Jeremiah 31:22How long will you go here and there, you backsliding daughter? for Yahweh has created a new thing in the earth: a woman shall encompass a man.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~587 BC. Jeremiah interrupts his restoration promise with frustration at Israel's indecision...
The emotion here: exasperated love, like a parent watching a child wander in circles
The original word
chadash (חָדָשׁ) — brand new, never existed before, unprecedented innovation
Why it matters
The phrase 'woman encompass man' was so mysterious ancient rabbis debated its meaning for centuries
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 31:22
God is actually interrupting Himself here - mid-promise He expresses exasperation at their wavering
Common misconceptionMost people focus on the mysterious 'woman encompass man' phrase, missing that God is calling out chronic indecision - the real issue isn't the enigmatic ending but the wavering beginning.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 31:22
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 31:22 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 31:22 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 deciding, with a comfort power of 40% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include new covenant, transformation. Notable phrases: how long will you go here and there; new thing in the earth; woman shall encompass a man. This verse contains a promise of God. This verse contains a command. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 31:22 mean to you, today?
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