Jeremiah 38:6Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king's son, that was in the court of the guard: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.
The setting
Jerusalem, 588 BC. The city is under Babylonian siege. Officials drag the prophet Jeremiah to a muddy cistern in the royal prison courtyard, lowering him with ropes into what was meant to be his tomb. Modern-day Jerusalem, Israel.
The emotion here: recording horror with trembling hands
The original word
bôr (בּוֹר) — cistern or pit, often used for imprisonment and left to die
Why it matters
Cisterns were carved into bedrock to collect rainwater, but when dry became natural prisons
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 38:6
The text says 'no water, but mire' — Jeremiah was sinking into thick mud, slowly suffocating
Common misconceptionPeople think this was just a temporary punishment, but cisterns were death traps — Jeremiah was left there to die slowly in the mud.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 38:6
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 38:6 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 38:6 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 30% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include persecution, suffering, imprisonment. Notable phrases: cast into the dungeon; let down with ropes.
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 38:6 mean to you, today?
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