Jeremiah 16:6

6 Both the great and the small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them.

Jeremiah 16:6 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 16:6

Both the great and the small shall die in this land
The nobles as well as the common people, high and low, rich and poor; none shall be exempted from the grievous deaths by the sword, famine, and pestilence. They shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them;
as before, ( Jeremiah 16:4 ) , this shall be the common case of them all; the great and the rich shall have no more care and notice taken of them than the poor: nor cut themselves;
their flesh, with their nails, or with knives, to show their grief for the dead, and to alleviate the sorrow of surviving friends, by bearing a part with them: nor make themselves bald for them;
by plucking off the hair of their heads, or by shaving them, and between their eyes; which though forbidden the Jews by the law of God, as being Heathenish customs, yet obtained in the times of Jeremiah, and were usually done; see ( Deuteronomy 14:1 ) .

Jeremiah 16:6 In-Context

4 "They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried, but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth. And they shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of heaven and for the beasts of the earth."

5 For thus saith the LORD: "Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them; for I have taken away My peace from this people," saith the LORD, "even lovingkindness and mercies.

6 Both the great and the small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them.

7 Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.

8 Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting to sit with them to eat and to drink."