Jeremiah 21:14I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, says Yahweh; and I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is around her.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~597 BC. Jeremiah stands in the royal court, delivering God's final warning to King Zedekiah before Babylon's siege. Modern Jerusalem, Israel.
The emotion here: heartbroken but resolute, like a parent giving final warning
The original word
peri (פְּרִי) — fruit, but meaning the inevitable outcome of actions, like harvest after planting
Why it matters
This was spoken just 11 years before Jerusalem's complete destruction in 586 BC
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 21:14
The 'forest' refers to the royal palace complex, built with Lebanon's cedars
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about hell or eternal punishment, but it's about immediate historical consequences - Babylon was literally coming to burn Jerusalem's cedar buildings.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 21:14
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 21:14 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 21:14 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 5% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include consequences, fire judgment, total destruction. Notable phrases: fruit of your doings; kindle a fire; devour all around. This verse contains a promise of God. 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 21:14 mean to you, today?
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