Jeremiah 17:8 · Bible study
Jeremiah 17:8 Commentary: The Tree That Thrives in Drought
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
A study of Jeremiah 17:8: the promise of fruitfulness amid hardship. Hebrew background, scholar commentary, and pastoral insights for those trusting in God.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A promise that those who trust in God will be sustained and fruitful even in hardship, like a tree with constant water.
- Key words: Tree (עֵץ), Planted (שָׁתוּל), Roots (שָׁרָשִׁים), Heat (חֹם), Drought (בַּצֹּרֶת), Fruit (פְּרִי).
- Main debate: Textual variant: Ketiv “not see” (יִרְאֶה) vs. Qere “not fear” (יִירָא); also whether the promise is exemption from trials or strength within them.
- Theological theme: Divine sustenance for the trusting heart, contrasted with the curse of self-reliance.
- Best use: Comfort and exhortation for believers facing trials; teaching on the nature of biblical trust and fruitfulness.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit.
WEB World English Bible 2000
For he will be as a tree planted by the waters, who spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes, but its leaf will be green, and will not be concerned in the year of drought. It won’t cease from yielding fruit.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat cometh, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And hath been as a tree planted by waters, And by a rivulet he sendeth forth his roots, And he doth not see when heat cometh, And his leaf hath been green, And in a year of dearth he is not sorrowful, Nor doth he cease from making fruit.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out its roots by the stream, and he shall not see when heat cometh, but his leaf shall be green; and in the year of drought he shall not be careful, neither shall he cease to yield fruit.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And he shall be as a tree that is planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its roots towards moisture: and it shall not fear when the heat cometh. And the leaf thereof shall be green, and in the time of drought it shall not be solicitous, neither shall it cease at any time to bring forth fruit.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque él será como el árbol plantado junto á las aguas, que junto á la corriente echará sus raices, y no verá cuando viniere el calor, sino que su hoja estará verde; y en el año de sequía no se fatigará, ni dejará de hacer fruto.
Porque ele será como a árvore plantada junto a águas, que estende suas raízes junto à corrente; não tem preocupação quando vier o calor, e sua folha permanece verde; e no ano de seca não se cansa, nem deixa de dar fruto.
Il est comme un arbre planté près des eaux,
Der ist wie ein Baum, am Wasser gepflanzt und am Bach gewurzelt. Denn obgleich eine Hitze kommt, fürchtet er sich doch nicht, sondern seine Blätter bleiben grün, und sorgt nicht, wenn ein dürres Jahr kommt sondern er bringt ohne Aufhören Früchte.
Want hij zal zijn als een boom, die aan het water geplant is, en zijn wortelen uitschiet aan een rivier, en gevoelt het niet, wanneer er een hitte komt, maar zijn loof blijft groen; en in een jaar van droogte zorgt hij niet, en houdt niet op van vrucht te dragen.
Egli è come un albero piantato presso all’acque, che distende le sue radici lungo il fiume; non s’accorge quando vien la caldura, e il suo fogliame riman verde; nell’anno della siccità non è in affanno, e non cessa di portar frutto.
Bo będzie jako drzewo wszczepione nad wodami, a nad strumieniem zapuszczające korzenie swoje, które nie czuje, gdy przychodzi gorącość, ale liść jego zostaje zielony, a roku suchego nie frasuje się, i nie przestaje przynosić owocu.
Ибо он будет как дерево, посаженное при водах и пускающее корни свои у потока; не знает оно, когда приходит зной; лист его зелен, и во время засухи оно не боится и не перестает приносить плод.
他必 像樹 栽 於 水旁，在 河 邊扎 根， 炎熱 來到，並不 懼怕，葉子 仍必 青翠，在乾旱 之年 毫無 掛慮，而且結 果 不 止。
For he will be like a tree planted by the waters, pushing out its roots by the stream; he will have no fear when the heat comes, but his leaf will be green; in a dry year he will have no care, and will go on giving fruit.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 17:8
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Jeremiah 17:8 portrays the person who trusts in Yahweh as a tree planted by a constant water source, secure and fruitful even in harsh conditions. Adam Clarke emphasizes the hidden moisture that sustains the tree through intense heat. John Calvin explains that believers are not exempt from adversity; like trees, they feel the sun’s heat, but their roots draw sustaining moisture from a hidden supply (God’s grace). The Cambridge Bible notes the sharp contrast with the cursed person in verse 6, who is like a desert bush. Matthew Gill highlights the deliberate wording: “planted” (not wild), and “spreads out its roots” toward the river, suggesting active dependence. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown connect the imagery back to Psalm 1:3 and forward to 2 Corinthians 4:8, 11, where Paul describes being afflicted but not crushed. The consensus across traditions is that this is a promise of supernatural resilience: the believer remains green and fruitful because of an ongoing, life-giving connection to God, not because trials are avoided.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Ketiv/Qere Textual Variant: The Ketiv reads 'not see' (יִרְאֶה) while the Qere and many versions read 'not fear' (יִירָא). The meaning shifts from not perceiving heat to not fearing it.
- Exemption vs. Sustenance: Some interpret the promise as guaranteeing freedom from hardship; others, citing Calvin and the context of Jeremiah’s own trials, see it as a promise of sustaining grace during unavoidable adversity.
What is clear: The verse promises that the one who trusts in God will have a continuous source of life and will bear fruit even in adverse conditions.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of fruitfulness | The tree’s fruit represents the outworking of a life rooted in God, good works, character, and perseverance. | Some traditions emphasize primarily spiritual fruit (e.g., inner peace, growth in holiness), while others include material provision and tangible success. Both affirm God’s sustaining care. |
| Meaning of heat and drought | These symbolize any trial or hardship, persecution, personal loss, national calamity. | Some see a specific reference to the Babylonian exile or the drought of Jeremiah 14; others view them as universal types of suffering. |
| Textual variant: see vs. fear | Both readings affirm the tree’s resilience in adversity. | Ketiv (“shall not see”) suggests the tree does not even experience the heat; Qere (“shall not fear”) emphasizes calm trust despite the trial. Versions differ in their choice. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 17 is set in the final decades of the kingdom of Judah, a time of political decay and religious syncretism. The surrounding passage (vv.5, 10) contrasts two kinds of trust: reliance on human strength, often manifested in Judah’s alliances with Egypt and other nations, and absolute trust in Yahweh. The curse on the man who trusts in man (v.5) depicts him as a “bush in the desert” (v.6), a lonely, fruitless plant in a salt land. In contrast, the blessed man is a cultivated tree planted “by the waters,” a metaphor drawn from the irrigation-dependent agriculture of ancient Israel. Rivers, streams, and underground water were precious; a tree planted near such a source was assured of life.
The reference to “heat” and “year of drought” likely alludes to the literal drought that struck Judah (Jeremiah 14:1, 6), a judgment of God. The poetic imagery of the tree is also a wisdom motif common in ancient Near Eastern literature (cf. Psalm 1, Proverbs 11:28). Theologically, the passage answers the objection in Jeremiah 16:10 that Judah had not served idols; the prophet insists that the heart’s true object of trust reveals spiritual allegiance. Thus, this verse functions as a call to exclusive reliance on God, promising that such trust provides sustenance even under divine judgment. The chapter also includes the famous statement about the deceitful heart (v.9), showing that the human tendency to misplace confidence is deep-rooted. The tree imagery serves as a vivid promise that God’s own planting will survive the drought that devastates the land.
Textual Notes
The main textual issue is the Ketiv/Qere variant on the verb in “shall not see/fear.” The Ketiv (written text) reads יִרְאֶה (yir’eh, “he will see”), while the Qere (reading tradition) suggests יִירָא (yira, “he will fear”). The WEB follows the Qere (“fear”), as do many modern versions, while the KJV and some others adhere to the Ketiv (“see”). The nuance shifts: one emphasizes no perception of heat, the other no fear of it. The ancient versions (LXX, Syriac, Targum) support the “fear” reading. The Masoretic tradition preserves both, and both point to a similar trust-based resilience. No other significant textual variants are noted in the consulted sources.
Reception History
This verse has been a touchstone throughout both Jewish and Christian traditions for describing the security of the righteous. Its close resonance with Psalm 1:3 made it a natural partner in wisdom literature applications. Early church fathers such as Origen and Jerome used the image of the tree to speak of Christ as the living water sustaining the faithful. During the Reformation, Calvin and others emphasized the contrast between dependence on God and reliance on human works.
In times of persecution, believers have drawn on this promise as assurance that God supplies hidden strength. It has been set to music in various traditions, often as a song of trust. Matthew Henry’s popular devotional commentary applies it to “the comfort of believers in all times of trouble.” Today it remains a staple in sermons on perseverance, reminding hearers that fruitfulness is not dependent on ideal circumstances but on a deep, ongoing connection to God.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Source of Life: The trusting person is “planted by the waters.” The source is not self but God’s constant provision, His word, His Spirit, His promises.
- The Secret of Resilience: “Spreads out its roots by the river.” Active dependence on God, not passive waiting, draws hidden strength that sustains in heat and drought.
- The Sign of Blessing: “It won’t cease from yielding fruit.” True trust produces lasting fruit, character, service, and witness, regardless of circumstances.
Five-point outline
- Deliberate Placement: The tree is planted, not self-sown. God places the one who trusts in a context of grace.
- Deep Rooting: Roots reach toward the stream. Trust involves intentional reaching toward God through prayer, Scripture, and community.
- Calm in Crisis: “Will not fear when heat comes.” The trusting person has a supernatural perspective; they see beyond the immediate trial.
- Perpetual Vitality: “Its leaf will be green.” The outward signs of faith, hope, joy, peace, remain fresh even when circumstances are dry.
- Persistent Production: “It won’t cease from yielding fruit.” Fruitfulness continues, not because of human effort, but because the source never runs dry.
Illustration hooks
- Consider a tree planted beside a river in a region struck by drought. Other trees nearby wither, but this one stays green because its roots have constant access to water. The difference is not the tree’s own strength, but its location.
- A Christian facing a long season of hardship, illness, unemployment, or relational strain, continues to serve others, pray, and maintain faith. When asked how, they point not to their own resolve but to the “hidden moisture” of God’s faithfulness and the support of a faith community.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “If I trust God, why do I still feel dry and unproductive?”
- “How can I keep from being anxious when everything around me is falling apart?”
- “Does this promise guarantee that I will never suffer hardship or loss?”
Leading a Discussion
This passage contrasts two responses to pressure: trust in human resources and trust in God. The image of a tree planted by water offers a vivid picture of sustained life in difficult times. As you discuss, consider how the metaphor challenges your own patterns of trust and where you might need to “spread roots” toward God’s provision.
Discussion questions
- What contrasts does Jeremiah set up in verses 5, 8? How do the two images differ in their outcome?
- What does the tree imagery tell us about the source of resilience? Is it passive or active?
- Why does the text emphasize that the tree “spreads out its roots by the river”? What does that suggest about our own effort in trusting God?
- How does this passage challenge our natural tendency to rely on human resources, money, relationships, or ourselves?
- In what area of your life do you find it hardest to trust God completely? What would “planting roots toward the river” look like there?
- What “hidden moisture”, means of grace like prayer, Scripture, or Christian community, has sustained you in past trials?
- How can we as a group support one another to remain fruitful in the “year of drought”, times of personal or collective hardship?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Job 8:16 | He is green before the sun. His shoots go out along his garden. |
| Psalms 1:3 | He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper. |
| Psalms 92:10 | But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox. I am anointed with fresh oil. |
| Psalms 92:15 | to show that Yahweh is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. |
| Isaiah 58:11 | and Yahweh will guide you continually, satisfy your soul in dry places, and make your bones strong. You will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters don’t fail. |
| Jeremiah 14:1 | This is Yahweh’s word that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: |
| Jeremiah 14:6 | The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights. They pant for air like jackals. Their eyes fail, because there is no vegetation. |
| Ezekiel 31:4 | The waters nourished it. The deep made it to grow. Its rivers ran all around its plantation. It sent out its channels to all the trees of the field. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke emphasizes that the tree planted by the river receives constant moisture even in intense heat, so drought does not harm it. Its leaves stay green and it continues to bear fruit in season. The image shows how steady, hidden nourishment makes outward conditions irrelevant.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that God's children feel the heat of adversity just as unbelievers do; they are not spared trials. But they are like trees planted by a river, sustained by a hidden moisture that keeps their leaves green. The difference is not the absence of trouble but the secret supply that prevents them from withering.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary highlights the sharp contrast between two paths of conduct, one leading to fading and the other to flourishing. The editors note a textual issue, preferring "fear" over "see" based on parallelism, and suggest the passage, though possibly an insertion, is likely from Jeremiah and may refer to Zedekiah's reliance on Egypt.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva translation stresses the blessed person's complete security: trouble may come, but they will not even feel it, and drought will not cause them to worry or stop bearing fruit. The image is not just survival but thriving through adversity.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill contrasts the trusting man with a hypocrite: the believer is a cultivated tree, planted by God himself near the river of God's love and grace. This deep rootage keeps him from fearing persecution's heat, from withering in spiritual drought, and from ever ceasing to bear fruit.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB interprets "shall not see" to mean the believer will not be overwhelmed or sink under fiery trials. While distress still comes, the Lord provides hidden strength, like roots drawing unseen support from a river, so the believer may feel anxious but never despair.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange proposes that a textual corruption has occurred in this verse; the phrase should read "withhold thy hand" from Deuteronomy's law of release. The exile itself becomes a kind of sabbatical year for the land, a period of forced rest that fulfills the divine command the people ignored.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that this passage is not a prophecy aimed at Judah alone but a universal moral lesson for all people. He reads it as a practical warning against misplacing trust in human help instead of God, with the curse and blessing applying to anyone, anytime.