Jeremiah 19:8I will make this city an astonishment, and a hissing; everyone who passes thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all its plagues.
The setting
Jerusalem, Israel, ~600 BC. Jeremiah stands at the Potsherd Gate holding a clay jar, declaring God's judgment to city leaders who still believe they're untouchable...
The original word
shamah (שַׁמָּה) — complete desolation, utter ruin that makes onlookers gasp
Why it matters
Jerusalem's Potsherd Gate was where broken pottery was dumped—symbolic location for announcing the city's breaking
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 19:8
The word 'hissing' was the ancient equivalent of booing—people would literally hiss at ruined cities
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about God enjoying destruction, but Jeremiah wept over Jerusalem. This prophecy broke the prophet's heart—he loved this city.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 19:8
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 19:8 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 19:8 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 angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine judgment, consequences. Notable phrases: astonishment and a hissing. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 19:8 mean to you, today?
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