Jeremiah 9:20

20 audite ergo mulieres verbum Domini et adsumat auris vestra sermonem oris eius et docete filias vestras lamentum et unaquaeque proximam suam planctum

Jeremiah 9:20 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 9:20

Yet hear the word of the Lord, O ye women
Not the mourning women, but others who had lost their husbands and their children, and had just reason for real mourning; and therefore they are called upon to it, not only because they were more tenderhearted than men, as Kimchi observes; or because they were more attentive to the hearing of the word of God than men; but because of the paucity of men, such numbers being slain in the siege, and by the sword; and of the loss the women had sustained, see ( Jeremiah 9:22 ) : and let your ear receive the word of his mouth;
by his prophets; so the Targum,

``let your ear hearken to the words of his prophets:''

and teach your daughters wailing.
The Arabic version, "a mournful song"; but not the daughters of the mourning women are meant; but the real daughters of those who had lost their husbands or children; since it follows: and everyone her neighbour lamentation;
signifying that the mortality among them would be very universal, not a family escaping; which is described in the next verses. This wailing and lamentation was made by responses, according to the Jews; for they say ^F4,

``what is lamentation? when one speaks, and all the rest answer after her, as it is written in ( Jeremiah 9:20 ) .''

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 Misn. Moed Katon, c. 3. sect. 9.

Jeremiah 9:20 In-Context

18 festinent et adsumant super nos lamentum deducant oculi nostri lacrimas et palpebrae nostrae defluant aquis

19 quia vox lamentationis audita est de Sion quomodo vastati sumus et confusi vehementer quia dereliquimus terram quoniam deiecta sunt tabernacula nostra

20 audite ergo mulieres verbum Domini et adsumat auris vestra sermonem oris eius et docete filias vestras lamentum et unaquaeque proximam suam planctum

21 quia ascendit mors per fenestras nostras ingressa est domos nostras disperdere parvulos de foris iuvenes de plateis

22 loquere haec dicit Dominus et cadet morticinum hominis quasi stercus super faciem regionis et quasi faenum post tergum metentis et non est qui colligat