The Watchmans Study

Thus says the Lord:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man

and makes flesh his strength,

whose heart turns away from the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:5, ESV)

Jeremiah 17:5

You should never put your trust in man, whether it be in politics, friends or even family. Your trust should always be in the Lord. Remember this world is temporary, but God and heaven are eternal. Man will fail you, but God won’t.

Jeremiah 17:5 pronounces a curse on those who place their confidence in human strength rather than God, describing someone whose heart has turned away from the LORD.

This verse anchors a central teaching section of Jeremiah’s prophecy that moves beyond specific national judgments to address universal truths about the human heart.[1] The broader context of Jeremiah 17 functions as a fierce polemic against idolatry—the worship of foreign gods[2]—and reflects Judah’s historical pattern of seeking protection through false gods and foreign alliances rather than trusting God.[3]

The verse establishes a stark moral contrast. Those relying on personal human achievements and their own strength face a curse, while those depending on God alone receive blessing—one flourishes even during hardship with divine favor, while the other becomes barren and fruitless.[2] The cursed person withers like a desert bush, becoming as unfruitful as the barren salt land surrounding the Dead Sea.[3] This imagery draws from Judea’s harsh landscape, contrasting dry tumbleweed scattered across dead hills with a stately tree standing near one of the few permanent water sources.[2]

Whether life proves fruitful or fruitless ultimately depends on one’s relationship with God.[4] The curse in verse 5 isn’t arbitrary punishment but the natural consequence of redirecting trust away from the only source capable of sustaining genuine flourishing. By contrast, those whose trust rests in God access an unfailing supply of nourishment that ensures abundant growth and continuing fruitfulness.[4]

[1] Irving L. Jensen, Jermiah and Lamentations, Everyman’s Bible Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1974), 56–57.
[2] Lawrence Boadt and Celine M. Allen, eds., The Paulist Liturgy Planning Guide: For the Readings of Sundays and Major Feast Days (New York; Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2004–2007), 3:59.
[3] Charles H. Dyer, “Jeremiah,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1:1151.
[4] Martin Manser, ed., The Old Testament Page by Page, Open Your Bible Commentary (Bath, UK: Creative 4 International, 2013), 780.