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I would weep day and night for the slain of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/jeremiah/9.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/jeremiah/9.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />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!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/9.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />Oh, that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night over the slain daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/jeremiah/9.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />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!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/jeremiah/9.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />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!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/jeremiah/9.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />Oh, that my head were waters And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For those slain of the daughter of my people!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/jeremiah/9.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />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!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/jeremiah/9.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />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!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/jeremiah/9.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />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!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/jeremiah/9.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />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!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/jeremiah/9.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />If my head were a flowing spring, my eyes a fountain of tears, I would weep day and night over the slain of my dear people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/jeremiah/9.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />If my head were a spring of water, my eyes a fountain of tears, I would weep day and night over the slain of my dear people. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/jeremiah/9.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />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!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/jeremiah/9.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />I wish that my eyes were fountains of tears, so I could cry day and night for my people who were killed. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/jeremiah/9.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />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!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/jeremiah/9.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />"I wish that my head were [filled with] water and my eyes were a fountain of tears so that I could cry day and night for my dear people who have been killed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/jeremiah/9.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />I wish my head were a well of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I could cry day and night for my people who have been killed. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/jeremiah/9.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br /> "Oh, that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, for then I would cry day and night for those of my people who have been killed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/jeremiah/9.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Oh, that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night over the slain daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/jeremiah/9.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />I wish that my head were a well full of water and my eyes were a fountain full of tears! If they were, I could cry day and night for those of my dear people who have been killed. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/jeremiah/9.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a spring of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/jeremiah/9.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />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!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/jeremiah/9.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a spring of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/jeremiah/9.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />Who makes my head waters, "" And my eye a fountain of tears? And I weep by day and by night, "" For the wounded of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/jeremiah/9.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> Who doth make my head waters, And mine eye a fountain of tears? And I weep by day and by night, For the wounded of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/jeremiah/9.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />Who will give my head waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears? and I will weep day and night for the wounded of the daughter of my people.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/jeremiah/9.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes? and I will weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/jeremiah/9.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />“Who will provide water for my head, and a fount of tears for my eyes? And then I will weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/jeremiah/9.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Oh, that my head were a spring of water, my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night over the slain from the daughter of my people! <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/jeremiah/9.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people!<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/jeremiah/9.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />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!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/jeremiah/9.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />But who gave my head waters and my eyes a fountain of tears? Moreover I have wept by day and by night for the slain of the daughter of my people!<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/jeremiah/9.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />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!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/jeremiah/9.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />Who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes? then would I weep for this my people day and night, <i>even</i> for the slain of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/jeremiah/9-1.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5k55c51ZGhs?start=2739" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/9.htm">A Lament over Zion</a></span><br> <span class="reftext">1</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/4310.htm" title="4310: mî- (Interjection) -- An interrogative pronoun of persons, as mah is of things, who?; also whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix."></a> <a href="/hebrew/5414.htm" title="5414: yit·tên (V-Qal-Imperf-3ms) -- To give, put, set. A primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application.">Oh, that</a> <a href="/hebrew/7218.htm" title="7218: rō·šî (N-msc:: 1cs) -- Head. From an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head, whether literal or figurative.">my head</a> <a href="/hebrew/4325.htm" title="4325: ma·yim (N-mp) -- Waters, water. Dual of a primitive noun; water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen.">were a spring of water,</a> <a href="/hebrew/5869.htm" title="5869: wə·‘ê·nî (Conj-w:: N-csc:: 1cs) -- An eye. Probably a primitive word; an eye; by analogy, a fountain.">and my eyes</a> <a href="/hebrew/4726.htm" title="4726: mə·qō·wr (N-msc) -- A spring, fountain. ">a fountain</a> <a href="/hebrew/1832.htm" title="1832: dim·‘āh (N-fs) -- Tears (of one weeping). Feminine of dema'; weeping.">of tears!</a> <a href="/hebrew/1058.htm" title="1058: wə·’eḇ·keh (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConjImperf.h-1cs) -- To weep, bewail. A primitive root; to weep; generally to bemoan.">I would weep</a> <a href="/hebrew/3119.htm" title="3119: yō·w·mām (Adv) -- Daytime, by day. From yowm; daily.">day</a> <a href="/hebrew/3915.htm" title="3915: wā·lay·lāh (Conj-w:: N-ms) -- Night. Or leyl; also laylah; from the same as luwl; properly, a twist, i.e. Night; figuratively, adversity.">and night</a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: ’êṯ (DirObjM) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self."></a> <a href="/hebrew/2491.htm" title="2491: ḥal·lê (N-mpc) -- Pierced, polluted. From chalal; pierced; figuratively, polluted.">over the slain</a> <a href="/hebrew/1323.htm" title="1323: ḇaṯ- (N-fsc) -- Daughter. From banah; a daughter.">daughter</a> <a href="/hebrew/5971.htm" title="5971: ‘am·mî (N-msc:: 1cs) -- From amam; a people; specifically, a tribe; hence troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock.">of my people.</a> </span><span class="reftext">2</span>If only I had a traveler’s lodge in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a crowd of faithless people.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/lamentations/1-16.htm">Lamentations 1:16</a></span><br />For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears. For there is no one nearby to comfort me, no one to revive my soul. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/lamentations/2-11.htm">Lamentations 2:11</a></span><br />My eyes fail from weeping; I am churning within. My heart is poured out in grief over the destruction of the daughter of my people, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/22-4.htm">Isaiah 22:4</a></span><br />Therefore I said, “Turn away from me, let me weep bitterly! Do not try to console me over the destruction of the daughter of my people.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/19-41.htm">Luke 19:41</a></span><br />As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/23-37.htm">Matthew 23:37</a></span><br />O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/119-136.htm">Psalm 119:136</a></span><br />My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/9-4.htm">Ezekiel 9:4</a></span><br />“Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/9-2.htm">Romans 9:2-3</a></span><br />I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. / For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_samuel/18-33.htm">2 Samuel 18:33</a></span><br />The king was shaken and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/15-5.htm">Isaiah 15:5</a></span><br />My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath-shelishiyah. With weeping they ascend the slope of Luhith; they lament their destruction on the road to Horonaim.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/16-9.htm">Isaiah 16:9</a></span><br />So I weep with Jazer for the vines of Sibmah; I drench Heshbon and Elealeh with my tears. Triumphant shouts have fallen silent over your summer fruit and your harvest.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/john/11-35.htm">John 11:35</a></span><br />Jesus wept.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/micah/1-8.htm">Micah 1:8</a></span><br />Because of this I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and mourn like an ostrich.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hosea/11-8.htm">Hosea 11:8</a></span><br />How could I give you up, O Ephraim? How could I surrender you, O Israel? How could I make you like Admah? How could I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within Me; My compassion is stirred!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/joel/2-17.htm">Joel 2:17</a></span><br />Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">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!</p><p class="hdg">O that.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/4-19.htm">Jeremiah 4:19</a></b></br> My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/13-17.htm">Jeremiah 13:17</a></b></br> But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for <i>your</i> pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/14-17.htm">Jeremiah 14:17</a></b></br> Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease: for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.</p><p class="hdg">weep.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/42-3.htm">Psalm 42:3</a></b></br> My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where <i>is</i> thy God?</p><p class="hdg">the daughter.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/6-26.htm">Jeremiah 6:26</a></b></br> O daughter of my people, gird <i>thee</i> with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, <i>as for</i> an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/8-21.htm">Jeremiah 8:21,22</a></b></br> For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me… </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/jeremiah/8-22.htm">Daughter</a> <a href="/isaiah/64-4.htm">Eye</a> <a href="/jeremiah/7-30.htm">Eyes</a> <a href="/jeremiah/6-7.htm">Fountain</a> <a href="/isaiah/49-10.htm">Fountains</a> <a href="/jeremiah/2-37.htm">Head</a> <a href="/jeremiah/6-5.htm">Night</a> <a href="/isaiah/66-16.htm">Slain</a> <a href="/jeremiah/6-7.htm">Spring</a> <a href="/isaiah/66-12.htm">Stream</a> <a href="/isaiah/38-5.htm">Tears</a> <a href="/jeremiah/8-14.htm">Water</a> <a href="/jeremiah/6-7.htm">Waters</a> <a href="/isaiah/33-7.htm">Weep</a> <a href="/jeremiah/4-28.htm">Weeping</a> <a href="/jeremiah/8-21.htm">Wounded</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/jeremiah/9-7.htm">Daughter</a> <a href="/jeremiah/13-17.htm">Eye</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-18.htm">Eyes</a> <a href="/jeremiah/17-13.htm">Fountain</a> <a href="/ezekiel/34-13.htm">Fountains</a> <a href="/jeremiah/13-18.htm">Head</a> <a href="/jeremiah/14-8.htm">Night</a> <a href="/jeremiah/14-18.htm">Slain</a> <a href="/jeremiah/15-18.htm">Spring</a> <a href="/jeremiah/15-18.htm">Stream</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-18.htm">Tears</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-15.htm">Water</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-18.htm">Waters</a> <a href="/jeremiah/13-17.htm">Weep</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-10.htm">Weeping</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-19.htm">Wounded</a><div class="vheading2">Jeremiah 9</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/9-1.htm">Jeremiah laments the people for their manifold sins;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">9. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/9-9.htm">and for their judgment.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">12. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/9-12.htm">Disobedience is the cause of their bitter calamity.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">17. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/9-17.htm">He exhorts to mourn for their destruction;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">23. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/9-23.htm">and to trust not in themselves, but in God.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">25. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/9-25.htm">He threatens both Jews and Gentiles.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/jeremiah/9.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/jeremiah/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/jeremiah/9.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>Oh, that my head were a spring of water,</b><br>This phrase expresses a deep yearning for the ability to express sorrow continuously. In the context of ancient Israel, water is often a symbol of life and sustenance, but here it is used to convey the depth of Jeremiah's grief. The imagery of a spring suggests an unending source, indicating the prophet's desire to mourn without ceasing. This reflects the intense emotional burden Jeremiah carries as he witnesses the spiritual and moral decline of his people.<p><b>and my eyes a fountain of tears!</b><br>The metaphor of eyes as a fountain of tears emphasizes the overwhelming sorrow Jeremiah feels. In biblical literature, tears are often associated with lamentation and repentance. This imagery connects to other instances in scripture where tears are a response to sin and impending judgment, such as in <a href="/lamentations/1-16.htm">Lamentations 1:16</a>. The prophet's tears symbolize not only personal grief but also a call for the people to recognize their need for repentance.<p><b>I would weep day and night</b><br>The expression of weeping day and night signifies a continuous and profound mourning. In the cultural context of the time, mourning was a communal and often public expression, involving specific rituals and periods of lament. Jeremiah's commitment to weep without ceasing underscores the severity of the situation facing Judah. This relentless mourning can be seen as a prophetic act, highlighting the urgency of the people's need to return to God.<p><b>over the slain daughter of my people.</b><br>The term "daughter of my people" is a poetic expression referring to the nation of Judah. The use of "daughter" conveys a sense of endearment and familial connection, emphasizing Jeremiah's deep love and concern for his people. Historically, this phrase points to the impending destruction and exile that Judah would face at the hands of the Babylonians. The "slain" aspect foreshadows the physical and spiritual devastation that would result from their continued disobedience. This lamentation can be seen as a type of Christ, who also wept over Jerusalem (<a href="/luke/19-41.htm">Luke 19:41</a>), showing compassion and sorrow for the people's rejection of God's message.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/j/jeremiah.htm">Jeremiah</a></b><br>The prophet who is expressing deep sorrow and lamentation over the spiritual and physical state of his people, Israel.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_daughter_of_my_people.htm">The Daughter of My People</a></b><br>A poetic reference to the people of Israel, often used to express a close, familial relationship and deep affection.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_slain.htm">The Slain</a></b><br>Refers to those who have suffered or will suffer due to the impending judgment and destruction because of the nation's sins.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/i/israel.htm">Israel</a></b><br>The nation chosen by God, which is facing judgment due to its persistent disobedience and idolatry.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/j/judgment.htm">Judgment</a></b><br>The event of divine retribution that Jeremiah foresees as a consequence of Israel's unfaithfulness.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_heart_of_a_prophet.htm">The Heart of a Prophet</a></b><br>Jeremiah's lamentation reveals the heart of a true prophet who deeply cares for his people and grieves over their sin and its consequences. We are called to have a compassionate heart for those who are lost and suffering.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_consequences_of_sin.htm">The Consequences of Sin</a></b><br>The verse highlights the serious consequences of sin, both spiritually and physically. It serves as a reminder to examine our own lives and repent from anything that separates us from God.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/i/intercessory_prayer.htm">Intercessory Prayer</a></b><br>Jeremiah's tears can be seen as a form of intercession. We are encouraged to pray fervently for our communities and nations, asking God for mercy and revival.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_amidst_despair.htm">Hope Amidst Despair</a></b><br>While the verse is filled with sorrow, it also points to the hope that God hears the cries of His people and is compassionate. We can trust in God's ultimate plan for redemption and restoration.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/e/empathy_and_action.htm">Empathy and Action</a></b><br>Jeremiah's example challenges us to not only feel empathy but also to take action where possible, whether through prayer, service, or sharing the Gospel.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_jeremiah_9.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Jeremiah 9</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_should_others_be_treated.htm">Who is known as the Weeping Prophet?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/who_is_known_as_the_weeping_prophet.htm">Who is known as the Weeping Prophet?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/is_jeremiah_9_4's_claim_realistic_or_exaggerated.htm">In Jeremiah 9:4, is the sweeping claim that brothers deceive each other founded on real social conditions or an exaggerated portrayal? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_do_christians_suffer_if_god_loves.htm">Why do Christians suffer if God loves them?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/jeremiah/9.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>IX.</span><p>(1) <span class= "bld">Oh, that my head were waters . . .!</span>--Literally, <span class= "ital">Who will give my head waters<span class= "bld"> . . .</span></span>? The form of a question was, in Hebrew idiom as in Latin, the natural utterance of desire. In the Hebrew text this verse comes as the last in Jeremiah 8. It is, of course, very closely connected with what precedes; but, on the other hand, it is even more closely connected with what follows. Strictly speaking, there ought to be no break at all, and the discourse should flow on continuously.<p><span class= "bld">A fountain.</span>--Here, as in <a href="/jeremiah/2-13.htm" title="For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.">Jeremiah 2:13</a>; <a href="/jeremiah/17-13.htm" title="O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake you shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.">Jeremiah 17:13</a>, and elsewhere, the Hebrew word <span class= "ital">makor </span>is a tank or <span class= "ital">reservoir </span>rather than a spring.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/jeremiah/9.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 1.</span> - The Hebrew more correctly attaches this verse to <a href="/jeremiah/8.htm">Jeremiah 8</a>. <span class="cmt_word">Oh that my head were waters</span>, etc.! A quaint conceit, it may be said. But "if we have been going on pace for pace with the passion before, this sudden conversion of a strong-felt metaphor into something to be actually realized in nature, is strictly and strikingly natural." So Bishop Dearie, quoting, by way of illustration, Shakespeare's 'Richard II.,' "meditating on his own utter annihilation as to royalty:" <p><span class="accented">"Oh that I were a mockery king of snow,<br />To melt before the sun of Bolingbroke!"</span> The tone of complaint continues in the following verse, though the subject is different. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/jeremiah/9-1.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Oh, that</span><br /><span class="heb">יִתֵּ֤ן</span> <span class="translit">(yit·tên)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5414.htm">Strong's 5414: </a> </span><span class="str2">To give, put, set</span><br /><br /><span class="word">my head</span><br /><span class="heb">רֹאשִׁי֙</span> <span class="translit">(rō·šî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7218.htm">Strong's 7218: </a> </span><span class="str2">The head</span><br /><br /><span class="word">were a spring of water,</span><br /><span class="heb">מַ֔יִם</span> <span class="translit">(ma·yim)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4325.htm">Strong's 4325: </a> </span><span class="str2">Water, juice, urine, semen</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and my eyes</span><br /><span class="heb">וְעֵינִ֖י</span> <span class="translit">(wə·‘ê·nî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5869.htm">Strong's 5869: </a> </span><span class="str2">An eye, a fountain</span><br /><br /><span class="word">a fountain</span><br /><span class="heb">מְק֣וֹר</span> <span class="translit">(mə·qō·wr)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4726.htm">Strong's 4726: </a> </span><span class="str2">Something dug, a, source, of happiness, wisdom, progeny)</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of tears,</span><br /><span class="heb">דִּמְעָ֑ה</span> <span class="translit">(dim·‘āh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1832.htm">Strong's 1832: </a> </span><span class="str2">Tears (of one weeping)</span><br /><br /><span class="word">I would weep</span><br /><span class="heb">וְאֶבְכֶּה֙</span> <span class="translit">(wə·’eḇ·keh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1058.htm">Strong's 1058: </a> </span><span class="str2">To weep, to bemoan</span><br /><br /><span class="word">day</span><br /><span class="heb">יוֹמָ֣ם</span> <span class="translit">(yō·w·mām)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3119.htm">Strong's 3119: </a> </span><span class="str2">Daytime, by day</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and night</span><br /><span class="heb">וָלַ֔יְלָה</span> <span class="translit">(wā·lay·lāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3915.htm">Strong's 3915: </a> </span><span class="str2">A twist, night, adversity</span><br /><br /><span class="word">over the slain</span><br /><span class="heb">חַֽלְלֵ֥י</span> <span class="translit">(ḥal·lê)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2491.htm">Strong's 2491: </a> </span><span class="str2">Pierced, polluted</span><br /><br /><span class="word">daughter</span><br /><span class="heb">בַת־</span> <span class="translit">(ḇaṯ-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1323.htm">Strong's 1323: </a> </span><span class="str2">A daughter</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of my people.</span><br /><span class="heb">עַמִּֽי׃</span> <span class="translit">(‘am·mî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5971.htm">Strong's 5971: </a> </span><span class="str2">A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/jeremiah/9-1.htm">Jeremiah 9:1 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/jeremiah/9-1.htm">Jeremiah 9:1 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/jeremiah/9-1.htm">Jeremiah 9:1 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/jeremiah/9-1.htm">Jeremiah 9:1 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/jeremiah/9-1.htm">Jeremiah 9:1 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/jeremiah/9-1.htm">Jeremiah 9:1 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/jeremiah/9-1.htm">Jeremiah 9:1 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/jeremiah/9-1.htm">Jeremiah 9:1 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/jeremiah/9-1.htm">Jeremiah 9:1 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/jeremiah/9-1.htm">Jeremiah 9:1 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/jeremiah/9-1.htm">OT Prophets: Jeremiah 9:1 Oh that my head were waters (Jer.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/jeremiah/8-22.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Jeremiah 8:22"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Jeremiah 8:22" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/jeremiah/9-2.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Jeremiah 9:2"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Jeremiah 9:2" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>