· Translation: KJV

Jeremiah 10:19Woe is me because of my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is my grief, and I must bear it.

The setting

Jerusalem, ~627-586 BC. The prophet Jeremiah speaks as the city's voice, knowing Babylonian invasion is coming. Modern Israel/Palestine.

The emotion here: heartbroken but resolved to prophesy truth

The original word

cholí (חֳלִי) — sickness, disease, weakness that comes from deep wounds

Why it matters

Jeremiah prophesied for 40 years before Jerusalem's destruction, watching his warnings ignored

Read with care

What most readers miss in Jeremiah 10:19

Jeremiah is speaking AS Jerusalem itself, not just about it — the city is the wounded patient

Common misconceptionPeople think this promotes passive victimhood, but Jeremiah is teaching the difference between acceptance and denial. He names the wound honestly before bearing it.

Bible Genome reading

Jeremiah 10:19 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerJeremiah
EraDivided Kingdom
Primary emotiongrieving
Literary typepsalm
MarkPrayer

Emotional genome

Comfort power60%
Quotability70%
Memorability70%
Crisis relevance90%
Standalone80%
Themes:personal lamentaccepting suffering

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Jeremiah 10

Jeremiah 10:19 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Jeremiah. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include personal lament, accepting suffering. Notable phrases: woe is me; my grief, and I must bear it. This verse is a prayer.

Your reflection

What does Jeremiah 10:19 mean to you, today?

A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.

Speak your heart →

Get 3 verses for "grieving"

Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.