Jeremiah 4:31For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who brings forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, "Woe is me now! For my soul faints before the murderers."
The setting
Jerusalem, ~605 BC. Jeremiah watches from the city walls as Babylonian armies approach. The prophet hears the city's death cry like a woman's first labor...
The emotion here: heartbroken watching his nation die
The original word
chalah (חָלָה) — to writhe in pain, specifically birth pangs
Why it matters
First-time mothers in ancient times often died in childbirth due to lack of medical knowledge
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 4:31
This is Zion's FIRST experience with total destruction — like a first birth
Common misconceptionPeople think this is just metaphorical language, but Jeremiah is describing the actual sounds he heard from Jerusalem's walls as the siege began — real mothers, real birth cries, real terror.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 4:31
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 4:31 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 4:31 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 grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include birth pangs, anguish, maternal grief. Notable phrases: voice as of a woman in travail; daughter of Zion. This verse contains prophecy.
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 4:31 mean to you, today?
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