Jeremiah 49:23Of Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad; for they have heard evil news, they are melted away: there is sorrow on the sea; it can't be quiet.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~590 BC. Jeremiah speaks God's judgment against Damascus, Syria's ancient capital. Modern Damascus, Syria still exists as one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities.
The emotion here: heavy-hearted messenger delivering unavoidable truth
The original word
nāmōg (נמג) — to melt, dissolve from terror, like wax before fire
Why it matters
Hamath and Arpad were strategic Syrian cities that controlled major trade routes
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 49:23
The 'sorrow on the sea' refers to the Mediterranean coast being disturbed by refugees fleeing inland
Common misconceptionPeople think this is just ancient history, but Jeremiah is showing how sin and injustice create ripple effects that destabilize entire regions for generations.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 49:23
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 49:23 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 49:23 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to Jeremiah. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include confusion, melting fear, maritime imagery. Notable phrases: confounded; melted away; sorrow on the sea. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 49:23 mean to you, today?
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