Jeremiah 17:6

6 erit enim quasi myrice in deserto et non videbit cum venerit bonum sed habitabit in siccitate in deserto in terra salsuginis et inhabitabili

Jeremiah 17:6 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 17:6

For he shall be like the heath in the desert
The Vulgate Latin version renders it, "myrice": and so the Latin interpreter of the Targum; but the word that paraphrase makes use of according to R. Hai, mentioned by Kimchi, signifies something that is thorny without, and eatable within; but this is not likely to be intended here. The Septuagint version renders it, "wild myrice"; it seems to be the same that is called "erice", or "ling", and "heath"; which delights to grow in wild and waste places; hence such with us are called "heaths", whether this grows upon them or not. It is a low shrub, fruitless and useless; and, because neither bears fruit nor seed, is reckoned by Pliny ^F15 among unhappy plants, and such as are condemned or forbid religious uses; and very fit to represent such persons as truest in men and in themselves, and not in the Lord: and shall not see when good cometh;
perceive or receive any advantage by rain coming upon it; as such persons do not receive any good by the pure ministration of the word, compared to rain; and so the self-righteous Jews did not see when the Messiah came, who is goodness itself; nor see him, and embrace him, nor his righteousness; but rejected him and that; went about to establish their own, and did not submit to his; nor did they attain to righteousness, or enjoy eternal life; as is the case of all self-justiciaries: but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land,
and not inhabited:
which became literally true of the land of Judea, for the rejection of the Messiah, and trust in themselves; see ( Deuteronomy 29:23 ) and may fitly represent the barren pastures of a man's own works of righteousness, which such as trust in themselves feed upon. All the characters are expressive of barrenness, as a wilderness, places parched with heat, and where salt is; for, as Pliny ^F16 says, where salt is found, it is barren, and produces nothing.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 21. & l. 16. c. 26. & l. 24. c. 9.
F16 Nat. Hist. l. 31. c. 7.

Jeremiah 17:6 In-Context

4 et relinqueris sola ab hereditate tua quam dedi tibi et servire te faciam inimicis tuis in terra quam ignoras quoniam ignem succendisti in furore meo usque in aeternum ardebit

5 haec dicit Dominus maledictus homo qui confidit in homine et ponit carnem brachium suum et a Domino recedit cor eius

6 erit enim quasi myrice in deserto et non videbit cum venerit bonum sed habitabit in siccitate in deserto in terra salsuginis et inhabitabili

7 benedictus vir qui confidit in Domino et erit Dominus fiducia eius

8 et erit quasi lignum quod transplantatur super aquas quod ad humorem mittit radices suas et non timebit cum venerit aestus et erit folium eius viride et in tempore siccitatis non erit sollicitum nec aliquando desinet facere fructum