a stunted shrub that survives in the harshest conditions, never flourishing. The image describes someone whose life becomes spiritually barren: they will not see when good comes because their eyes and heart are fixed on the wrong source of sustenance. They live in awareness of lack, unable to recognize or receive blessing.
The piling of images—parched places, wilderness, salt land, uninhabited—emphasizes total desolation and isolation. This is not merely hardship but a condition of spiritual dryness where the person who trusted in flesh becomes like the desert itself: visible but fruitless, present but alone.
Jeremiah 17:6 in the Original Language
עֲרָעָר ('ararar), 'heath' — a shrub that grows in barren regions, used to symbolize spiritual desolation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jeremiah 17:6
What does Jeremiah 17:6 mean?
One who trusts in human strength will be barren and dry like scrubland in the desert, missing all good and living in desolation.
What is the context of Jeremiah 17:6?
The curse unfolds as spiritual and material barrenness for those who reject God.