“Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.”
The wicked's false piety: 'You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips, but far from their hearts. Yet you know my heart and test me.' This verse indicates that the wicked have prospered (God has 'planted them'), yet they are hypocritical: God is 'always on their lips, but far from their hearts.' The contrast with Jeremiah's own faithfulness (God 'test[s]' his heart) heightens the complaint: the prophet is faithful, yet suffers, while the wicked prosper with false piety. Theologically, this verse articulates the complexity of theodicy: the wicked are not merely prosperous but combine prosperity with successful hypocrisy.
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