The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's striking here is that the prophet isn't just saying hearts are bad, but that they're incurably sick and so twisted they can even deceive themselves. This isn't simply about outward bad choices, but a deep-seated internal corruption that blinds us to our own condition, making it impossible for us to truly understand ourselves, let alone God's path.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah has just contrasted the blessings of trusting in the Lord with the curse on those who trust in humans and turn away from God. This verse dives into the core reason why people so often choose the latter: the human heart itself is inherently deceitful and deeply flawed, making it hard for anyone to truly understand its hidden motives and desires, let alone its capacity for self-deception. The prophet is essentially revealing the root cause of Israel's unfaithfulness, pointing to the internal corruption that leads to external rebellion against God.
Ever felt like you've tricked yourself? Or that your own desires led you astray? Jeremiah points to a deep-seated problem right at our core.
Jeremiah uses a powerful Hebrew word that paints a picture of something treacherous and cunning. It’s like a hidden trap or a winding path designed to trip you up.
A Master of Deception
This 'deceitful' heart isn't just a little bit off; it's a master manipulator. It can twist the truth, make wrong seem right, and promise pleasures that ultimately lead to ruin. It’s the source of our idolatry and misplaced trust, convincing us to lean on anything or anyone other than God.
Self-Deception is Key
What’s even more alarming is that this deceit is often directed inward. Our hearts can lie to us, convincing us we're okay when we're not, that we're wise when we're blind, or that our hidden sins are insignificant. It's a profound self-deception that can hide the true state of our inner lives, even from ourselves.
Beyond just being tricky, Jeremiah declares our hearts are 'desperately sick.' What does this profound illness look like, and can it be healed?
The second part of the verse describes the heart not just as cunning, but as deeply afflicted. While 'desperately wicked' is a common translation, many scholars suggest a more accurate sense is 'desperately sick' or 'incurable.'
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A Moral Taint
This isn't a temporary ailment but a deep-seated condition. It’s a moral taint that affects our thoughts, desires, and will. This sickness leads to all sorts of sin, turning what should be pure affections intoordinate ones, and darkening our understanding.
The Need for Divine Intervention
The gravity of this sickness is underscored by the question, 'Who can understand it?' It implies that the human heart, in its fallen state, is so complex and afflicted that we can barely comprehend its depths, let alone heal it ourselves. This points to a profound need for a divine physician.
Understand the original words
leb · Hebrew Noun
The inner person, including the intellect, will, emotions, and moral compass. In Scripture, it is considered the command center of human life and the seat of moral character.
aqob · Hebrew Adjective
Characterized by guile, treachery, or craftiness; incapable of being fully trusted due to the influence of sin. It describes the fallen nature that hides true motives from oneself and others.
anash · Hebrew Adjective
Incurable, mortally wounded, or beyond human repair. It refers to a spiritual condition that cannot be fixed by human effort, requiring divine intervention.
Jeremiah's unflinching description of the human heart as deceitful and incurably sick serves as a profound diagnosis of the spiritual rot that led to Judah's downfall. It highlights the deep-seated self-deception and inner corruption that blinded them to God's warnings and judgment.
c. 627-586 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Ministry to Judah
Jeremiah prophesied during a tumultuous period in Judah's history, warning of impending judgment due to the people's widespread idolatry and unfaithfulness to God.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under Nebuchadnezzar, many prominent Judeans, including Daniel, were taken captive to Babylon. This event signaled the growing power of Babylon and the weakening of Judah.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
More Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, were exiled to Babylon. This further intensified the crisis and revealed the depth of Judah's spiritual decay.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar's forces destroyed Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, marking the end of the Davidic monarchy and the culmination of God's judgment on Judah.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's sentiment, stating that 'every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,' highlighting the pervasive and deep-seated sinfulness of the human heart from the earliest times.
Psalm 51:6David's confession, 'Behold, you desire truth in the innermost being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart,' reveals a longing for purity within the very core of one's being, acknowledging the heart's hidden deceit and sickness.
Proverbs 28:26This verse directly warns against trusting oneself, stating, 'Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered,' which aligns perfectly with Jeremiah's assessment of the heart's untrustworthiness.
Romans 7:14-20Paul's profound struggle describes a similar internal conflict, where he laments, 'I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it... For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing,' illustrating the deceitful and inwardly corrupted nature of the human heart.
Mark 7:21-23Jesus directly lists 'fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, evil deeds, wickedness, deceit, and impudence...' as coming from within, from 'out of the heart of man,' confirming that the source of outward sin is the inner corruption described by Jeremiah.
barnesJeremiah 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
The train of thought is apparently this: If the man is so blessed Jeremiah 17:7-8 who trusts in Yahweh, what is the reason why men so generally "make flesh their arm"? And the answer is: Because man's heart is incapable of seeing things in a straightforward manner, but is full of shrewd guile, and ever seeking to overreach others. Desperately wicked - Rather, mortally sick.
clarkeJeremiah 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
The heart is deceitful - עקב הלב akob halleb, "the heart is supplanting - tortuous - full of windings - insidious;" lying ever at the catch; striving to avail itself of every favorable circumstance to gratify its propensities to pride, ambition, evil desire, and corruption of all kinds. And desperately wicked - ואנש הוא veanush hu, and is wretched, or feeble; distressed beyond all things, in con…
What's striking here is that the prophet isn't just saying hearts are bad, but that they're incurably sick and so twisted they can even deceive themselves. This isn't simply about outward bad choices, but a deep-seated internal corruption that blinds us to our own condition, making it impossible for us to truly understand ourselves, let alone God's path.
Jeremiah has just contrasted the blessings of trusting in the Lord with the curse on those who trust in humans and turn away from God. This verse dives into the core reason why people so often choose the latter: the human heart itself is inherently deceitful and deeply flawed, making it hard for anyone to truly understand its hidden motives and desires, let alone its capacity for self-deception. The prophet is essentially revealing the root cause of Israel's unfaithfulness, pointing to the internal corruption that leads to external rebellion against God.
Jeremiah has just contrasted the blessings of trusting in the Lord with the curse on those who trust in humans and turn away from God. This verse dives into the core reason why people so often choose the latter: the human heart itself is inherently deceitful and deeply flawed, making it hard for anyone to truly understand its hidden motives and desires, let alone its capacity for self-deception. The prophet is essentially revealing the root cause of Israel's unfaithfulness, pointing to the internal corruption that leads to external rebellion against God.
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" — What's striking here is that the prophet isn't just saying hearts are bad, but that they're incurably sick and so twisted they can even deceive themselves. This isn't simply about outward bad c…
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Last reviewed October 2026