Jeremiah 17:21 (DBY)

Passage

thus saith Jehovah: Take heed to your souls, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, and bring nothing in through the gates of Jerusalem;

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 17:19 Thus hath Jehovah said unto me: Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, by which the kings of Judah come in, and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;

Jeremiah 17:20 and say unto them, Hear the word of Jehovah, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates;

Jeremiah 17:21 thus saith Jehovah: Take heed to your souls, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, and bring nothing in through the gates of Jerusalem;

Jeremiah 17:22 and carry forth no burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do any work; but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers,

Jeremiah 17:23 but they hearkened not, neither inclined their ear, but hardened their neck, that they might not hear nor receive instruction.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thus", "saith", "jehovah", "take", "heed", "souls", "bear", and "burden". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thus" and "saith", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "and say unto them Hear the word..." into verse 22's "and carry forth no burden out of...", so "thus" and "saith" belong inside that flow. In Jeremiah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "thus" and "saith" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.