Jeremiah 5:22Don't you fear me?' says Yahweh 'Won't you tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it can't pass it? and though its waves toss themselves, yet they can't prevail; though they roar, yet they can't pass over it.'
The setting
Jeremiah points toward the Mediterranean Sea, 30 miles west of Jerusalem. The people can see how God controls the ocean but ignore His authority. Modern Israel/Palestine.
The emotion here: weary prophet appealing to obvious evidence of God's power
The original word
chōq (חֹק) — an unchangeable decree, like a physical law that cannot be violated
Why it matters
Ancient peoples feared the ocean as chaotic and uncontrollable — God's mastery over it proved His supreme power
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 5:22
This is a rhetorical question expecting the answer 'yes' — but God knows they don't fear Him despite the evidence
Common misconceptionPeople read this as poetic language about nature, missing that it's a legal argument: if you recognize God's authority over creation, why not over your life?
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 5:22
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 5:22 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 5:22 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 worship, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include fear of God, divine power, creation order. Notable phrases: Don't you fear me; placed the sand for the bound of the sea.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same worship
“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one:”
— Deuteronomy 6:4
“and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
— Deuteronomy 6:5
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”
— John 14:6
“Jesus said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM."”
— John 8:58
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 5:22 mean to you, today?
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