Jeremiah 9:5They will deceive everyone his neighbor, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves to commit iniquity.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~600 BC. Lying has become so normal that people are exhausted from the effort of maintaining false stories. It's become their full-time job. Modern-day Jerusalem, Israel.
The emotion here: exhausted watching people work so hard to destroy themselves
The original word
yaga (יָגַע) — to be weary, exhausted from labor; they're working overtime to sin
Why it matters
Ancient Hebrew culture valued truth so highly that bearing false witness was punishable by death
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 9:5
The phrase 'weary themselves' — lying is actually hard work that exhausts the soul
Common misconceptionPeople think lying makes life easier, but Jeremiah reveals it's actually exhausting work that 'wearies' the soul — truth is the easier path.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 9:5
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 9:5 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 9:5 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Jeremiah. 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 deception, habitual sin, moral corruption. Notable phrases: deceive everyone; taught their tongue to speak lies.
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 9:5 mean to you, today?
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