Jeremiah 48:36Therefore my heart sounds for Moab like pipes, and my heart sounds like pipes for the men of Kir Heres: therefore the abundance that he has gotten is perished.
The setting
Ancient Israel, ~587 BC. Jeremiah's heart breaks like funeral flutes as he watches Moab's wealthy city of Kir Heres lose everything, near modern-day Kerak in southern Jordan...
The emotion here: heartbroken at having to announce destruction, even of enemies
The original word
chalil (חָלִיל) — flute or pipe used at funerals, producing a haunting, mournful sound
Why it matters
Kir Heres was Moab's fortress capital, famous for its wealth and seemingly impregnable walls
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 48:36
Jeremiah is grieving for his enemies — this shows God's heart even in judgment
Common misconceptionPeople think prophets enjoyed pronouncing judgment, but Jeremiah's heart is breaking — he takes no pleasure in others' destruction.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 48:36
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 48:36 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 48:36 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 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include lament, loss, prophetic grief. Notable phrases: heart sounds like pipes; abundance is gone. 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 48:36 mean to you, today?
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