Jeremiah 37:13When he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he laid hold on Jeremiah the prophet, saying, You are falling away to the Chaldeans.
The setting
Benjamin Gate, Jerusalem, 588 BC. Captain Irijah, grandson of Hananiah (likely the false prophet), sees Jeremiah leaving and immediately assumes desertion. This gate was the main northern exit toward Babylon, making any departure suspicious.
The emotion here: recording injustice with controlled anger
The original word
naphal (נֹפֵל) — falling away, deserting, defecting to the enemy
Why it matters
Irijah's grandfather Hananiah had opposed Jeremiah's prophecies years earlier, creating family animosity
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 37:13
This arrest wasn't random - it was personal vendetta wrapped in patriotic duty
Common misconceptionPeople think this was just bad timing, but Irijah had personal reasons to target Jeremiah - his family had been publicly embarrassed by the prophet before.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 37:13
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 37:13 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 37:13 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include false accusation, persecution. Notable phrases: captain of the guard; Irijah; laid hold.
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 37:13 mean to you, today?
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