Jeremiah 5:17They shall eat up your harvest, and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat. They shall eat up your flocks and your herds. They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees. They shall beat down your fortified cities, in which you trust, with the sword.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~605 BC. Jeremiah lists everything that will be consumed: grain, bread, livestock, fruit trees. Total economic collapse in modern-day Israel/Palestine...
The emotion here: anguished to prophesy his people's starvation and economic ruin
The original word
akal (אכל) — devour, consume completely, not just eat but destroy utterly
Why it matters
Siege warfare involved eating everything outside the city walls before attacking
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 5:17
The repetition 'eat up... eat up... eat up' - it's relentless, systematic destruction
Common misconceptionThis isn't about spiritual 'harvest' or metaphorical 'food' - it's about literal starvation and economic devastation coming to real families.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 5:17
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 5:17 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 5:17 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Yahweh. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine judgment, consequences. Notable phrases: eat up your harvest; your sons and daughters. This verse contains a promise of God. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 5:17 mean to you, today?
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