1 Kings 22:36A cry went throughout the army about the going down of the sun, saying, "Every man to his city, and every man to his country!"
The setting
Ramoth Gilead battlefield, northern Israel, ~853 BC. Sunset. King Ahab lies dying in his chariot as his army dissolves around him...
The emotion here: witnessing the collapse of everything they'd followed
The original word
rinah (רִנָּה) — a piercing cry, often of mourning or alarm
Why it matters
This battle was part of a coalition against Assyrian expansion under Shalmaneser III
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Kings 22:36
The cry went out at SUNSET — armies didn't fight at night, so this was the natural end
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows cowardice, but ancient armies always disbanded at a king's death — there was no central command structure to continue.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Kings 22:36
Bible Genome reading
1 Kings 22:36 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Kings 22:36 comes from the book of 1 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. The setting is the battlefield. These words are attributed to army. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include defeat, retreat, homecoming. Notable phrases: Every man to his city; every man to his country. This verse contains a command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does 1 Kings 22:36 mean to you, today?
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