Jeremiah 14:17

17 "You will say this word to them, '¹Let my eyes flow down with tears night and day, And let them not cease; For the virgin ²daughter of my people has been crushed with a mighty blow, With a sorely ³infected wound.

Jeremiah 14:17 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 14:17

Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them
Instead of praying for the people, the prophet has a doleful lamentation put into his mouth, to pronounce in their hearing, in order to assure them of the calamities that were coming upon them, and to affect them with them. Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not
cease:
or "be silent" ^F16; signifying that there would be quickly just reason and occasion for incessant grief and sorrow in them; and if they were so hardened as not to be affected with their case, he could not refrain shedding tears night and day in great abundance; which would have a voice in them, to call upon them to weeping and lamentation also. Some take these words to be a direction and instruction to the people; so the Septuagint,

``bring down upon your eyes tears night and day, and let them not cease;''

and the Arabic version,

``pour out of your eyes tears night and day continually;''

and the Syriac version is,

``let our eyes drop tears night and day incessantly.''

For the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach,
with a very grievous blow;
cities are sometimes called virgins, which were never taken; and so Jerusalem here, it having never been taken since it was in the hands of the people of Judah; nor were its inhabitants as yet carried captive, but now would be; which, together with the famine and the sword, by which many should perish, is the great breach and grievous blow spoken of; and which is given as a reason, and was a sufficient one, for sorrow and mourning.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 (hnymdt) "sileant", Schmidt; "taceant", Pegninus, Montanus.

Jeremiah 14:17 In-Context

15 "Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who are prophesying in My name, although it was not I who sent them-yet they keep saying, 'There will be no sword or famine in this land '-by sword and famine those prophets shall meet their end!

16 "The people also to whom they are prophesying will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and there will be no one to bury them-neither them, nor their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters -for I will pour out their own wickedness on them.

17 "You will say this word to them, 'Let my eyes flow down with tears night and day, And let them not cease; For the virgin daughter of my people has been crushed with a mighty blow, With a sorely infected wound.

18 'If I go out to the country, Behold, those slain with the sword! Or if I enter the city, Behold, diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest Have gone roving about in the land that they do not know.' "

19 Have You completely rejected Judah? Or have You loathed Zion? Why have You stricken us so that we are beyond healing? We waited for peace, but nothing good came; And for a time of healing, but behold, terror!

Cross References

• 1. Jeremiah 9:1; Jeremiah 13:17; Lamentations 1:16
• 2. Isaiah 37:22; Jeremiah 8:21; Lamentations 1:15; Lamentations 2:13
• 3. Jeremiah 10:19; Jeremiah 30:14