Jeremiah 27:13Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as Yahweh has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
The setting
Jerusalem palace, 588 BC. Jeremiah's voice breaking as he pleads with Zedekiah, knowing the king will likely refuse, modern-day Jerusalem, Israel...
The emotion here: anguished bewilderment at human self-destruction
The original word
lamah (לָמָה) — why, for what reason, expressing anguished bewilderment
Why it matters
The three judgments (sword, famine, pestilence) were the covenant curses from Deuteronomy 28
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 27:13
This is a rhetorical question — Jeremiah knew exactly why they would die, but couldn't understand their refusal to choose life
Common misconceptionThis sounds like God threatening people, but it's actually a broken-hearted prophet begging people to avoid consequences they're choosing for themselves.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 27:13
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 27:13 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 27:13 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 anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include consequences, life and death. Notable phrases: why will you die; sword, famine, pestilence. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 27:13 mean to you, today?
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