Jeremiah 22:17But your eyes and your heart are not but for your covetousness, and for shedding innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~609 BC. Jehoiakim has eyes only for building projects funded by oppression. He sees opportunity where he should see people. Modern Israel/Palestine.
The emotion here: heartbroken watching someone choose destruction over the righteousness they inherited
The original word
betsa (בֶּצַע) — unjust gain, profit made by harming others
Why it matters
Jehoiakim forced citizens to work on his palace without pay while collecting taxes for Egypt
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 22:17
This isn't just about money—it's about what you're willing to see and what you choose to ignore
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about being poor versus rich. It's about being blind to suffering you could prevent while focused on what you want.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 22:17
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 22:17 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 22:17 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 angry, with a comfort power of 5% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include corruption, violence, greed. Notable phrases: eyes and heart; covetousness; shedding innocent blood; oppression. 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 22:17 mean to you, today?
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