Lamentations 3:19Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
The setting
Jerusalem, 586 BC. Jeremiah pleads with God to witness the horror - mass graves, destroyed families, bitter herbs the only food left, modern-day Jerusalem, Israel.
The emotion here: desperate witness begging someone in power to see the injustice
The original word
la'anah (לַעֲנָה) — wormwood, a bitter desert plant so harsh it was used as punishment food
Why it matters
Archaeological evidence shows Jerusalem's population dropped from 25,000 to 1,000 after the siege
Read with care
What most readers miss in Lamentations 3:19
This is a legal appeal - 'remember' means 'act on behalf of' not just 'think about'
Common misconceptionPeople think asking God to 'remember' implies He forgot, but in Hebrew this means 'act on what You've seen' - it's a legal demand for justice, not a reminder.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Lamentations 3:19
Bible Genome reading
Lamentations 3:19 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Lamentations 3:19 comes from the book of Lamentations, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to Jeremiah. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 40% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the poetry genre of biblical literature. Key themes include suffering, bitterness. Notable phrases: remember my affliction and my misery; wormwood and the gall. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Lamentations 3:19 mean to you, today?
A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.
Speak your heart →Get 3 verses for "grieving"
Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.