Jeremias 9:1

1 Who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes? then would I weep for this my people day and night, for the slain of the daughter of my people.

Jeremias 9:1 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 9:1

Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of
tears
Or, "who will give to my head water, and to mine eyes a fountain of tears?" as the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions. The prophet wishes that his head was turned and dissolved into water, and that tears might flow from his eyes as water issues out from a fountain; and he suggests, that could this be, it would not be sufficient to deplore the miserable estate of his people, and to express the inward grief and sorrow of his mind on account of it. That I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my
people;
the design of all this is to set forth the greatness and horribleness of the destruction, signifying that words were wanting to express it, and tears to lament it; and to awaken the attention of the people to it, who were quite hardened, insensible, and stupid. The Jewish writers close the eighth chapter with this verse, and begin the ninth with the following.

Jeremias 9:1 In-Context

1 Who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes? then would I weep for this my people day and night, for the slain of the daughter of my people.

2 Who would give me a most distant lodge in the wilderness, that I might leave my people, and depart from them? for they all commit adultery, an assembly of treacherous men.

3 And they have bent their tongue like a bow: falsehood and not faithfulness has prevailed upon the earth; for they have gone on from evil to evil, and have not known me, saith the Lord.

4 Beware ye each of his neighbour, and trust ye not in your brethren: for every one will surely supplant, and every friend will walk craftily.

5 Every one will mock his friend; they will not speak truth: their tongue has learned to speak falsehoods; they have committed iniquity, they ceased not, so as to return.