For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.

JEREMIAH 11:17KJV
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Jeremiah 11:17 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 11:17 mean?

Jeremiah 11:17 says that the LORD, who originally planted Israel and Judah like a gardener, has now declared disaster for them because of their own wrongdoing—specifically, their acts of worshiping Baal by burning incense, which provoked God’s anger. The verse highlights that the harm coming to them is a direct result of their choices to turn away from God.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking to the people of Judah, relaying God’s message. The setting is a time when both Israel and Judah have repeatedly broken their covenant with God by adopting the worship practices of surrounding nations, especially offering incense to Baal. The verse uses the image of God as a planter to remind the people that their existence and blessings came from Him, but their persistent disobedience has led to the consequences they now face.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 11:17

  • LORD (יְהוָה / YHWH): This is the personal name of God, emphasizing that the message comes from the covenant God of Israel, not a generic deity.
  • planted (נָטַע / nata‘): The word means to plant or establish, painting God as the one who intentionally set Israel and Judah in their land, like a gardener with a beloved plant.
  • pronounced (דָּבַר / dabar): This word often means to speak or declare, showing that the coming disaster is not random but a deliberate decision from God.
  • incense (קָטַר / qatar): This refers to burning incense, a common act of worship in ancient times. Here, it underlines the specific way the people turned to Baal, not just in belief but in ritual practice.

Why Jeremiah 11:17 matters

  • Jeremiah 11:17 clarifies that God’s judgment is not arbitrary but a response to the people’s own actions, especially their choice to worship Baal instead of remaining faithful to God.
  • The verse connects the coming disaster directly to the breaking of the covenant, helping readers see the seriousness of idolatry in the context of Israel’s relationship with God.
  • By using the image of planting, the verse reminds readers that God’s intentions for Israel and Judah were good from the beginning, making their turn to other gods all the more tragic and consequential.

Where else these words appear

“for” Hebrew H1558 · used in 10 verses

  • Genesis 12:13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
  • Deuteronomy 1:37 Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.
  • 1 Kings 14:16 And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.

“anger” Hebrew H3707 · used in 53 verses

  • Deuteronomy 4:25 When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:
  • 1 Kings 22:53 For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
  • Ecclesiastes 5:17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.

“planted” Hebrew H5193 · used in 55 verses

  • Genesis 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
  • Psalms 94:9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?
  • Jeremiah 12:2 Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.

“Baal” Hebrew H1168 · used in 68 verses

  • Judges 2:11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
  • 1 Kings 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
  • 2 Chronicles 17:3 And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim;