Jeremiah 9:1 kjv
Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
Jeremiah 9:1 nkjv
Oh, that my head were waters, And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people!
Jeremiah 9:1 niv
Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people.
Jeremiah 9:1 esv
Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
Jeremiah 9:1 nlt
If only my head were a pool of water
and my eyes a fountain of tears,
I would weep day and night
for all my people who have been slaughtered.
Jeremiah 9 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 4:19 | Oh, that my head were waters, And my eyes a fountain of tears! | Similar expression of grief |
| Jeremiah 9:10 | "I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble, a dwelling for jackals; I will make the towns of Judah desolate, so that no one lives there." | Context of desolation |
| Jeremiah 13:17 | But if you do not listen, I will mourn in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly at the sight of the Lord's flock being scattered. | Personal grief over scattering |
| Psalm 42:3 | My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" | Tears as constant sorrow |
| Psalm 69:3 | I am worn out from crying for help; my throat is raw. My eyes grow dim waiting for my God. | Deep suffering and waiting |
| Ezra 3:12 | But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid... | Grief over past glory lost |
| Isaiah 22:4 | So I said, "Look away from me; let me weep bitterly. Do not try to console me about the destruction of my people." | Refusal of comfort in grief |
| Lamentations 1:16 | For these reasons I weep, and tears flow from my eyes. No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed. | Widespread sorrow and loss |
| Lamentations 2:18 | Their heart cried out to the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night; give yourself no rest; give no grapes to your eyes! | Perpetual weeping for Zion |
| Luke 19:41 | As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it, | Jesus weeping over Jerusalem |
| John 11:35 | Jesus wept. | Jesus weeping over death |
| Romans 9:2 | that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. | Paul's sorrow for Israel |
| 2 Corinthians 2:4 | For I wrote to you out of much anguish, with a heavy heart and many tears—not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundance of my love for you. | Tears as an expression of love |
| Galatians 4:19 | My little children, for whom I am again in anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, | Apostolic suffering for believers |
| Matthew 5:4 | Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. | Comfort for mourners |
| Jeremiah 51:34 | "Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured us and crushed us; he has left us empty, like a vessel without value; he has swallowed us whole like a monster; he has filled his maw with our delicacies and vomited us out." | Description of Judah's plight |
| Ezekiel 9:4 | and the Lord said to him, "Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it." | God marks those who grieve sin |
| Amos 8:10 | "I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on all hips and baldness on every head. I will make it like the mourning of an only son, and the end of it like a bitter day." | Judgment involving mourning |
| Revelation 5:8 | And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. | Incense as prayers |
| Revelation 18:9 | And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality with her and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. | Kings weeping over Babylon's fall |
Jeremiah 9 verses
Jeremiah 9 1 Meaning
Jeremiah wishes that his head were water and his eyes were a fountain of tears. He desires this so that he can constantly weep for the people of Judah, specifically for the "daughter of my people," a poignant expression of deep grief and concern for her destruction.
Jeremiah 9 1 Context
Jeremiah is prophesying during a time of immense turmoil for Judah. The Babylonian Empire is rising in power, and the judgment of God, foretold through Jeremiah, is imminent. The nation faces internal corruption, idolatry, and unfaithfulness to God. Jeremiah himself is deeply pained by the spiritual and moral decay of his people and the inevitable consequences. Chapter 9 sets the stage for God's judgment upon Jerusalem and Judah for their sin, emphasizing their foolishness and pride in the face of impending destruction. The lament in verse 1 is Jeremiah's personal outcry, reflecting the depth of his sorrow over the nation's plight and the prophetic burden he carries.
Jeremiah 9 1 Word Analysis
- O, (Hebrew: 'oy, אוֹי) - An interjection expressing grief, lament, or woe. It sets a tone of profound sorrow.
- that - Introduces a wish or desire.
- my - Possessive pronoun.
- head (Hebrew: rosh, רֹאשׁ) - Literally means head. Metaphorically, it signifies the entire person or being.
- were - Indicative of a hypothetical condition, a wish for something to be different.
- waters (Hebrew: mayim, מַיִם) - Water, often used to symbolize life, purity, or abundance. Here, it symbolizes an overflowing source of tears.
- and - Conjunction.
- my - Possessive pronoun.
- eyes (Hebrew: 'eynim, עֵינַיִם) - The organs of sight. In this context, they are the instruments through which sorrow is expressed.
- a fountain (Hebrew: mekor, מָּקֹר) - A source, origin, or wellspring. It suggests a continuous and abundant flow.
- of - Preposition indicating origin or source.
- tears (Hebrew: dema'oth, דְּמָעוֹת) - Drops shed from the eyes, typically from sadness or pain.
- That - A conjunctive particle introducing a subordinate clause explaining the purpose or result of the wish.
- I - First person pronoun.
- may - Auxiliary verb expressing possibility or purpose.
- weep (Hebrew: bakah, בָּכָה) - To cry, to weep.
- continually (Hebrew: boqer ba-boqer, בֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר) - Literally "morning by morning." It implies an incessant, unceasing, or habitual weeping, occurring every day without fail.
- and - Conjunction.
- give - To bestow, to allow, or to cause.
- me - First person pronoun.
- rest (Hebrew: nuach, נוּחַ) - Rest, ease, cessation from activity. The desire is to have no rest from weeping.
- For - Conjunction introducing the reason.
- the slain (Hebrew: halelugeh, הֲלוּגָּה) - Those who are slain or wounded. The Septuagint has "virgin daughter of my people" here. The Hebrew Masoretic text reads "for the destruction of the daughter of my people".
- daughter (Hebrew: bath, בַּת) - A female child. Here, used poetically for the people of Judah, personified as a collective entity.
- of - Preposition indicating possession or origin.
- my - Possessive pronoun.
- people (Hebrew: `ammi, עַמִּי) - My people; referring to the people of Israel or Judah.
Words-group analysis:
- "O, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears": This is a hyperbole, an extreme exaggeration used to express the intensity of Jeremiah's sorrow. He wishes his entire being could become a perpetual source of tears to adequately express his grief over the impending judgment and destruction of his people. The imagery moves from a singular head to abundant, continuous flow from the eyes, emphasizing the overwhelming nature of his lament.
- "That I may weep continually, and give me rest": The double negative or paradoxical structure suggests his inability to find rest from weeping. It's not that he wants to rest; rather, he desires to weep without ceasing, implying an active, consuming process. The desired state is a constant outpouring of grief, offering him no respite.
- "For the destruction of the daughter of my people": This clearly states the object of his lamentation – the ruin and devastation facing Jerusalem and its inhabitants. The term "daughter of my people" is a tender and affectionate personification of Judah, highlighting Jeremiah's deep personal connection and heartbreak.
Jeremiah 9 1 Bonus Section
Jeremiah's profound emotional distress is a recurring theme throughout his ministry. This verse highlights the empathetic suffering of a true prophet, one who deeply internalizes the word of God and its implications for the people. His desire for continuous weeping can be understood as a symbolic representation of prayer and intercession for his people, even as judgment is assured. This stands in stark contrast to those in Judah who are numb to their sin and unconcerned about their impending doom. The lament in Jeremiah 9:1 echoes similar expressions of deep sorrow in other biblical texts, demonstrating a consistent biblical witness to the grief that sin and divine judgment bring, and the weeping of those who truly love God and His people.
Jeremiah 9 1 Commentary
Jeremiah's plea to be transformed into a perpetual fount of tears underscores the prophet's profound empathy and burden for his people. His weeping is not an emotional indulgence but a righteous response to sin and its consequences, mirroring the heart of God Himself who weeps over His wayward children. This expression of grief serves as a poignant spiritual indicator; Ezekiel later records that God marked those in Jerusalem who "sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it" (Ezekiel 9:4). Jeremiah’s tears are an active testament to his faithful stewardship of God’s message of judgment, coupled with deep compassion for those who would suffer it.