on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your high places for sin throughout all your territory.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "O my mountain in the field" is a tender, yet ironic, address to Jerusalem. God calls it "my mountain" because of His special presence there, but the qualifier "in the field" suggests it has been brought down to the level of the common, vulnerable land, making it ripe for plunder.
on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your high places for sin throughout all your territory.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is addressing Jerusalem, referred to poetically as "my mountain in the field," highlighting its significance to God despite its location. The prophet is delivering a severe judgment that God's chosen city and territory will be plundered. This condemnation is directly linked to the people's persistent idolatry practiced at their many "high places" of worship scattered throughout the land.
Jerusalem, God's chosen city, was meant to be a beacon of His presence. But the verse paints a stark contrast between its divine designation and its impending fate.
The phrase 'O my mountain in the field' is a poetic address to Jerusalem, or Mount Zion. God calls it 'my mountain' because it was the place He chose to dwell, set apart for Himself. However, it's also described as being 'in the field,' meaning it's not as high or imposing as one might expect, or perhaps it's situated amidst the ordinary, vulnerable landscape.
This contrast highlights a crucial spiritual principle: divine favor and unique calling do not grant immunity from judgment when God's people turn away from Him. The very place set apart for worship becomes a symbol of their sin when corrupted by idolatry. The 'high places' mentioned were sites of pagan worship, defiling the land that God had given them.
What value do your possessions hold when God's judgment falls? This verse reveals the devastating consequence of prioritizing earthly wealth over divine faithfulness.
The verse directly links the loss of wealth and treasures to the sin of idolatry. 'Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil...' This isn't a random act of destruction; it's a consequence. The very things they clung to, the symbols of their prosperity and security, become the targets for their enemies.
This highlights God's view of material possessions when they become idols themselves, or when they are accumulated in a land dedicated to God but filled with His people's sin. The 'price of your high places for sin' means that the wealth gained and hoarded will be the exact currency paid for their spiritual rebellion. Their earthly riches will be looted, becoming the spoils of war, a stark reminder of where their true allegiance should have been.
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Understand the original words
bamah · Hebrew Noun
Places of worship, often on elevated terrain, which were frequently used for unauthorized or pagan religious practices throughout Israel's history.
This prophecy was delivered in the shadow of Jerusalem's utter devastation by Babylon. The 'mountain' refers to Zion, God's chosen city, now a desolate 'field,' its treasures and religious sites, the very 'high places' of sin, all plundered by the conquerors.
c. 750-609 BC
High Places Flourish
Throughout this period, the practice of worshipping at 'high places' – often outdoor altars on hills or elevated spots – became widespread in Judah, mixing Yahweh worship with Canaanite religious customs. This syncretism deeply troubled prophets like Jeremiah.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invades Judah and deports a group of its leading citizens, including members of the royal family, to Babylon. This event marks the beginning of Judah's subjugation by Babylon.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar again besieges Jerusalem, this time deporting King Jehoiachin and thousands more skilled workers and elites to Babylon. This significantly weakens the kingdom.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
After a prolonged siege and further rebellion, the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar destroy Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple. The remaining population is largely exiled to Babylon.
c. 586 BC
Jeremiah Delivers Prophecies
During and immediately following the final destruction of Jerusalem, Jeremiah pronounces judgment and prophecies of future restoration. This verse speaks directly to the immediate aftermath of the city's fall and plunder.
This passage directly repeats the threat found in Jeremiah 17:3, emphasizing that even God's special people will lose their wealth and treasures due to their sins.
Ezekiel 25:3This verse speaks of God giving the wealth and treasures of His people to their enemies as judgment for their sins, echoing the same theme of divine retribution.
Isaiah 2:2This passage describes the 'mountain of the house of the LORD' being exalted in the last days, contrasting with Jeremiah's prophecy of God giving up the 'mountain in the field' (Jerusalem/Zion) because of sin.
Hosea 2:9This verse shows God revoking the gifts of grain, wine, and wool that He had given to Israel, linking the removal of treasures and sustenance to their idolatry.
barnesJeremiah 17:3: "O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders."
O my mountain in the field - i. e., Jerusalem or Zion, called the Rock of the Plain in Jeremiah 21:13 . "The field" is the open unenclosed country, here contrasted with the privileged height of Zion. Or sin - i. e., because of thy sin.
clarkeJeremiah 17:3: "O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders."
O my mountain in the field - The prophet here addresses the land of Judea, which was a mountainous country, Deuteronomy 3:25 ; but Jerusalem itself may be meant, which is partly built upon hills which, like itself, are elevated above the rest of the country.
The phrase "O my mountain in the field" is a tender, yet ironic, address to Jerusalem. God calls it "my mountain" because of His special presence there, but the qualifier "in the field" suggests it has been brought down to the level of the common, vulnerable land, making it ripe for plunder.
Jeremiah is addressing Jerusalem, referred to poetically as "my mountain in the field," highlighting its significance to God despite its location. The prophet is delivering a severe judgment that God's chosen city and territory will be plundered. This condemnation is directly linked to the people's persistent idolatry practiced at their many "high places" of worship scattered throughout the land.
Jeremiah is addressing Jerusalem, referred to poetically as "my mountain in the field," highlighting its significance to God despite its location. The prophet is delivering a severe judgment that God's chosen city and territory will be plundered. This condemnation is directly linked to the people's persistent idolatry practiced at their many "high places" of worship scattered throughout the land.
"on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your high places for sin throughout all your territory." — The phrase "O my mountain in the field" is a tender, yet ironic, address to Jerusalem. God calls it "my mountain" because of His special presence there, but the qualifier "in the field" suggests it h…
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Last reviewed October 2026