Jeremiah 12:13They have sown wheat, and have reaped thorns; they have put themselves to pain, and profit nothing: and you shall be ashamed of your fruits, because of the fierce anger of Yahweh.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~605 BC. Jeremiah watches farmers harvesting thorns instead of grain, a perfect picture of Judah's spiritual bankruptcy. Modern Israel/Palestine.
The original word
qotsim (קוצים) — painful thorns that pierce and wound, not just weeds
Why it matters
This was spoken during the reign of Jehoiakim, who burned Jeremiah's scroll
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 12:13
The Hebrew connects physical agricultural failure to spiritual rebellion
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about laziness, but it's about misdirected effort - working hard at the wrong things because of spiritual rebellion.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 12:13
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 12:13 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 12:13 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the poetry genre of biblical literature. Key themes include futility, failed efforts. Notable phrases: sown wheat, reaped thorns; ashamed of your fruits. This verse contains prophecy.
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 Jeremiah 12:13 mean to you, today?
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