Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Jeremiah 17:11 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 11. 11As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The prophetic word through Jeremiah states or reports “As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not” at Jeremiah 17:11 as a specific part of “The Searched Heart and Unjust Riches.”
Read It With
- Jeremiah 17:9–11
Read Jeremiah 17:11 with 17:9–11. By itself, “As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not” can be detached from the speaker, addressee, date, imperial horizon, poetic movement, or outcome that gives it force. The complete unit establishes: Deceptive inner life is known by God, who repays conduct; wealth gained unjustly is compared to a bird brooding what it did not lay.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within the same chapter, this unit advances from “Shrub and Tree Contrast Misplaced and Rooted Trust” into “The Searched Heart and Unjust Riches.” Its non-interchangeable movement is: Deceptive inner life is known by God, who repays conduct; wealth gained unjustly is compared to a bird brooding what it did not lay. This verse's placement is specific: The prophetic word through Jeremiah states or reports “As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not” at Jeremiah 17:11 as a specific part of “The Searched Heart and Unjust Riches.”
What Remains True
Knowledge, strength, wealth, and inward life are tested by justice, truth, and their fruits. In Jeremiah 17:11, that bounded truth is carried through this verse's role: The prophetic word through Jeremiah states or reports “As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not” at Jeremiah 17:11 as a specific part of “The Searched Heart and Unjust Riches.”
How It Can Shape Life
- Use the saying for self-examination rather than mind reading, stigma, or simplistic diagnoses of suffering. This response follows Jeremiah 17:9–11's specific concern, “The Searched Heart and Unjust Riches.” This verse directs that response through its exact role: The prophetic word through Jeremiah states or reports “As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not” at Jeremiah 17:11 as a specific part of “The Searched Heart and Unjust Riches.”
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Jeremiah 17:9–11 — The Searched Heart and Unjust RichesSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Jeremiah 17:9–11, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Jeremiah
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2; fixed commit
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology checked at the exact unit without treating morphology as a critical apparatus or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Jer.xml, OSIS 17:9–11
Open the fixed Hebrew Jeremiah file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Jeremiah with Translator, Textual, and Study Notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press; official eBible PDF distribution, NET Bible Second Edition; official PDF accessed 2026
Supports: Verse-level controls for Hebrew, syntax, older KJV language, dates, names, textual problems, and material translation alternatives.
Exact location: Official NET Bible Jeremiah PDF, pp. 1258-1459, translator, study, and textual notes attached to Jeremiah 17:9–11
Open the official NET Jeremiah PDF ↗