Jeremiah 37:15The princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.
The setting
Jerusalem, 588 BC. The city is under Babylonian siege. Jeremiah has been warning of surrender, which officials see as treason. They beat him and throw him into a makeshift prison in a scribe's house.
The emotion here: grief-stricken at recording his prophet's suffering
The original word
nākâ (נָכָה) — to strike violently, not just hit but beat severely
Why it matters
Jonathan's house was converted to a prison because regular facilities were overwhelmed during the siege
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 37:15
This wasn't official justice - it was mob violence by panicked politicians
Common misconceptionPeople think Jeremiah was imprisoned for being negative. He was actually beaten for telling people how to survive - surrender to Babylon rather than die in a hopeless siege.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 37:15
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 37:15 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 37:15 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include persecution, suffering, injustice. Notable phrases: princes were angry; struck him; put him in prison.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 37:15 mean to you, today?
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