while their children remember their altars and their Asherim, beside every green tree and on the high hills,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights a chilling detail: the children aren't just passively inheriting idolatry; they are actively remembering the pagan practices their parents taught them. This suggests that the sin wasn't just a surface-level habit, but something so ingrained it was etched into the memories and affections of the next generation, ensuring its continuation.
while their children remember their altars and their Asherim, beside every green tree and on the high hills,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is describing the deep-seated, ingrained sin of Judah, which even the next generation continues. Their children aren't just passively inheriting this sin; they actively remember and perpetuate the idolatrous practices, setting up altars and sacred symbols of Asherah by lush trees and on prominent hills. This shows how their wicked ways are passed down, making their rebellion against God a deeply established pattern.
Jeremiah declares Judah's sin is 'written with a pen of iron' and 'graven with a diamond.' This isn't just a momentary mistake; it's a profound, lasting mark.
The imagery in Jeremiah 17:1-2 is intense. The sin isn't just recorded; it's etched into the very fabric of their being. The mention of children remembering altars and Asherim (often wooden images representing a goddess) shows how deeply this idolatry was ingrained, passed down through generations. It wasn't just a practice; it became a part of their identity, so familiar that even the landscape—green trees and high hills—triggered memories of forbidden worship.
This highlights a crucial spiritual truth: our sins, especially when unrepented, have a way of shaping us and those who follow us. They leave a residue, an imprint on our hearts and minds, making it easier to return to them.
Why did the children remember their altars and Asherim 'beside every green tree' and 'on the high hills'? These weren't just random spots; they were corrupted sacred spaces.
The natural world, meant to reveal God's glory, was twisted for idolatrous purposes by the people of Judah. Green trees and high hills, places that could inspire awe of the Creator, became settings for worshipping false gods and carved images (Asherim).
This teaches us that our environment significantly influences our spiritual state. When we allow sin to take root, even the most ordinary or beautiful aspects of life can become triggers for ungodly thoughts and actions. The 'high hills' and 'green trees' were meant for connecting with God, but for Judah, they were reminders of their pervasive, generational sin.
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Understand the original words
asherah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the cultic objects or sacred poles dedicated to the Canaanite goddess Asherah; their worship was strictly forbidden in Israel as it constituted illicit idolatry.
Jeremiah speaks into a Judah deeply steeped in syncretistic worship, where idolatrous practices at local shrines and high places were so ingrained that they were passed down from generation to generation, even after significant reforms and prophetic warnings.
c. 10th-8th centuries BC
Rise of Idolatrous Worship
During the divided monarchy, both Israel and Judah increasingly incorporated Canaanite religious practices, including worship at high places and the erection of Asherah poles, alongside Yahwistic worship.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom led to the deportation of its people, serving as a stark warning to Judah about the consequences of unfaithfulness to God.
c. 640-609 BC
Reign of Josiah and Religious Reforms
King Josiah initiated a significant religious reform, aiming to centralize worship in Jerusalem and eradicate idolatrous practices, including those involving Asherah poles and high places.
c. 609 BC
Death of Josiah
Josiah's death at the Battle of Megiddo marked a turning point, leading to the reversal of his reforms and a resurgence of idolatrous practices under subsequent kings.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonians deported a portion of the Judean elite, including figures like Daniel, signaling the growing threat of Babylonian power.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Another wave of exiles, including the prophet Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin, were taken to Babylon, deepening the crisis for Judah.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the Davidic monarchy and scattering the people, a catastrophic event the prophets had warned against.
This passage directly instructs Israel to tear down the sacred pillars (often called Asherim) and cut down the Asherah images used by pagan worshipers, highlighting the prohibition against the very practices Jeremiah is condemning.
Deuteronomy 12:2-3This passage commands the Israelites to destroy all places where the surrounding nations worshiped their gods, specifically mentioning Asherah poles and altars, reinforcing the idea that these symbols were central to forbidden worship.
1 Kings 14:23This verse describes the people of Judah erecting their own high places, Asherim, and sacred stones on every high hill and under every green tree, showing this was a widespread and persistent problem even in earlier times.
Ezekiel 6:13Ezekiel prophesies judgment, stating that when the people are scattered among the nations, they will remember God's vengeance, especially where they 'offered sacrifice and were wanton, where they ate the fat and drank the blood,' referencing the very types of idolatrous sites mentioned in Jeremiah.
barnesJeremiah 17:2: "Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills."
While their children remember their altars - Perhaps an allusion to their sacrifices of children to Moloch. Present perhaps at some such blood-stained rite, its horrors would be engraven forever upon the memory. Groves - "Asherahs," i. e., wooden images of Astarte (see Exodus 34:13 note).
clarkeJeremiah 17:2: "Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills."
Whilst their children remember - Even the rising generation have their imagination stocked with idol images, and their memories with the frantic rites and ceremonies which they saw their parents observe in this abominable worship.
The verse highlights a chilling detail: the children aren't just passively inheriting idolatry; they are actively remembering the pagan practices their parents taught them. This suggests that the sin wasn't just a surface-level habit, but something so ingrained it was etched into the memories and affections of the next generation, ensuring its continuation.
Jeremiah is describing the deep-seated, ingrained sin of Judah, which even the next generation continues. Their children aren't just passively inheriting this sin; they actively remember and perpetuate the idolatrous practices, setting up altars and sacred symbols of Asherah by lush trees and on prominent hills. This shows how their wicked ways are passed down, making their rebellion against God a deeply established pattern.
Jeremiah is describing the deep-seated, ingrained sin of Judah, which even the next generation continues. Their children aren't just passively inheriting this sin; they actively remember and perpetuate the idolatrous practices, setting up altars and sacred symbols of Asherah by lush trees and on prominent hills. This shows how their wicked ways are passed down, making their rebellion against God a deeply established pattern.
"while their children remember their altars and their Asherim, beside every green tree and on the high hills," — The verse highlights a chilling detail: the children aren't just passively inheriting idolatry; they are actively remembering the pagan practices their parents taught them. This suggests that the s…
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Last reviewed October 2026