Jeremiah 14:17You shall say this word to them, Let my eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous wound.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~605 BC. Babylon is advancing. Jeremiah receives God's message of coming devastation in modern-day Israel/Palestine...
The emotion here: overwhelmed by the weight of God's heartbreak
The original word
dimʿāh (דִּמְעָה) — tears that flow continuously, not just weeping but constant streaming
Why it matters
This prophecy came during Jehoiakim's reign, just before the first Babylonian siege
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 14:17
God commands Jeremiah to say 'MY eyes' - God is claiming these tears as His own
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows God as angry and punishing. Actually, it reveals God as heartbroken - a parent watching their child destroy themselves.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 14:17
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 14:17 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 14:17 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Yahweh. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine grief, intercession, compassion. Notable phrases: let my eyes run down with tears; virgin daughter of my people. 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 Jeremiah 14:17 mean to you, today?
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