Jeremiah 8:14Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be silent there; for Yahweh our God has put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against Yahweh.
The setting
Jerusalem's outskirts, ~588 BC. Families pack hastily as Babylonian scouts appear on distant hills. Children cry as parents abandon their homes...
The emotion here: panicked but finally realistic
The original word
rosh (רֹאשׁ) — literally 'head,' but here poison, bitter as wormwood
Why it matters
During sieges, people poisoned their own wells to prevent enemy use, then had to drink the bitter water themselves
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 8:14
This is the people talking, not Jeremiah — they're finally admitting their guilt
Common misconceptionPeople think this is despair, but it's actually the first step toward repentance — they're finally admitting God is acting justly.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 8:14
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 8:14 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 8:14 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to people. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include desperation, seeking refuge, divine silence. Notable phrases: why do we sit still; let us be silent there.
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 8:14 mean to you, today?
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