What is the meaning of Jeremiah 17:2? Even their children Jeremiah writes, “Even their children…” (Jeremiah 17:2). The indictment is generational. • Sin has become so normalized that the youngest in the community can recount it. Compare the way in which “children… set wood” for idolatry in Jeremiah 7:18. • God’s warning in Exodus 20:5—that iniquity is “visited” on the children when a family clings to sin—is playing out here. • Psalm 106:6 admits, “We have sinned like our fathers”; the pattern repeats because the parents never break it. remember The verb highlights an active, affectionate recollection, not a passing thought. • Hosea 8:13 shows Israel “remembering” their altars with delight, while forgetting the LORD. • In contrast, Isaiah 46:9 urges, “Remember the former things,” meaning God’s mighty acts. Judah is doing the opposite—remembering idols and forgetting God. • Matthew 6:21 reminds us that whatever we continually call to mind reveals where our “treasure” truly lies. their altars and Asherah poles These are handcrafted sites of Canaanite fertility worship. • Deuteronomy 16:21 expressly forbids planting “any tree as an Asherah pole beside the altar of the LORD.” Judah has done exactly that, blending pagan symbols with supposed worship. • 1 Kings 14:23 records Judah building “high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill.” Jeremiah exposes how deeply those practices have become part of their identity. • 2 Chronicles 24:18 notes that when the people served Asherah, “wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem,” underscoring the seriousness of this sin. by the green trees Shaded groves were viewed as sensual, life-giving spots—perfect stages for fertility rituals. • Isaiah 57:5 pictures people “burning with lust among the oaks, under every green tree.” • Ezekiel 6:13 says Israel set up idols “under every green tree,” confirming that this was not an isolated fad but a nationwide fixation. • The pleasant setting masked the ugliness of idolatry, much as contemporary culture can cloak sin in attractive packaging. and on the high hills Elevated places were thought to bring worshippers closer to the heavens. • 1 Kings 3:2 notes that “the people were still sacrificing on the high places,” because Solomon’s temple had not yet redirected their worship. By Jeremiah’s day, that excuse was gone, yet the practice remained. • 2 Kings 17:10–11 records Israel setting up pillars “on every high hill… and they burned incense on all the high places,” paralleling Judah’s conduct. • Micah 1:3 warns that when the LORD “treads the high places of the earth,” those counterfeit shrines will crumble. summary Jeremiah 17:2 paints a heartbreaking picture: idolatry so entrenched that even the children cherish it, recalling the exact spots—altars, Asherah poles, shady groves, lofty hills—where their nation betrays the LORD. The verse warns that tolerated sin becomes celebrated sin, crossing generational lines and inviting judgment. God’s people are called instead to remember Him, tear down every rival altar, and pass on a legacy of faithfulness rather than rebellion. |
    |