Jeremias 9:10

10 Take up a lamentation for the mountains, and a mournful dirge for the paths of the wilderness, for they are desolate for want of men; they heard not the sound of life from the birds of the sky, nor the cattle: they were amazed, they are gone.

Jeremias 9:10 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 9:10

For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing
Because of the desolation of them; because no pasture upon them, nor flocks feeding there; or "concerning" them, as the Arabic version; or "upon" them ^F25, in order to cause the lamentation to be heard the further; but the former sense seems best, as appears by what follows. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, read it as an exhortation to others, "take up a weeping": but they are the words of the prophet, declaring what he would do. And for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation;
for the cottages of the shepherds, erected for their convenience, to look after their flocks, feeding on the mountains, and in the valleys; for the wilderness does not denote barren places, but pastures: because they are burnt up;
by the fire of the Chaldeans, who burnt the cottages, and drove off the cattle: so that none can pass through them;
or there is none that passes through; as no inhabitant there, so no passenger that way; which shows how very desolate these places were: neither can men hear the voice of the cattle;
the lowing of the oxen, or the bleating of the sheep, there being none to be heard, being all carried off; and indeed no men to hear them, had there been any: both the fowl of the heavens and the beasts are fled, they are gone;
or, "from the fowl of the heavens to the beasts" ^F26, the places lying waste and uncultivated; there were no seed for the fowls to pick up, which generally frequent places where there is sowing, and where fruit is brought to perfection; and no pasture for the beasts to feed upon. Kimchi says these words are an hyperbole. The word (hmhb) , "beast", being by geometry, or numerically, fifty two, the Jews ^F1 gather from hence, that for the space of fifty two years no man passed through the land of Judah; which they reckon from the time that Zedekiah was carried captive, to the commandment of Cyrus.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 (Myrhh le) "super montibus", Cocceius; "super montes", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus.
F26 (hmhb red Mymvh Pwem) "ab ave coelorum usque ad bestiam", Schmidt.
F1 T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 145. 2. & Gloss. in ib. Vid. T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 11. 1, 2.

Jeremias 9:10 In-Context

8 Their tongue is a wounding arrow; the words of their mouth are deceitful: speaks peaceably to his neighbour, but in himself retains enmity.

9 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a people as this?

10 Take up a lamentation for the mountains, and a mournful dirge for the paths of the wilderness, for they are desolate for want of men; they heard not the sound of life from the birds of the sky, nor the cattle: they were amazed, they are gone.

11 And I will remove the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and make it a dwelling-place of dragons; and I will utterly waste the cities of Juda, so that they shall not be inhabited.

12 Who is the wise man, that he may understand this? and he that has the word of the mouth of the Lord to him, let him tell you wherefore the land has been destroyed, has been ravaged by fire like a desert, so that no one passes through it.