Jeremiah 46:21Also her hired men in the midst of her are like calves of the stall; for they also are turned back, they are fled away together, they didn't stand: for the day of their calamity is come on them, the time of their visitation.
The setting
Babylon, ~605 BC. Jeremiah prophesies Egypt's defeat by Nebuchadnezzar's army. Modern-day Iraq/Egypt border tensions.
The emotion here: grieving over Egypt's coming destruction while obediently delivering God's message
The original word
sekirim (שְׂכִרִים) — hired mercenaries, foreign soldiers paid to fight
Why it matters
Egypt hired Nubian and Greek mercenaries who fled when Babylon invaded
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 46:21
Fattened calves were valuable but useless in battle — luxury becomes liability
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about Israel's enemies being punished, but Jeremiah wept over Egypt's judgment. God takes no pleasure in destruction, even of nations that opposed His people.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 46:21
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 46:21 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 46:21 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include military defeat, cowardice. Notable phrases: hired men like calves; fled away together. This verse contains prophecy.
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 46:21 mean to you, today?
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