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Jeremiah 16:12
And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:

Genesis 6:5
And GOD saw that the wickedness of manwas great in the earth, andthat every imagination of the thoughts of his heartwas only evil continually.

Genesis 8:21
And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heartis evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

and beyond cure
This part of the verse suggests the incurable nature of the human heart's condition without divine intervention. The term "beyond cure" implies that no human remedy or effort can rectify the heart's deceitfulness. This aligns with the biblical teaching of total depravity, where sin affects every part of human nature. The need for a new heart is echoed inEzekiel 36:26, where God promises to give His people a new heart and spirit. The ultimate cure is found in Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice and resurrection provide the means for spiritual regeneration and renewal.

Who can understand it?
This rhetorical question emphasizes the complexity and inscrutability of the human heart. It suggests that only God, who searches and knows the heart (1 Samuel 16:7), can truly understand its depths. The question points to the limitations of human understanding and the necessity of relying on God's wisdom and insight. In the New Testament, Jesus demonstrates His understanding of the human heart, as seen inJohn 2:24-25, where He knows what is in man. This phrase calls believers to seek God's guidance and wisdom in discerning their own hearts and motives.

• Scripture uses “heart” for the inner person—mind, will, emotions, and spirit.Proverbs 4:23 urges, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life”.

• God looks past appearances to the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). That makes what follows in Jeremiah especially sobering.

• Jesus confirms the assessment: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander” (Matthew 15:19).

• From Eden forward (Genesis 6:5), the core of humanity is the problem, not merely behavior or circumstances.

• The heart’s first reflex is to mislead—even its owner.Romans 7:11 notes, “Sin deceived me.”

• We rationalize sin, downplay guilt, and flatter ourselves (Psalm 36:2).

• “Whoever trusts in his own heart is a fool” (Proverbs 28:26).

•James 1:14 shows how desire lures and entices. Our hearts can talk us into almost anything while assuring us we are fine.

• The verse’s stark claim means no self-help regimen can fix us. We are “dead in trespasses” apart from divine intervention (Ephesians 2:1-5).

• David pleads, “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Psalm 51:10), admitting he cannot remodel it himself.

• God promises what we cannot achieve: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). New birth (John 3:3-6) and washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5) are required, not mere tweaking.

• Humans cannot plumb the full depth of their own motives; we have blind spots we cannot see around.

• Only the Lord has perfect insight: “O LORD, You search me and know me… before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it” (Psalm 139:1-4).

•Hebrews 4:12-13 says the Word pierces “to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart,” leaving nothing hidden from His sight.

• Because God alone truly knows us (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), we must let His Word and Spirit diagnose and transform us rather than trusting self-evaluation.

Jeremiah 17:9 exposes the human condition: our inner person is fundamentally deceitful, incurably sick, and beyond our own comprehension. Scripture consistently affirms this diagnosis, yet it also offers the cure—God’s gracious gift of a new heart through the saving work of Christ and the renewing power of the Holy Spirit. Our response is to distrust self, turn to the Lord, and allow His truth to remake us from the inside out.

Desperately wicked.--Rather,incurably diseased,as inJeremiah 15:18;Jeremiah 30:12;Jeremiah 30:15;Isaiah 17:11, and elsewhere. Wickedness is, of course, implied, but it is regarded rather as a moral taint following on the deliberate choice, than as the choice itself.