Thus says the LORD;
Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD.
All Commentaries on Jeremiah 17:5 Go To Jeremiah 17
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
Blessed are all who trust in God. If the blessed are those who trust in him, then the wretched are those who trust in themselves. Cursed, you see, is everyone who puts his hopes in humankind, so do not put them even in yourself, because you too are human. If you put your hopes in another person, that is the wrong kind of humility. But if you put your hopes in yourself, that is dangerous pride. What is the difference, anyway? Each is pernicious, neither is to be chosen. Humble in the wrong way, you cannot lift yourself up; dangerously proud, you are heading for a fall.
