Jeremiah 49:17Edom shall become an astonishment: everyone who passes by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all its plagues.
The setting
Babylon, ~588 BC. Jeremiah prophesies Edom's destruction while Jerusalem burns. Edom, located in modern-day southern Jordan, celebrated Jerusalem's fall...
The emotion here: heartbroken watching family destroy family
The original word
shamemah (שַׁמֵּמָה) — complete desolation, horror that makes people gasp
Why it matters
Edom was carved from red sandstone cliffs, making it seem impregnable
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 49:17
Edom helped Babylon destroy Jerusalem, betraying their blood relatives
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about God being vindictive, but Jeremiah is weeping as he speaks this. This is the grief of watching relatives betray each other during a national crisis.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 49:17
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 49:17 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 49:17 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 10% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include complete desolation, public shame, divine judgment. Notable phrases: become an astonishment; everyone who passes by; hiss at all its plagues. 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 49:17 mean to you, today?
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