Jeremiah 48:31Therefore will I wail for Moab; yes, I will cry out for all Moab: for the men of Kir Heres shall they mourn.
The setting
Judah, ~605 BC. Jeremiah receives an oracle about Moab's destruction while Babylon threatens all nations in modern-day Jordan...
The emotion here: heartbroken at having to prophesy judgment on neighboring peoples
The original word
yālal (יליל) — to howl, wail loudly in grief, like a wounded animal
Why it matters
Kir-Heres was Moab's capital fortress, considered impregnable until Babylon conquered it
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 48:31
God says 'I will wail' — the Judge of nations is mourning His own judgment
Common misconceptionPeople think God enjoys judging enemies, but here He's weeping over Moab's destruction even though it's necessary justice.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 48:31
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 48:31 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 48:31 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 grieving, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine compassion, Gods heart, grief over judgment. Notable phrases: I will wail for Moab; cry out for all Moab. 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 48:31 mean to you, today?
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