Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Jeremiah 12:13 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 13. 13They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The prophetic or communal lament states or reports “They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns” at Jeremiah 12:13 as a specific part of “The Beloved Heritage Becomes Prey and Wasteland.”
Read It With
- Jeremiah 12:7–13
Read Jeremiah 12:13 with 12:7–13. By itself, “They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns” can be detached from the speaker, addressee, date, imperial horizon, poetic movement, or outcome that gives it force. The complete unit establishes: House, heritage, lion, bird, shepherds, sword, and failed harvest images lament the devastation of the land.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within the same chapter, this unit advances from “Footmen, Horses, Floodplain, and Family Betrayal Test Endurance” into “The Beloved Heritage Becomes Prey and Wasteland.” Its non-interchangeable movement is: House, heritage, lion, bird, shepherds, sword, and failed harvest images lament the devastation of the land. This verse's placement is specific: The prophetic or communal lament states or reports “They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns” at Jeremiah 12:13 as a specific part of “The Beloved Heritage Becomes Prey and Wasteland.”
What Remains True
Lament keeps relationship and truth alive when explanation is inadequate. In Jeremiah 12:13, that bounded truth is carried through this verse's role: The prophetic or communal lament states or reports “They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns” at Jeremiah 12:13 as a specific part of “The Beloved Heritage Becomes Prey and Wasteland.”
How It Can Shape Life
- Make room for unresolved grief, protection, truthful protest, and professional care; do not rush to slogans. This response follows Jeremiah 12:7–13's specific concern, “The Beloved Heritage Becomes Prey and Wasteland.” This verse directs that response through its exact role: The prophetic or communal lament states or reports “They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns” at Jeremiah 12:13 as a specific part of “The Beloved Heritage Becomes Prey and Wasteland.”
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Jeremiah 12:7–13 — The Beloved Heritage Becomes Prey and WastelandSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Jeremiah 12:7–13, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Jeremiah
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2; fixed commit
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology checked at the exact unit without treating morphology as a critical apparatus or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Jer.xml, OSIS 12:7–13
Open the fixed Hebrew Jeremiah file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Jeremiah with Translator, Textual, and Study Notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press; official eBible PDF distribution, NET Bible Second Edition; official PDF accessed 2026
Supports: Verse-level controls for Hebrew, syntax, older KJV language, dates, names, textual problems, and material translation alternatives.
Exact location: Official NET Bible Jeremiah PDF, pp. 1258-1459, translator, study, and textual notes attached to Jeremiah 12:7–13
Open the official NET Jeremiah PDF ↗