Jeremiah 9 18

Jeremiah 9:18 kjv

And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters.

Jeremiah 9:18 nkjv

Let them make haste And take up a wailing for us, That our eyes may run with tears, And our eyelids gush with water.

Jeremiah 9:18 niv

Let them come quickly and wail over us till our eyes overflow with tears and water streams from our eyelids.

Jeremiah 9:18 esv

let them make haste and raise a wailing over us, that our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids flow with water.

Jeremiah 9:18 nlt

Quick! Begin your weeping!
Let the tears flow from your eyes.

Jeremiah 9 verses

Jeremiah 9 18 Meaning

This verse describes wise women, often mothers, who impart knowledge and discernment to their community. It highlights their role in teaching practical wisdom, particularly regarding household management and anticipating trouble or disaster.

Jeremiah 9 18 Context

Jeremiah 9:17-22 depicts a call for professional mourners to lament the impending judgment on Jerusalem and Judah due to their sin and rebellion. This passage follows prophecies detailing the destruction of the city and the exile of its people. The verse in question highlights a contrast: while the men of Judah will be silent in destruction, the wise women will effectively "instruct" or "teach" about the impending disaster through their skillful lamentations. The passage speaks to a society where mourning rituals were prominent and carried significant cultural weight, often involving women who specialized in expressing grief and invoking divine attention.

Jeremiah 9 18 Word Analysis

• "Wise women":

  • Hebrew: נָשִׁים חֲכָמוֹת (nashim chakamot).
  • "Nashim" (נָשִׁים) means "women."
  • "Chakamot" (חֲכָמוֹת) is the feminine plural of "chokham" (חָכָם), meaning "wise." It denotes shrewdness, skill, prudence, and deep understanding. In this context, it refers to women possessing practical wisdom and knowledge, likely learned through experience and perhaps specific training in their societal roles.

• "Take up":

  • Hebrew: לָקְחוּ (laqchu) - a Hiphil (causative) perfect form of the verb לָקַח (laqach), meaning "to take." Here it signifies the act of seizing or adopting a lament.

• "Wailing":

  • Hebrew: נְהִי (nehi) - denotes a cry, lament, or weeping.

• "Make our eyes run with water":

  • Hebrew: וְהָסִרִי נֹזְלֵינוּ מֵעַיִן (v'hasiri nozleinu me'ayin). This is a descriptive idiom for shedding tears. "Nozleinu" (נֹזְלֵינוּ) comes from a root meaning "to flow," and "ayin" (עין) means "eye." It paints a vivid picture of overflowing sorrow.

• "Bring up a wailing from our eyes": This phrasing suggests the skillful and practiced production of tears, characteristic of professional mourners who could evoke genuine and profound grief.

• "For a voice of wailing is heard out of Ephraim": This points to a widespread sorrow already present, possibly emanating from the northern kingdom of Ephraim or signifying the deep national grief experienced by all.

• "Destruction from the abundance of the millstone": This is a more complex phrase.

  • "Shidath" (שִׁדַּת) - destruction, calamity.
  • "Shedeph" (שֶׁדֶף) - blasting, mildew, or possibly fiery heat.
  • "Mi-shedeh" (מִשֶּׁדֶה) - "from the field."
  • However, many scholars interpret "min-haramid" (מִן־הַרֲמִיד) or similar readings, linking it to destruction wrought by tools or engines of war, like siege machines (mills or towers), implying a violent and overwhelming overthrow. It could also metaphorically represent a systematic or pervasive destruction that grinds people down.

• Words group by words-group analysis:

  • "Let them take up a wailing": This imperative, directed towards the wise women, indicates they are being called to their professional duty. It signifies an organized and perhaps publicly recognized role in expressing communal grief.
  • "Make our eyes run with water, and let our eyelids flow with water": This repetition emphasizes the intensity and uncontainability of the sorrow expected. It highlights the deep emotional impact of the divine judgment.
  • "For a voice of wailing is heard out of Ephraim, a lamentation from the incident of the great destruction": This combines the immediate cause (wailing from Ephraim, representing national distress) with the underlying reason (a devastating event). The mention of "destruction" is crucial for understanding the dire circumstances.

Jeremiah 9 18 Bonus Section

The role of "wise women" as mourners or teachers is found elsewhere in the Old Testament, such as in the instructions for King David's lament for Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:17-27). These women were not simply weeping; they possessed a recognized skill in ritualistic lamentation, which served a theological purpose by publicly acknowledging God's actions and calling for repentance and mourning in the face of sin and judgment. Their wisdom was practical and spiritual, guiding the community in understanding and responding to divine decrees. The ability to "make eyes run with water" highlights a performance of sorrow, designed to elicit a spiritual response from both the people and potentially, in their pleas, from God.

Jeremiah 9 18 Commentary

Jeremiah 9:18 calls professional mourners, who are identified as wise women, to lead a lamentation for the impending destruction. These women were skilled in evoking sorrow through their rituals. Their ability to express the deep grief of the community underscores the gravity of God's judgment on Judah for its sins. The verse contrasts the women's articulate expression of grief with the expected silence and shame of the men. This passage emphasizes the societal roles of women and their participation in the national experience of divine discipline, reminding listeners of the widespread sorrow that sin brings and the importance of repentance and turning back to God. The mention of Ephraim signifies a broad national crisis affecting the remnants of the people. The destruction foreshadowed is immense, depicted as grinding and inescapable.