Jeremiah 20:7Yahweh, you have persuaded me, and I was persuaded; you are stronger than I, and have prevailed: I am become a laughing-stock all the day, every one mocks me.
The setting
Jerusalem, 605 BC. Jeremiah sits in his house, bruised from Pashhur's beating, alone. Everyone mocks him. He pours out his heart to God in brutal honesty about feeling tricked into this calling.
The emotion here: utterly exhausted and feeling betrayed by God
The original word
pāṯītanî (פְּתִיתַנִי) — you enticed me, seduced me, like a young person being led astray
Why it matters
Jeremiah was likely a teenager when God first called him to prophecy
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 20:7
This is raw honesty with God—Jeremiah feels God 'seduced' him into an impossible calling
Common misconceptionPeople think this is ungodly complaining, but it's actually the deepest kind of faith—being honest with God when you're at your breaking point.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 20:7
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 20:7 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 20:7 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 prayer genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine calling, persecution, reluctance. Notable phrases: you have persuaded me; I am become a laughing-stock. 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 20:7 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.