Jeremiah 17:2 (GNV)

Passage

They remember their altars as their children, with their groues by the greene trees vpon the hilles.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 17:1 The sinne of Iudah is written with a pen of yron, and with the poynt of a diamonde, and grauen vpon the table of their heart, and vpon the hornes of your altars.

Jeremiah 17:2 They remember their altars as their children, with their groues by the greene trees vpon the hilles.

Jeremiah 17:3 O my mountaine in the fielde, I will giue thy substance, and all thy treasures to be spoyled, for the sinne of thy high places throughout all thy borders.

Jeremiah 17:4 And thou shalt rest, and in thee shall be a rest from thine heritage that I gaue thee, and I will cause thee to serue thine enemies in the land, which thou knowest not: for yee haue kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burne for euer.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "remember", "altars", "children", "groues", "greene", "trees", "vpon", and "hilles". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "remember" and "altars", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "The sinne of Iudah is written with..." into verse 3's "O my mountaine in the fielde I...", so "remember" and "altars" 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 "remember" and "altars" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.