Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Cross-reference
Jeremiah 23:26 exposes lying prophets with deceitful hearts—the same condition Jeremiah 17:9 attributes to every human heart.
Jeremiah 13:23 uses the impossibility of changing skin/spots to illustrate ingrained evil—parallel to the heart's incurable deceit.
Jeremiah 5:23 describes a stubborn, rebellious heart—directly echoing the same deceitful condition diagnosed in Jeremiah 17:9.
Jeremiah 16:12 shows the same stubborn evil heart in action—following one's own will instead of God.
Genesis 8:21 echoes that the intention of man's heart is evil from youth, reinforcing inherent corruption.
James 1:15 shows the progression from desire (from the heart) to sin to death—the outcome of the deceitful heart.
James 1:14 explains how one's own desires (from the deceitful heart) entice and lead to sin.
Hebrews 3:12 warns against an evil, unbelieving heart—directly echoing this description of the heart's deceit.
Mark 7:22 lists evils from within—the same inner source of sin as the deceitful heart.
Mark 7:21-23 expands the list of evils from within, making explicit the heart's defiling influence Jesus taught.
Matthew 15:19 lists evils from the heart—murder, adultery, etc.—showing the heart's deceitful output.
Ecclesiastes 9:3 observes that hearts are full of evil and madness, corroborating the bleak view of human nature.
Genesis 6:5 reveals every intention of man's heart is only evil continually, confirming total depravity.
Psalm 53:1-3 declares all have turned aside, none does good—matching the heart's desperate sickness.
Job 15:14-16 asks how man can be pure when he is corrupt and drinks injustice—aligning with the heart's deceitfulness.
Ezekiel 11:21 describes those with hearts devoted to detestable things—consistent with the wicked, deceitful heart of Jeremiah 17:9.
John 2:25 reveals Jesus knows what is in man — contrasting Jeremiah's rhetorical question 'who can know it?' with divine omniscience.
In Romans 7:11, sin uses the commandment to deceive and kill — directly illustrating how the deceitful heart described in Jeremiah leads to spiritual death.
Job 11:11 states God sees hidden iniquity — reinforcing that God knows the deceitful heart no one else can.
Matthew 26:33 shows Peter's overconfident boast — a classic case of the heart's self-deception Jeremiah warned about.
Matthew 23:28 exposes hypocrisy — a direct example of the deceitful heart Jeremiah describes, appearing righteous but inwardly corrupt.
In 1 Corinthians 2:11, Paul notes that only a person's own spirit knows their thoughts — reinforcing that the deceitful heart is unknowable to others, answering 'who can know it?'
2 Samuel 11:14 records David's letter to cover his sin—a concrete example of the deceitful heart in action.
Ezekiel 14:3 speaks of setting up idols in the heart—illustrating the inner idolatry that stems from the deceitful heart.
Psalm 5:9 describes inward destruction and flattering tongues — a vivid portrait of the deceitful heart.
Psalm 19:12 asks 'who can discern his errors?' — directly parallel to Jeremiah's 'who can know it?' about hidden faults.
Psalm 36:2 shows self-flattery that hides iniquity — illustrating how the deceitful heart deceives itself.
Psalm 64:6 says 'the heart is deep' — echoing the unsearchable deceitfulness of the heart.
Psalm 139:24 asks God to reveal hidden wicked ways — directly addressing the need to uncover the deceitful heart.
Psalm 139:1 declares God has searched and known the psalmist — affirming that God knows the heart Jeremiah calls unknowable.
Deuteronomy 8:2 says God tests to know what is in the heart—contrasting with Jeremiah's claim that the heart is unknowable.
In James 4:1, internal desires cause conflicts — a practical outworking of the deceitful, wicked heart that Jeremiah identifies as the source of sin.
In Job 9:21, Job says 'I do not know myself' — directly echoing the question 'who can know the heart?' though in a different context.
Psalm 51:5 traces sin back to conception, implying the heart's deceitfulness is innate from birth.
Proverbs 28:26 warns against trusting one's own heart, complementing Jeremiah's assessment of its deceit.
Matthew 7:11 acknowledges human evil, echoing Jeremiah's diagnosis of a deceitful heart — both affirm inherent sinfulness.
Hosea 7:15 says Israel plots evil despite God's training—demonstrating the deceitful, rebellious heart Jeremiah describes.
Proverbs 4:23 warns to guard the heart as the wellspring of life—echoing Jeremiah's diagnosis that the heart is deceitful and needs vigilance.