Jeremiah 17:7-8
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The verse emphasizes not just trusting in the Lord, but that the Lord is our hope, highlighting the completeness of God as the object of our ultimate reliance. This isn't just about seeking help from God when needed, but making Him the very source and substance of all our confident expectations.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After denouncing those who put their trust in mere humans, Jeremiah contrasts them with those who place their entire confidence in God. This verse introduces the blessings that flow from a deep and unwavering trust specifically in the Lord. The following verses will expand on this blessing by comparing such a person to a thriving tree nourished by water.
Jeremiah says 'trusts in the LORD, and whose trust is the LORD.' Why the repetition? What's the deeper meaning here?
This verse isn't just saying 'believe in God.' It's describing a profound, two-part trust:
Trusting IN the LORD
This is the foundational trust. It means placing your reliance, your confidence, your very life into God's hands. It's an active commitment to depend on Him.
Whose Hope IS the LORD
This goes a step further. It means God Himself is your ultimate hope, your deepest desire, your highest goal. He isn't just the means to an end; He is the end. Your security, your future, your very being finds its ultimate hope in Him.
The verse promises blessing. But what does that look like? Jeremiah uses a powerful image to show us.
While Jeremiah 17:7 states the blessing, verse 8 paints the picture:
Rooted and Resilient
The person who trusts in the LORD is compared to a 'tree planted by the waters.' This isn't just any tree; it's one with deep roots drawing from a constant water source.
Enduring Through Trials
This tree 'shall not see when heat comes' and remains unaffected 'in the year of drought.' It doesn't mean trials won't come (the heat is felt!), but the deep connection to God provides the sustenance to stay green and fruitful, even in difficult times. True blessing isn't the absence of hardship, but the God-given capacity to endure and thrive through it.
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Understand the original words
baruk · Hebrew Adjective
A state of divine favor, prosperity, and spiritual well-being resulting from a right relationship with God and obedience to His Word. It implies a condition of happiness and security that is independent of external circumstances.
batach · Hebrew Verb
To rely on, lean upon, or place full confidence in someone or something. In a biblical sense, it denotes active faith and total dependence on God’s character and promises.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant name of the Creator God of Israel, indicating His self-existence, eternity, and faithfulness to His people. It is the name revealed to Moses at the burning bush, emphasizing God's personal relationship with His creation.
Jeremiah delivered these words during the nation's devastating exile in Babylon, a direct consequence of generations who had put their trust in flawed human alliances and their own strength, rather than in the Lord.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah and besieges Jerusalem. Though Jerusalem is miraculously saved from destruction, the kingdom is left vulnerable and weakened.
c. 609 BC
Josiah's Death in Battle
King Josiah, a righteous reformer, is killed fighting the Egyptians. His death plunges Judah into political instability and signals the decline of the Davidic monarchy.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under Nebuchadnezzar II, Babylon begins its rise to power. The first wave of Judean exiles, including nobles and skilled laborers, are deported to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Jerusalem is besieged again, and King Jehoiachin and more elites are exiled to Babylon. This event further erodes Judah's strength and independence.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the Davidic kingdom. The majority of the remaining population is exiled to Babylon, leaving Judah devastated.
c. 550-539 BC
Exile in Babylon
The Judean people live in exile in Babylon. During this period, Jeremiah's prophecies are a stark reminder of the consequences of misplaced trust and a call to repentance.
This Psalm echoes the blessing on those who trust God, presenting Jesus as the ultimate object of trust and the one whose kiss brings blessing, a profound fulfillment of trusting in the Lord.
Psalm 34:8This verse directly encourages tasting and seeing that the Lord is good, reinforcing Jeremiah's message by urging direct experience with God as the foundation for blessed trust.
Psalm 125:1This Psalm's declaration that those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, unshakeable, beautifully illustrates the steadfastness promised to the man described in Jeremiah 17:7.
Proverbs 3:5-6This passage parallels Jeremiah's sentiment by instructing believers to trust in the Lord with all their heart and not rely on their own understanding, promising that God will make their paths straight.
Isaiah 30:18Here, the Lord declares He will be gracious to those who wait for Him, directly connecting patient trust and hope in God with His promised blessings, much like Jeremiah's proclamation.
calvinJeremiah 17:7-8: "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is."
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.
Et erit tanquam arbor plantata prope aquas, et prope rivum emittet (hoc est, quae emittit) radices suas, et non videbit cum veniet aestus, et erit f…
cambridgeJeremiah 17:7: "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is."
7 . hope ] lit. as mg. trust .
The verse emphasizes not just trusting in the Lord, but that the Lord is our hope, highlighting the completeness of God as the object of our ultimate reliance. This isn't just about seeking help from God when needed, but making Him the very source and substance of all our confident expectations.
After denouncing those who put their trust in mere humans, Jeremiah contrasts them with those who place their entire confidence in God. This verse introduces the blessings that flow from a deep and unwavering trust specifically in the Lord. The following verses will expand on this blessing by comparing such a person to a thriving tree nourished by water.
After denouncing those who put their trust in mere humans, Jeremiah contrasts them with those who place their entire confidence in God. This verse introduces the blessings that flow from a deep and unwavering trust specifically in the Lord. The following verses will expand on this blessing by comparing such a person to a thriving tree nourished by water.
"“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green,…" — The verse emphasizes not just trusting in the Lord, but that the Lord is our hope, highlighting the completeness of God as the object of our ultimate reliance. This isn't just about seeking help fr…
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Last reviewed October 2026
