Jeremiah 16 6

Jeremiah 16:6 kjv

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 nkjv

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

Jeremiah 16:6 niv

"Both high and low will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned, and no one will cut themselves or shave their head for the dead.

Jeremiah 16:6 esv

Both great and small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, and no one shall lament for them or cut himself or make himself bald for them.

Jeremiah 16:6 nlt

Both the great and the lowly will die in this land. No one will bury them or mourn for them. Their friends will not cut themselves in sorrow or shave their heads in sadness.

Jeremiah 16 verses

Jeremiah 16 6 Meaning

Jeremiah 16:6 foretells a time of intense and widespread divine judgment upon Judah, where death will strike indiscriminately "both great and small" across the land. The severity of this judgment is underscored by the denial of basic human dignities to the deceased: they will not receive proper burial, nor will traditional mourning rites be performed for them. Furthermore, the verse notes that even the pagan and forbidden practices of self-mutilation and head-shaving, typically associated with intense grief in ancient Near Eastern cultures, will not occur, signifying an unparalleled level of desolation and the utter breakdown of societal order.

Jeremiah 16 6 Context

Jeremiah chapter 16 plunges deeper into God's judgment against Judah. The preceding verses (16:1-5) set a somber tone as the Lord instructs Jeremiah to abstain from marriage and having children, and from participating in feasts, celebrations, or even comforting mourning rituals. These actions were to serve as prophetic signs to the people, vividly demonstrating the depth of the impending national catastrophe and God's withdrawal of favor. Verse 6 directly follows, describing the grim outcome of this judgment: widespread, undignified death, where the dead will be left unburied and even customary, or in this case, forbidden, mourning rites will be entirely absent due to the overwhelming desolation and lack of survivors. This chapter continues to delineate the reasons for judgment (idolatry, rebellion) and briefly touches on a future restoration, though the immediate focus is on divine wrath.

Jeremiah 16 6 Word analysis

• great and small (גְדֹלִים וּקְטַנִּים - gĕdōlīm ūqĕṭannīm): This Hebrew idiom signifies totality or inclusivity, indicating that the judgment will spare no one, regardless of social status, age, or wealth. It underscores the comprehensive and indiscriminate nature of the impending death. This phrase highlights the universality of divine judgment on the land.
• shall die (וּמֵתוּ - ūmētū): A stark and certain prophecy of death. The root `muth` (מוּת) means 'to die', signifying the end of physical life. It carries the weight of a decree.
• in this land (בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת - bāʾāreṣ hazzōʾt): Specifies the geographical target of the judgment as Judah. It refers to the physical place where the covenant people lived and sinned, and where they will now face consequences.
• not be buried (לֹא יִקָּבְרוּ - lōʾ yiqqāvĕrū): `lōʾ` (not) combined with `qābar` (to bury) in the passive voice. In ancient Near Eastern culture, being denied burial was an extreme form of disgrace, shame, and a curse, implying the deceased's body would be exposed, desecrated, and likely devoured by animals. It meant spiritual and social ostracization even after death.
• nor mourned for (וְלֹא יִסְפְּדוּ לָהֶם - wĕlōʾ yisəpĕdū lāhem): `sāfad` (to wail, lament) refers to the formal rituals of expressing grief, often involving professional mourners, lamentations, and sorrowful displays. The absence of this signals profound desolation and an absolute lack of concern or survivors capable of performing such duties. God is not only withholding burial but also any solace or social acknowledgment of loss.
• nor shall anyone cut themselves (וְלֹא יִתְגֹּדַד - wĕlōʾ yitəgōdēd): From the root `gādad` (to cut, make incisions), this Hithpael (reflexive) verb signifies self-mutilation. This was an expressly forbidden pagan mourning practice (Lev 19:28, Deut 14:1), common among Baal worshippers (1 Kgs 18:28). Its absence here emphasizes that the devastation will be so total, even these forbidden pagan rituals won't be performed, either due to no one being left to perform them, or due to a lack of capacity for even such intense forms of expression.
• or shave their heads (וְלֹא יִקָּרֵחַ לָהֶם - wĕlōʾ yiqqārēaḥ lāhem): `qāraḥ` (to be bald, make bald) refers to shaving or plucking out hair from the head or beard as a sign of extreme mourning. Like cutting, this was also prohibited for Israelites by the Law (Deut 14:1). Its mention here reinforces the double tragedy: not only will there be no proper Israelite mourning, but even the widespread, culturally adopted (yet illicit) pagan lamentations will be absent, indicating unprecedented societal collapse.

• "both great and small... not be buried or mourned for": This entire phrase depicts the comprehensive and utter indignity faced by all within the condemned land. The universality of death is coupled with the absence of all societal norms of honor and lament for the deceased, painting a picture of overwhelming despair and divine judgment. The "great" dying without burial highlights how status provides no protection, while the "small" lacking mourning reflects the complete disregard for individual lives amidst chaos.
• "nor shall anyone cut themselves or shave their heads for them": This specific mention serves a dual purpose. It underscores the utter desolation and lack of surviving community to even perform any mourning rituals, even those that were against God's law. Additionally, it highlights Judah's chronic unfaithfulness in adopting pagan practices, even while signifying that conditions will be so dire that even these illicit customs will cease. The prohibition from the Torah is recalled in the very description of their absence, emphasizing the irony of a people who embraced forbidden mourning being left with no one to mourn for them at all.

Jeremiah 16 6 Bonus section

This verse stands in direct contrast to God's usual desire for a blessed, full life, where a peaceful passing and proper burial were often seen as a mark of favor (Gen 15:15). The reversal of this expectation in Jeremiah 16:6 signifies the complete withdrawal of divine blessing and covenant protection due to Judah's consistent breach of their covenant with God. The detailed listing of what will not happen during mourning (burial, lament, self-mutilation, head-shaving) cumulatively creates a profound sense of the uncanny and the grotesque, pointing to a land utterly consumed by calamity where normal human responses to death have ceased to exist. This vivid depiction served as a powerful, terrifying warning to Judah.

Jeremiah 16 6 Commentary

Jeremiah 16:6 functions as a stark and distressing prophecy of the unsparing judgment awaiting Judah due to their profound and persistent idolatry. It foretells a scale of death that disregards all social distinctions, engulfing "great and small" alike. The crux of the curse lies not merely in death, but in the specific ignominy dealt to the dead: denial of burial and absence of all mourning rituals. In ancient Near Eastern belief, an unburied body was a profound shame, signifying complete abandonment and a horrific end. The further denial of mourning rites, whether the permissible ones for Israelites or even the explicitly forbidden pagan ones of self-laceration and head-shaving, intensifies the prophecy. This signals an ultimate state of national ruin, where societal order has completely collapsed, grief is swallowed by an overwhelming tide of death, and few, if any, remain to observe these most basic human traditions for the dead. God's judgment is so severe that it strips the people not only of life but also of the dignity associated with death and the communal expression of sorrow.