Jeremiah 17:2

"“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond. It is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of your altars."

Key Reflection

The sin of Judah was deeply ingrained, not just in the physical actions but also in their very hearts and religious practices. The metaphor of engraving on a tablet with an iron pen and a diamond emphasizes how permanently and profoundly these sins were etched—both in personal conscience and in public worship spaces like the altars where they offered sacrifices. This would have struck the original audience as a powerful condemnation, highlighting the stubbornness of their rebellion against God despite repeated warnings.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

While their children remember their altars -Perhaps an allusion to their sacrifices of children to Moloch. Present perhaps at some such blood-stained rite, its horrors would be engraven forever upon the memory. Groves - “Asherahs,” i. e., wooden images of Astarte (seeExodus 34:13note).

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