· Translation: KJV

Jeremiah 48:10Cursed is he who does the work of Yahweh negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.

The setting

Babylon, ~605 BC. Jeremiah prophesies against Moab during Nebuchadnezzar's expanding conquest. Modern-day Jordan faces the same divine judgment that befell Israel.

The emotion here: burning with righteous anger at lukewarm obedience

The original word

remiyyah (רְמִיָּה) — slack, deceitful, doing work carelessly or with fraud

Why it matters

Moab had hired Balaam to curse Israel 800 years earlier and still existed as Israel's enemy

Read with care

What most readers miss in Jeremiah 48:10

This isn't about literal warfare — it's about doing God's work half-heartedly

Common misconceptionPeople think this endorses violence, but it's about the sin of doing God's assigned work carelessly — like a surgeon operating while distracted.

Bible Genome reading

Jeremiah 48:10 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerGod
EraDivided Kingdom
Primary emotionangry
Literary typeprophecy
MarkPromise of God
MarkCommand
MarkProphecy

Emotional genome

Comfort power10%
Quotability60%
Memorability70%
Crisis relevance60%
Standalone70%
Themes:divine servicecommitmentjudgment

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Jeremiah 48

Jeremiah 48:10 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine service, commitment, judgment. Notable phrases: cursed is he who does the work of Yahweh negligently. This verse contains a promise of God. This verse contains a command. This verse contains prophecy.

Your reflection

What does Jeremiah 48:10 mean to you, today?

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