Jeremiah 49:20Therefore hear the counsel of Yahweh, that he has taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely they shall drag them away, even the little ones of the flock; surely he shall make their habitation desolate over them.
The setting
Babylon, ~588 BC. Jerusalem has fallen. Jeremiah speaks God's judgment against Edom, who celebrated Israel's destruction...
The emotion here: grieved but resolute about necessary justice
The original word
yāʿaṣ (יָעַץ) — deliberate counsel, strategic planning, not emotional reaction
Why it matters
Teman was Edom's intellectual center, known for wisdom teachers like Job's friend Eliphaz
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 49:20
This judgment comes AFTER Edom helped Babylon destroy Jerusalem — they celebrated their brother nation's fall
Common misconceptionPeople think this is random divine anger, but Edom had a 1,000-year history of hostility toward Israel, culminating in helping enemies destroy Jerusalem.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 49:20
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 49:20 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 49:20 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, 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 counsel, divine purpose, national judgment. Notable phrases: hear the counsel of Yahweh; his purposes against Edom. This verse contains a command. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 49:20 mean to you, today?
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