Jeremiah 47:5Baldness is come on Gaza; Ashkelon is brought to nothing, the remnant of their valley: how long will you cut yourself?
The setting
Gaza Strip, Palestine, ~587 BC. Jeremiah watches Babylonian armies devastate Philistine cities. Survivors shave their heads in mourning...
The emotion here: heartbroken watching ancient enemies destroyed
The original word
qorchah (קָרְחָה) — ritual baldness, shaving the head in extreme grief and despair
Why it matters
Cutting oneself was a pagan mourning ritual forbidden to Israelites but practiced by Philistines
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 47:5
The irony — these are Israel's ancient enemies, yet Jeremiah grieves for them
Common misconceptionPeople assume this is celebrating enemy defeat, but Jeremiah is actually lamenting the Philistines' destruction with genuine sorrow.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 47:5
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 47:5 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 47:5 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to Jeremiah. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include mourning, self harm, despair. Notable phrases: baldness is come; how long will you cut yourself. 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 47:5 mean to you, today?
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