Jeremiah 50:43The king of Babylon has heard the news of them, and his hands wax feeble: anguish has taken hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail.
The setting
Babylon, ~539 BC. King Belshazzar (or earlier Babylonian king) receives reports of the massive Persian army approaching, his hands shaking uncontrollably, modern-day Iraq...
The emotion here: prophetically satisfied that justice will finally come to the oppressor
The original word
chalah (חלה) — to become weak, hands literally losing strength from terror
Why it matters
Babylonian kings wore heavy golden bracelets as symbols of power - when hands went weak, the very symbols of authority would slip off
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 50:43
The 'woman in travail' comparison shows even the mightiest rulers become helpless when God's judgment arrives
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows God enjoys suffering, but it reveals how even tyrants experience the same human vulnerabilities as their victims.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 50:43
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 50:43 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 50:43 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include fear, helplessness, divine judgment. Notable phrases: hands wax feeble; pangs as of a woman in travail. This verse contains a promise of God. 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 50:43 mean to you, today?
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