Jeremiah 14:18If I go forth into the field, then, behold, the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then, behold, those who are sick with famine! for both the prophet and the priest go about in the land, and have no knowledge.
The setting
Jerusalem under siege, ~586 BC. Bodies in the fields, starvation in the city. Even religious leaders wander aimlessly in modern-day Jerusalem, Israel...
The emotion here: witnessing the unthinkable collapse of everything sacred
The original word
rāʿāb (רָעָב) — not just hunger but the skeletal, death-bringing famine that hollows out a city
Why it matters
Archaeological evidence shows Jerusalem's population dropped 90% during the Babylonian siege
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 14:18
The prophets and priests are 'going about' - they've abandoned their posts and are just wandering, lost
Common misconceptionThis seems like random suffering, but it's the consequence of decades of ignoring God's warnings through multiple prophets.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 14:18
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 14:18 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 14:18 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 30% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include witnessing destruction, prophetic grief. Notable phrases: slain with the sword; sick with famine. This verse is a prayer.
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 14:18 mean to you, today?
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