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Jeremiah 9:10,20
For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass throughthem; neither canmen hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone…

our eyes.

Jeremiah 9:1
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 6:26
O daughter of my people, girdthee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning,as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.

Jeremiah 13:17
But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places foryour pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive.

that our eyes may overflow with tears
The imagery of overflowing eyes signifies deep sorrow and repentance. In biblical literature, tears often symbolize genuine contrition and a plea for mercy. This phrase suggests a communal acknowledgment of guilt and a desire for reconciliation with God. The overflowing tears can be seen as a metaphor for the abundance of sin and the need for cleansing, reminiscent ofPsalm 126:5, where those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy, indicating hope for restoration.

and our eyelids may gush with water
The gushing of water from the eyelids intensifies the expression of grief, indicating an uncontrollable and profound emotional response. This vivid imagery highlights the depth of the nation's despair and the seriousness of their situation. In a broader biblical context, water often symbolizes purification and renewal. The gushing water could be seen as a precursor to the cleansing and restoration that God promises to His people, as seen inEzekiel 36:25-26, where God promises to sprinkle clean water on Israel and give them a new heart.

• The command carries urgency; disaster is near, so the mourners cannot delay.

• God’s people have ignored repeated warnings (Jeremiah 6:17–19), and now judgment is imminent, requiring immediate preparation for grief.

• Similar scenes of sudden calamity show how swiftly sorrow can replace complacency—“Disaster follows disaster; the whole land lies in ruins” (Jeremiah 4:20).

• Urgency reminds us that sin’s consequences arrive sooner than we think; repentance should be just as quick (Joel 2:12–13).

• In ancient Judah, professional mourning women voiced the sorrow of the whole nation; here the prophet invites them to lead the chorus of grief.

• Lament is public acknowledgment that the people’s brokenness is real and deserved (2 Chronicles 36:16–17).

• God Himself authorizes the lament, confirming that the coming pain is not accidental but the righteous outworking of His covenant warnings (Leviticus 26:31–33).

• Other occasions show corporate lament as fitting response to judgment—“Jeremiah chanted a lament for Josiah” (2 Chronicles 35:25); “Call the wailing women… for sudden wailing will come upon us” (Amos 5:16).

• Genuine sorrow is expected, not a performance; tears validate that hearts finally feel what God has felt all along (Isaiah 22:4).

• “Streams of tears flow from my eyes because Your law is not obeyed” (Psalm 119:136) captures the same righteous grief over sin.

• Tears are also intercessory: Jeremiah’s own eyes “overflow with tears” for the daughter of his people (Lamentations 1:16). He models the compassion God wants from His servants.

• The piling up of imagery—overflow, gush—emphasizes unstoppable, soaking grief; this is no brief sniffle but a flood.

• David experienced similar depth: “I drench my couch with tears” (Psalm 6:6).

• Job, too: “My face is red with weeping, and deep shadow covers my eyelids” (Job 16:16).

• Such grief strips away self-reliance and prepares the heart to seek mercy. Eventually, the same God who brings tears promises to wipe them away (Isaiah 25:8;Revelation 21:4).

Jeremiah 9:18 pictures an urgent summons to professional mourners because Judah’s sin has reached a point where judgment is certain. The verse moves from haste, to communal lament, to overflowing tears, underscoring how deeply God expects His people to feel the weight of their rebellion. The literal call for wailing women highlights both the reality of the coming catastrophe and God’s desire that sorrow lead to repentance. For readers today, the passage invites a swift, wholehearted grief over sin and a humble recognition that only the Lord can turn floods of tears into fountains of grace.