Jeremiah 13:17

Lexham English Bible

Contextual Overview

¹² "Therefore, you shall say to them this word, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: "Every jar must be filled with wine."' And they will say to you, ‘Do we not certainly know that every jar should be filled with wine?' ¹³ Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh: "Look, I am about to fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings who sit on David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with drunkenness. ¹⁴ And I will smash them, each one against his brother, and the fathers and the sons together," declares Yahweh. "I will not have compassion, and I will not take pity, and I will not show compassion from destroying them."'" ¹⁵ Listen, and pay attention, you must not be haughty, for Yahweh has spoken. ¹⁶ Give glory to Yahweh your God before he brings darkness, and before your feet stumble on the mountains at twilight. And you will hope for light, but he makes it as gloom, he makes it as thick darkness. ¹⁷ But if you will not listen to it, my inner self will weep in secret places, because of the presence of your pride. And my eyes will weep bitterly, and they will melt in tears, because the flock of Yahweh has been taken captive. ¹⁸ "Say to the king and to the queen mother, ‘Take a lower seat, for your beautiful crown has come down from your head.' ¹⁹ The towns of the Negev are shut up, and there is no one who opens them. All of Judah is deported; it is deported in completeness. ²⁰ Lift up your eyes and see those coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you, your magnificent flock? ²¹ What will you say when he sets over you— and you have taught them—allies as head over you? Will not labor pains take hold of you, like a woman giving birth?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if: Jeremiah 22:5, Malachi 2:2

my soul: Jeremiah 9:1, Jeremiah 14:17, Jeremiah 17:16, 1 Samuel 15:11, 1 Samuel 15:35, Psalms 119:136, Lamentations 1:2, Lamentations 1:16, Lamentations 2:18, Luke 19:41, Luke 19:42, Romans 9:2-4

for: Jeremiah 13:15

because: Jeremiah 13:19, Jeremiah 13:20, Psalms 80:1, Isaiah 63:11, Ezekiel 34:31, Ezekiel 36:38

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 1:10 - wept sore 2 Kings 8:11 - wept 2 Kings 22:19 - wept Ezra 10:1 - weeping Job 30:25 - Did not I Psalms 119:53 - horror Psalms 137:1 - the rivers Psalms 139:21 - and am not Psalms 144:14 - no breaking in Isaiah 15:5 - My heart Isaiah 22:4 - Look Isaiah 57:18 - to his Jeremiah 4:19 - My bowels Jeremiah 6:26 - make thee Jeremiah 9:10 - the mountains Jeremiah 9:18 - our eyes Jeremiah 15:17 - sat alone Lamentations 1:9 - came Lamentations 3:48 - General Ezekiel 9:4 - that sigh Ezekiel 19:1 - take Ezekiel 24:16 - thy tears Zechariah 10:2 - therefore Luke 6:21 - ye that weep John 11:35 - General John 12:35 - lest Acts 20:19 - many Acts 20:28 - all Acts 26:29 - that not 1 Corinthians 5:2 - mourned 1 Corinthians 13:6 - Rejoiceth not 2 Corinthians 5:20 - be 2 Corinthians 12:21 - that I Philippians 3:18 - even Hebrews 13:17 - with grief 1 Peter 5:2 - the flock

Cross-References

Genesis 13:15
for all the land which you see I will give to you, and to your descendants, forever.

Genesis 13:17
Arise, go through the length of the land and through its breadth, for I will give it to you."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But if ye will not hear it,.... The advice and exhortation now given, to repent of sin, be humble before God, and glorify him:

my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; he would no more act in a public character; but, laying aside his office as a prophet and public instructor, would retire to some corner, where he might not be seen or heard, and there lament the sins of the people, particularly their "pride", which had been the cause of their ruin; or mourn on account of their glory and excellency, as the word may be rendered, which would depart from them; their city and temple would be burnt; and their king, princes, and nobles, and the flower of the nation, carried into Babylon; so the Jews a interpret it of the glory of Israel, which should cease from them, and be given to the nations of the world;

:-;

mine eyes shall weep sore; or, "shedding tears it shall shed tears" b; in great abundance, being, as he wished his eyes might be, a fountain of tears to weep night and day, Jeremiah 9:1:

and run down with tears; or, "mine eye let down tears" c; upon the cheek in great plenty. The phrases are expressive of the sorrow of his heart for the distresses of his people, and of the certainty of them; the reason of which follows:

because the Lord's flock is carried away captive: that is, the Lord's people, as the Targum; to whom he stood in the relation of a shepherd, and they to him under the character of a flock; and this was what so sensibly touched the heart of the prophet, that they were a people that the Lord had an interest in, a regard unto, and among whom he had been formerly glorified; wherefore it was to the loss of his honour and interest that these should be given into the hands of their enemies, and be carried captive; and this troubled him, for nothing lies nearer the heart of a good man than the glory of God.

a T. Bab. Chagiga, fol. 5. 2. b ודמע תדמע "et lachrymando lachrymabitur", Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt. c ותרד עיני דמעה "et descendet oculus meus lachrymam", Montanus, "lachrymis", Cocceius; "descendere faciet", Pagninus; "demittet", Targ.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Lord’s flock - The people carried away captive with Jeconiah formed the Jewish Church, as we are expressly told, whereas Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem possessed only the externals of the Church and not its reality. It is for this reason that the seventy years’ exile counts from Jeconiah’s captivity.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 13:17. My soul shalt weep in secret places — If you will not hearken to the Lord, there is no remedy: destruction must come; and there is nothing left for me, but to go in secret, and mourn and bewail your wretched lot.