The bones of kings and priests spread before the sun they served; 'the harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved'; is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there?
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
At that time, says Hashem, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves;
verse value 8120
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 109 letters. The shortest word is "time" (בָּעֵ֣ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·bones·of·his·princes" (וְאֶת־עַצְמוֹת־שָׂרָיו֩, 12 letters). Words sharing gematria 606: bones·of, bones·of. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "bring·out" (יוֹצִ֣יאוּ), "bones·of" (אֶת־עַצְמ֣וֹת), "kings·of·Judah" (מַלְכֵי־יְהוּדָ֣ה). The root עצם appears 5 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "kings·of·Judah" (root מלך, 253x in Jeremiah); "dwellers·of·Jerusalem" (root ישב, 147x in Jeremiah).
Radak
At that time, "and they shall bring them out." [The word has] a ketiv and a qere — the qere is "yotzi'u" — and the matter [meaning] is close [between the two], for the meaning of "yotzi'u" is that others will bring them out, not that they will go out on their own. This matter is not recounted in the Book of Kings regarding the destruction of Jerusalem, where the Chaldeans brought out the bones of the kings, the officials, the priests, and the prophets from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, from their graves; rather, it is the prophet who prophesied concerning them that this would happen, and it did happen. And even though the text did not recount this, this will be their punishment after their death, as it is stated:
Metzudat David
"They shall bring them out." The enemies who come shall bring them out from their graves to mock them:
The priests. The priests of Baal:
The prophets. The false prophets:
The inhabitants of Jerusalem: from the rest of the people.
Malbim
At that time, not only will the dead not be buried, but they will also take the bones out of their graves.
and they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped; they shall not be gathered, nor be buried, they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.
verse value 7240
Insights
Verse structure: 26 words, 113 letters. Notable word values: "and·to·them·of" (וּלְכֹ֣ל) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֤א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·they·will·spread·them" (וּשְׁטָחוּם֩, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 507: and·that, and·that, and·that, and·that. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·they·will·spread·them" (וּשְׁטָחוּם֩), "for·the·sun" (לַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ), "and·to·the·moon" (וְלַיָּרֵ֜חַ). The root אשר appears 5 times in this verse. 21 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "they·will·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root שמש ("for·the·sun") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root דרש ("sought·them") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 18 and 8 words.
Rashi
"And they spread them out before the sun." And the Chaldeans will encamp to besiege the city at the tombs of the nobles, which were as beautiful as palaces.
As dung. As manure:
Radak
"Whom He loved and whom He served." And similarly, it is stated regarding Jehoiakim when his punishment was prophesied against him: "He shall have no one sitting on the throne of David, and his corpse shall be cast out to the heat by day and to the frost by night." And similarly, it is stated concerning the transgressors of Israel: "They shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem." And our Sages of blessed memory said: "Because of the sin of the living, the dead are dug up." And they anchored this in the verse: "And the hand of the Lord shall be upon you and upon your fathers." This refers to the digging up of the corpses. And they also brought this verse: "They shall not be gathered nor buried." And they raised a difficulty against it from the subsequent verse: "And death is chosen rather than life." Namely, why would death be chosen rather than life if the dead are dug up? And if the punishment of the dead was to have atonement, then this "death is chosen" would not apply. Rather, if it is the punishment of the living, and because of the sin of the living the dead are dug up, why did it say "death is chosen rather than life?" And he explained: "Death is chosen" for the wicked, so that they will not live in this world, sin, and fall into Gehinnom.
"For dung." [They shall be] for manure. That is to say, they shall always remain on the surface of the ground, for they shall not be buried. And due to their frequent exposure on the surface of the ground, they shall rot and return to dust and manure.
Metzudat David
“and they will spread them out.” And they will spread them out before the sun, etc., to disgrace them.
"Whom they loved": To accept them as gods.
"And that, etc." The repetition of the matter is stated in order to emphasize the permanence of the matter.
"They shall not be gathered. They shall not bring them into the tomb."
"And they shall not be buried." The repetition of the matter in what is stated:
Like dung. They should be placed upon the ground, resembling dung.
Metzudat Zion
"ושטחום" – the meaning is to spread out, as in "a spreading place for nets" (Ezekiel 26:5).
"Hosts of the heavens." These are the idol worshippers:
"They shall gather." The matter of "gathering" implies bringing in, as it is written: "and there was no man to gather them" (Judges 19:15).
Ladomen. For manure, as it is said: "Like domen on the face of the field" (below, 9):
Malbim
“And they spread them out to the sun, etc., whom they loved,” because they had distinct services. There were deities among them whom they loved, attributing to them prosperity, goodness, beauty, and all success, and there were some from whom they feared, attributing to them all evil, sickness, pestilence, and sword, and they served them with sacrifices and human offerings to appease their wrath and remove the evil. This is what is meant by “whom they loved and whom they served,” whether out of love or out of fear. There were some who would inquire of them to know future events and hidden matters, and there were some who followed them in order to emulate their traits and ways, which they attributed to them, and there were some who merely prostrated themselves before them, to exalt and honor them. “They shall not be gathered”—the manner of gathering the bones of nobles into honorable chests, they shall not be gathered, and more than this, they shall not even be buried at all.
And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places whither I have driven them, says Hashem of hosts.
verse value 6816
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 84 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֔ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·all·the·places" (בְּכׇל־הַמְּקֹמ֤וֹת, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 606: remained, remained. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·will·be·chosen" (וְנִבְחַ֥ר), "from·life" (מֵחַיִּ֔ים), "rest" (הַשְּׁאֵרִית֙). The root שאר appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "to·them·of" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root בחר ("and·will·be·chosen") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root שאר ("remained") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'this', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 8 words.
Rashi
"And death is chosen over life." Even though they see the dead laid out in disgrace, the affliction of life is greater than that, and they would choose death.
Radak
And it shall be chosen. The punishment of the dead will be that which He said, that they will be dug out of their graves. And the living, who are the remnant that remain, who will not be killed but will be exiled, will choose death in their exile over life, because they will be in the hand of a foolish nation, slaves to a cruel people who will not have mercy on them, and their death is better than their life.
"In all the remaining places." In every place that the remaining ones are — like an inversion of "the remaining ones, in all the places to which I have banished them." Similarly: "and she put kohl on her eyes"; "and all the land came to Egypt to buy [grain], to Joseph" — [that is, inverted from] "they came to Egypt to Joseph to buy"; "to Me they cry out, my God, we know You, Israel" — [that is, inverted from] "to Me they cry out, Israel: my God, we know You"; and the like, which we have written in the book Mikhlol, in the section on grammar.
Metzudat David
"And death is chosen over life." Those who remain from the death, those who go into exile, will be in great distress until they choose death.
The wicked family, who served Baal:
In all the remaining places. It is reversed, like “the remaining in all the places where I have banished them there, in exile.”
Metzudat Zion
"Hada'chatim." From the language of "dechiyah," meaning rejection:
Malbim
"And death shall be preferred [over life]" — even though they will see the disgrace of the dead, they will choose death over life anyway. And this will apply to all the remainder of the family who served idolatry, not only in the Land of Israel but also in all places, even in the Diaspora; and this will apply to all who remain, without distinction.
Moreover you shall say to them: Thus says Hashem: Do men fall, and not rise up again? Does one turn away, and not return?
verse value 2069
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 45 letters. Notable word values: "to·them" (אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֚ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "if·he·returns" (אִם־יָשׁ֖וּב, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 37: and·not, and·not. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "do·they·fall" (הֲיִפְּל֖וּ), "if·he·returns" (אִם־יָשׁ֖וּב). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root ישוב ("if·he·returns") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·will·rise', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ [and·you·shall·say] (647) + אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם [to·them] (86) + כֹּ֚ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֣ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + הֲיִפְּל֖וּ [do·they·fall] (131) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + יָק֑וּמוּ [they·will·rise] (162) + אִם־יָשׁ֖וּב [if·he·returns] (359) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + יָשֽׁוּב [he·will·return] (318) = 2069.
Rashi
"They will fall and not rise." Is it good for them that they cast themselves down into a fall from which they have no recovery?
"If they return and do not return." When they desire to return from their evil ways, the Holy One, blessed be He, will not return from His decree. Another interpretation: Even if they return in repentance, it will not be established in their hands, for they will hasten to return to their wickedness. And so does Targum Yonatan render it: "If they intend to repent, it is revealed before Me that they will not repent."
Radak
"And you shall say, 'Will they fall and not rise?'" Its meaning is connected to the following verse, "Why has she strayed?" That is to say: Why did they cling so strongly to their evil deeds and refuse to return? Did they fall due to the punishment for their deeds such that they did not rise again afterward? That is to say: How many times have they fallen due to the punishment for their deeds, and afterward, upon their return, they rose? And do they perhaps think that if they return for the better, God will not turn from His fierce anger against them? Has there ever been a time until now that they fell and did not rise afterward? Or, if Israel returns from their evil deeds, will God not turn from His fierce anger? This has not happened. If so, why has she strayed? And Jonathan rendered it: "Will they fall and not rise?" and so on, as printed in the column.
Metzudat David
“Will they fall.” And does it mean that due to their sins they will fall and be unable to rise? That is to say: does it mean that repentance is not effective for their restoration from their fall?
"If they return." And is it not so that if any of them returns in repentance, will the Lord not turn from His fierce anger? This is a question. The manner of Scripture, when it states two questions one after the other, is to use the letter heh of questioning in the first, and the word "if" in the second. Similarly, "Have You truly rejected Judah? Does Your soul abhor Zion?" (infra 14).
Malbim
“היפלו” (God says): would they fall without hope of recovery, if he turns back [from evil] and does not turn back a second time [to it]? That is to say, one who turns from the way of evil to the way of good is called one who has turned from his way; and if he goes back and returns to the way of evil, behold, he has turned back a second time. And Israel turns and goes back and turns again: they turn from the way of evil and go back and return to it, and because of this there is no recovery for their downfall. HaShem asks: "Why does she go astray?" (מדוע שובבה) — for they perform an eternal return; that is to say, they turn forever from their way: they turn from the way of evil to the good, and then again turn from the way of good to the way of evil. What is the cause of this? He answers: this is because they persisted in deceit and refused to return; rather, they return with a deceitful repentance, saying that they are returning, but it is deceit and falsification, for their heart is set on their evil way. For behold, "I have hearkened" — the Name says, "I have hearkened to the words of their repentance," "and I will hear and understand" — "for they do not speak thus"; the confession they make at the time of repentance is not proper and correct. "No one repents over his evil, saying, 'What have I done?'" — that is to say, when calamity comes upon them, then they return from their way, but they do not regret the wickedness of their deeds for their own sake, to the point of confessing his evil deeds for their own sake; rather, they regret and complain only about the damage that came to them through their deeds, like a thief caught in a break-in, who does not regret what he stole, but only that he was discovered. Therefore, "the whole of them turn in their course, like a horse charging into battle" — they are like a horse that, when it meets the enemy in battle and runs backward, the main purpose of its running backward is so that it may return and fall upon the enemy with even greater force. So too, their turning from their sins is not in order not to return and not to commit them again, but only so that they may return to commit them again with even greater intensity when their troubles subside.
Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.
verse value 3661
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "the·people" (הָעָ֥ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "Jerusalem" (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "has·backslidden" (שׁוֹבְבָ֜ה), "exceled" (נִצַּ֑חַת), "in·the·deceit" (בַּתַּרְמִ֔ת). The root שוב appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "this" (root זה, 123x in Jeremiah); "has·backslidden" (root שוב, 106x in Jeremiah); "Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 93x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'exceled', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: מַדּ֨וּעַ [why?] (120) + שׁוֹבְבָ֜ה [has·backslidden] (315) + הָעָ֥ם [the·people] (115) + הַזֶּ֛ה [this] (17) + יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם [Jerusalem] (586) + מְשֻׁבָ֣ה [turning away] (347) + נִצַּ֑חַת [exceled] (548) + הֶחֱזִ֙יקוּ֙ [repaired] (136) + בַּתַּרְמִ֔ת [in·the·deceit] (1042) + מֵאֲנ֖וּ [they·refuse] (97) + לָשֽׁוּב [to·return] (338) = 3661.
Rashi
"An enduring backsliding." A backsliding of the world, like [the word] netzach (eternity).
They grasped. “They grasped”:
In deceit. With deceit:
Radak
"Why has she backslidden?" It comes here in the feminine form, because its meaning refers to the assembly/congregation, as we have explained. And so, "and your people are at fault," "the people who dwell securely within her." "Backslidden" denotes the matter of rebellion. And likewise, "wayward children," "the backsliding of Israel."
"This people"—Jerusalem. The construct is elided: "this people" [means] "the people of Jerusalem," and there are many similar examples, as we have explained in the section on grammar in the book *Mikhlol*.
"Backsliding, persistent." [It has] a patach at the etnachta, and the meaning is "forever," from [the root] netzach (eternity). "Backsliding" here is a noun; in "the backsliding of Israel," it is a descriptive/adjectival form.
"They clung to deceit and refused to return. It seems as though they would forever wish to cling to it. 'Deceit' is akin to 'fraud.'"
Metzudat David
Why? Why did this people rebel with a rebellion that is perpetual, unto all generations?
"This people" refers to Jerusalem. The construct form is defective; "this people" is in a construct relationship with Jerusalem, and there are many similar cases.
"They held fast." They cling to cunning and refuse to return, as though repentance would not avail.
Metzudat Zion
Shovevah. From meshuvah (backsliding), a matter of rebellion and following the ways of the heart:
"Persistent" (Nitzachat). From the language of "eternity" (netzach) and "forever" (le'olam):
They took hold. The matter of possession:
"With deceit" (בתרמית). The term refers to the matter of deception; similarly, "for their deceit is false" (שקר תרמיתם) (Psalms 119:118).
Ma'anu. A verb from the root of "mi'un" (refusal).
I attended and listened, but they spoke not aright; no man repents him of his wickedness, saying: ‘What have I done?’ Every one turns away in his course, as a horse that rushes headlong in the battle.
verse value 6494
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 80 letters. The shortest word is "Lamed" (ל, 1 letters) and the longest is "in·their·course" (בִּמְר֣וּצָתָ֔ם, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·attended" (הִקְשַׁ֤בְתִּי), "and·I·listened" (וָֽאֶשְׁמָע֙), "not·so" (וֹא־כֵ֣ן). 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "of·his·wickedness" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "they·speak" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root שטף ("washing") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·did', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 7 words.
Rashi
Not so. [Meaning] not justly, as in “The daughters of Zelophehad speak justly” (Numbers 27:7).
"They all turn back to their own course." According to the first way [of explaining the verse], they sin, and repeat, and sin again; their course (מרוצתם) is [called] "corsi" in the vernacular.
"Rushing." In the vernacular: Isperdin.
Radak
"I paid attention." The statement of the prophet: When I walk among them, I pay attention and listen to them, whether one speaks well or not.
"Ken" [thus]. [Means] good and proper, as in "the daughters of Zelophehad speak rightly."
"No man repents." [The verb] is an intransitive nifal, for it is vocalized with a qamats; moreover, the word "no" (ein) also indicates this.
“All of them turn back in their course.” And it is written “bimrutzotam,” a plural form; the written text (ketiv) is general, and the vocalized text (qere) is particular: all of them go forth and return in their course, to act like a horse rushing in battle. And due to the great speed of the course, it says “rushing” [shotef], which is like a stream that rushes in its course, in battle. Targum Yonatan rendered “hikshavti” [I have listened] — [understood as] the word of God, blessed be He — as: “I have hearkened, and it was revealed before Me.”
Metzudat David
"I have heeded. I listen and hear that they do not speak thus, to say that they refuse to return because they think that repentance is of no avail; but neither does any one of them repent of the evil he has done, saying, 'What have I done? Have I not blemished my soul?'"
"They all turn back [to run]." This means: it is not merely that no one regrets; rather, even all of them, as one man, turn back to run in their course, just as they ran of old. Just as they pursued evil from of old, so too do they pursue [evil] now.
"Like a horse." Just as the horse that charges in battle [rushes] like a flooding torrent, and though it does so of its own will, so too do they pursue after evils, even though they destroy their own souls thereby.
Metzudat Zion
“I have heeded.” The matter of listening:
Nacham. The matter of repentance and changing one’s mind, as in “Lest the people repent” (Exodus 13:17):
“in their running.” The matter of pursuit and swift walking:
"Shoteif" (sweeping). The term concerns pursuit, and it is stated as a figurative expression borrowed from the rushing of the waters:
Indeed, the stork in the heaven knows her appointed times; and the turtle and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming; but My people know not the ordinance of Hashem.
verse value 4483
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "also·stork" (גַּם־חֲסִידָ֣ה, 7 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "also·stork" (גַּם־חֲסִידָ֣ה), "knew" (יָֽדְעָה֙), "her·appointed·seasons" (מוֹעֲדֶ֔יהָ). The root ידע appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "their·coming" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·coming', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
Rashi
"Stork." In the vernacular, it is called "Zigonia."
"Her set times." The time of their passing to the islands of the sea because of the cold, and the time of their return.
“Guard.” Wait:
"And the turtledove, and the swift, and the crane." And in Aramaic: the shafnina, the kurkhia, and the sanunita; kurkhia is [rendered] "grua" in the vernacular [i.e., crane], and sanunita is [rendered] "arondela" in the vernacular [i.e., swallow].
Radak
“Even the stork.” Even birds, which do not possess intellect, have, by virtue of their imagination, the knowledge to avoid harm and to approach good; they maintain their custom and that upon which they were raised. Yet My people, who possess intellect, did not know the judgment of the Lord, which they ought to have known through their intellect, and to observe it in accordance with how the teachers of Torah guided them and what they inherited from their fathers, generation after generation. Jeremiah said to them this, in the way that Isaiah said, “The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib.” Furthermore, he mentioned the stork and mentioned “in the heavens,” because it nests in inhabited areas in high towers, and in the wilderness in tall trees, as it is said, “The stork has made her home in the cypress trees.” Therefore, he said “in the heavens,” referring to the height of the air, as it is said, “Great and fortified [cities], in the heavens,” [and] “the way of the eagle in the heavens.” And the custom of the stork is to dwell in one place during the days of cold and winter, and in another place during the days of summer and heat. This is what is meant by “its appointed times,” which he said, “and it does not change its custom.” But My people change the judgment of the Lord, which they know through their intellect if they wish, and upon which their fathers raised them, and they themselves, yet they do not wish to uphold it.
“The turtledove, the swift, and the crane.” Likewise, they observe the time of their coming in one place at a known time, and at another time in a known place, all according to the changing of the seasons and times. They observe their law and custom and do not change it. But not so is my people. “Stork [chasidah].” Our Sages of blessed memory interpreted this as the white kite (dayah levanah). And why is it called “chasidah” [stork]? Because it performs acts of kindness (chasidut) with its companions, namely, in the food that it shares with them. And some say that it is the bird they call tsigonia.
And a turtledove. It is well known:
“And a horse [vesus].” It is written with a vav and read with a yod, and similarly it is found written with a yod and read with a vav, as in “kesis agur ken atzaftzef” [cf. “like a swift, a crane, so I chirp” — Isaiah 38:14, ordinarily vocalized “kesus”]. And Targum Yonatan [renders it] “vekhurkhaya.” And in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: “Reish Lakish arose, crying out like a korkia.” And Rashi of blessed memory explained: it is “grua” in the vernacular.
And the crane. Jonathan [Targum Yonatan] translates it as “sanunita” [swallow], and in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: “The dread of the swallow is upon the eagle.” And Rabbenu Hai [Gaon] explains that it is the “qataf” in Arabic, and that it is the “dror,” which they call in the vernacular “rondina.” And some say it is the bird that chirps a few words like human speech when it is taught, called “geit” in the vernacular.
Metzudat David
Also, the stork in the heavens. Even the stork bird that flits through the air of the heavens, which is not under human dominion—do you not know its appointed times, when it departs and when it returns? For its way is to fly in the time of cold to the warm lands, and in the time of summer it returns to the cold lands.
"They kept [the time]." Likewise, when they go to the warm lands, they wait for the time of their coming, and they do not come early nor late.
"And My people, etc." This means that those birds know the way and custom of the world, but My people do not know the judgment and conduct of the Omnipresent, blessed be He, who repays a man according to his deeds.
Metzudat Zion
"Chasidah." The name of a certain bird:
"Her appointed times." The matter of "time" is like [the verse] "I will surely return to you at the appointed time" (Genesis 18:14).
And turtledoves. The name "turtledoves" is well known.
"Sis and Agur." These too are names of birds, as in "like a swift, a crane" (Isaiah 38).
"They kept" (שמרו). The matter of waiting, as in "and his father kept the matter" (Genesis 37:11):
Malbim
Even so, they are worse than even an animal, for the migratory birds sense in nature the time of winter and snow, the time when they will not find shelter and food, and they then distance themselves to the warm lands and will not return until the arrival of spring. But My people do not know the judgment of the Lord, to understand the evil which the Lord will bring upon them—the judgment before its arrival—and to know the time of the punishment and to abandon their evil ways before the coming of the day of judgment.
How do you say: ‘We are wise, and the Law of Hashem is with us’? Lo, certainly in vain has wrought the vain pen of the scribes.
verse value 4616
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 55 letters. Notable word values: "where?" (אֵיכָ֤ה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "stylus" (עֵ֖ט, 2 letters) and the longest is "you·shall·say" (תֹֽאמְרוּ֙, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·the·law·of" (וְתוֹרַ֥ת), "stylus" (עֵ֖ט). The root שקר appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "you·shall·say" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "did" (root עשה, 147x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·us', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: אֵיכָ֤ה [where?] (36) + תֹֽאמְרוּ֙ [you·shall·say] (647) + חֲכָמִ֣ים [wise] (118) + אֲנַ֔חְנוּ [we] (115) + וְתוֹרַ֥ת [and·the·law·of] (1012) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + אִתָּ֑נוּ [with·us] (457) + אָכֵן֙ [surely] (71) + הִנֵּ֣ה [they] (60) + לַשֶּׁ֣קֶר [to·the·lie] (630) + עָשָׂ֔ה [did] (375) + עֵ֖ט [stylus] (79) + שֶׁ֥קֶר [lie] (600) + סֹפְרִֽים [scribes] (390) = 4616.
Rashi
Indeed, behold, it is to falsehood. Behold, your wisdom is to falsehood in you, to heal you lightly.
"The lying pen of the scribes has wrought [it]." Your prophet:
Radak
How can you say, "We are wise men"? [You are wise only] in external wisdoms, and moreover, "the Torah of the Lord is with us," meaning that it is written among us.
“Indeed, the pen was made for falsehood.” If the Torah of the Lord is with you, what good does it do if you do not fulfill it? The one who made the pen to write it made it in vain. Likewise, “the scribes falsely” — the scribes wrote it in vain, for since you are not fulfilling it, it is as if it were not written. “Lasheker” means “in vain,” as in: “Surely in vain have I guarded [all that this fellow had in the wilderness]” (1 Samuel 25:21).
Metzudat David
And the Torah, etc. This means: We know the Torah.
Indeed. Truly, the one who made the pen to write the Torah scroll did so in vain, and the scribes who wrote the Torah did so in vain, since you do not fulfill it.
Metzudat Zion
"Eichah" (how). Like "eich" (how):
“Lies.” For naught:
“Pen.” A quill, as in “the pen of a ready scribe” (Psalms 45:2).
Malbim
How will you say, “We are wise men, and the Torah of the Lord is with us”? That generation used to say that the Torah and the commandments are matters given within human intellect. That is to say, they claimed that it is impossible for a person to receive the Torah and its commandments through tradition or prophecy, and to accept upon himself things that he does not grasp with his intellect. Rather, they held that the Torah and the commandments are not something that comes to a person from outside, by means of a written Torah in a book with ink; instead, they are found within his understanding and the feeling of his heart. This is what it says: “How will you say, ‘We are wise men, and wisdom is found among you by nature and intellect, and the Torah of the Lord is with us, for the Torah is found within us by the nature of the soul and intellect’?” Indeed, “but the pen has done falsehood.” However, the pen that was made for writing the Torah—to write in it the Torah received from God—has done falsehood, because a person does not receive the Torah through prophecy and tradition. Likewise, “the scribes’ falsehood,” meaning that all the prophets who wrote books according to God’s word through prophecy are false. Thus, you are saying and denying the fundamental principle of prophecy and the Torah from Heaven. He answers them: “The wise men are put to shame.” It has already been explained that wisdom, in its essence, is the knowledge of conduct between good and evil, and knowing what is good and what is evil in all the details of character traits and conduct. It is impossible for a person to attain these paths on his own, because there are no intellectual proofs for the laws of wisdom. It is impossible for a person to know, regarding the paths of the soul’s conduct, what is wisdom and what is folly, and how, to what extent, and when he should use the faculties of his soul to act or not to act (as has been explained at length in the Book of Proverbs). All the laws of wisdom were given by God through a prophet and were written in the Book of the Torah. Therefore, those who despised the word of God have no foundations upon which wisdom can rest, for the foundation of wisdom is not in human intellect but in the Torah of God. This is what it says: “The wise men are put to shame.” After they have despised the word of God, what wisdom do they have? From where will they attain the laws of wisdom, and who will inform them of it, since they are not known by themselves?
The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken; lo, they have rejected the word of Hashem; and what wisdom is in them?.
verse value 1916
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "what?" (מֶ֖ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·word·of·Hashem" (בִדְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·they·were·captured" (וַיִּלָּכֵ֑דוּ), "the·word·of·Hashem" (בִדְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙), "rejected" (מָאָ֔סוּ). The root חכם appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "to·them" (root הם, 132x in Jeremiah); "they" (root הן, 130x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·they·were·captured', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: הֹבִ֣שׁוּ [are·ashamed] (313) + חֲכָמִ֔ים [wise] (118) + חַ֖תּוּ [they·are·amazed] (414) + וַיִּלָּכֵ֑דוּ [and·they·were·captured] (76) + הִנֵּ֤ה [they] (60) + בִדְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ [the·word·of·Hashem] (234) + מָאָ֔סוּ [rejected] (107) + וְחׇכְמַ֥ת [and·wisdom·of] (474) + מֶ֖ה [what?] (45) + לָהֶֽם [to·them] (75) = 1916.
Rashi
The Sages were put to shame. Like you, and what is the shame? Behold, they despised the words of the Lord, and what wisdom have they?
Radak
"הובישו" (They shall be ashamed). For they acted falsely, in that when they see that their wisdom will not benefit them, then they will surely have shame of face, and they will see that had they occupied themselves with the Torah and fulfilled it, it would have benefited them to save them from the evils that befall them. And since they despised the word of God and did not wish to study the Torah and perform it, what wisdom is there for them? Wisdom will not benefit without the Torah. And the word "חכמת" (in construct form, "the wisdom of") is adjacent to the word "מה" (what), meaning: what benefit is there from the fact that they possess wisdom if they do not possess the Torah?
Metzudat David
"The wise are put to shame." They are those who consider themselves wise; will they not be ashamed when they are dismayed and captured in calamity, unable to save their lives by their wisdom?
“And what wisdom do they possess?” This means: What is the wisdom that they hold? Did they not despise the wisdom of the Torah? And even so, they cannot save their own lives through wisdom. If so, in what will they boast?
Metzudat Zion
They were put to shame. The word is derived from the root meaning "shame."
“Hattah.” The meaning is “broken” and “fear.”
Therefore will I give their wives to others, And their fields to them that shall possess them; for from the least even to the greatest every one is greedy for gain, from the prophet even to the priest Every one deals falsely.
verse value 5026
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 75 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "their·wives" (אֶת־נְשֵׁיהֶ֜ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 162: profit, profit. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "their·wives" (אֶת־נְשֵׁיהֶ֜ם), "their·fields" (שְׂדֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙), "to·those·who·possess" (לְי֣וֹרְשִׁ֔ים). The root כל appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "his·them" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah); "doing" (root עשה, 147x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root ירש ("to·those·who·possess") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'profit', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Radak
Therefore, "I will give them to heirs." This means: to those who will hold onto them in exile as if they were heirs.
"From the least to the greatest." All this matter is written above together with the other verses that follow here, in different words, for whenever a matter is repeated, it is restated above in different words—from the small to the great. And behold, the word "all of it" (כלו) in "from the least to the greatest" above is spelled with a vav, whereas here it is "כלה," spelled with a heh, yet it is one and the same word.
Metzudat David
To others. To another nation:
"To the heirs." This means that anyone who wishes to inherit may do so.
"All of them are greedy for gain." They all plunder wealth.
From the prophet. The false prophet:
"Priest." [Meaning] the priest of the [idol] Baal.
Metzudat Zion
“Botzeia batza.” He steals wealth:
Malbim
(10–12) "Therefore I will give their wives to others" means that one who has not fallen into the net of heresy, even if he sins due to lust, can be healed through the admonitions of the prophets and the reproof of the Torah. But after they have despised the matter of the Torah and denied prophecy, there is no remedy for them. For if they wish to heal themselves by opening the eyes of their intellect to see that they are sick with a sickness of the soul, it seems to them that they are healthy — however, as it is written, "And they healed the break of My people slightly." And if one wishes to heal himself through the admonitions of the prophets so that he becomes ashamed of his way, will he not deny the prophecy? Regarding this it says, "They are ashamed, and yet they are not ashamed." And these verses have already been explained above (6:13, 16).
And they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people lightly, Saying: ‘Peace, peace’, when there is no peace.
verse value 3478
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "saying" (לֵאמֹ֖ר, 4 letters) and the longest is "lightly" (עַל־נְקַלָּ֔ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 376: belonging·to, belonging·to, belonging·to. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·healed" (וַיְרַפּ֞וּ). The root שלום appears 3 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "and·nothing" (root אין, 88x in Jeremiah); "breaking" (root שבר, 42x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'belonging·to', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיְרַפּ֞וּ [and·healed] (302) + אֶת־שֶׁ֤בֶר [breaking] (903) + בַּת־עַמִּי֙ [daughter·of·my·people] (522) + עַל־נְקַלָּ֔ה [lightly] (285) + לֵאמֹ֖ר [saying] (271) + שָׁל֣וֹם [belonging·to] (376) + שָׁל֑וֹם [belonging·to] (376) + וְאֵ֖ין [and·nothing] (67) + שָׁלֽוֹם [belonging·to] (376) = 3478.
Rashi
"And they healed [it]." [It is] like "and they healed" [וירפאו, the same word spelled with an aleph].
Radak
"And they shall be healed." Above, it is written "veyirpa'u" with a sounded [vocalic] aleph, whereas here it is written "veyirpu," as one of the lamed-heh verbs. The matter is one and the same: the matter of healing. Above it says, "the breach of My people," and here it says, "the breach of the daughter of My people."
Metzudat David
And they will heal. They are the ones who heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people and the evil that is destined to come; that is to say, they remove from their hearts the anxiety over the impending evil.
“On a slight matter.” With a casual and contemptible utterance, saying, “Peace shall be yours, and no evil shall come,” and by this they heal their brokenness; but there shall be no peace, and they deny it.
Metzudat Zion
“And they healed.” The language of healing:
Daughter of my people. Congregation of my people:
"Al" – it is like "im" (with).
Nekalah. From the term for disgrace and humiliation:
They shall be put to shame because they have committed abomination; indeed, they are not at all ashamed, neither know they how to blush; therefore shall they fall among them that fall, In the time of their visitation they shall stumble, Says Hashem.
verse value 4291
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 69 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 4291 is divisible by 613, the number of the commandments (mitzvot). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "not·shall·be·ashamed" (לֹֽא־יֵבֹ֗שׁוּ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "not·shall·be·ashamed" (לֹֽא־יֵבֹ֗שׁוּ), "and·to·blush" (וְהִכָּלֵם֙). The root בוש appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root פקדה ("their·reckoning") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·did', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 13 words.
Rashi
"They have acted shamefully." Shame and disgrace shall come upon them.
“Neither shall they be ashamed.” They are not ashamed of their evil deeds to the point of taking heed and returning.
Radak
“Hovishu.” We explained it above that its meaning is in a sense of wonder. Above, we also discussed “vehakelim,” and here “vehikalem” is from the nifal conjugation and is explicit, whereas “vehakelim,” which is from the hifil conjugation, was explained above along with the other verses. And above, in the phrase “be'et peḳudatim,” we explained it as “I have visited them” (paqadti otam); and here it says “be'et peḳudatam,” and the matter is one and the same.
Metzudat David
“Hovishu.” This means that, in any case, the prophets and the priests ought to have felt ashamed, since they committed an abominable act, just as people of status would feel ashamed if an abominable matter came into their hands by chance.
Also, "they are not ashamed," etc. This means that they committed the abomination and yet they are not ashamed on account of it.
"And they cannot be made to blush," etc. They do not know what shame is. And this is a repetition of what was stated.
Therefore, they shall fall. Those prophets and priests shall fall at the time when all who fall by the hands of the enemies shall fall.
"At the time of their reckoning." At the time when I will recall their sins against them to take vengeance upon them, and this is at the time of the Destruction; then they too will stumble.
Metzudat Zion
"Abomination." A matter of prohibition and disgrace.
“And be ashamed.” From the language of humiliation:
Their accounting. The matter is one of remembrance:
I will utterly consume them, says Hashem; there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf is faded; and I gave them that which they transgress.
verse value 2901
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 62 letters. The shortest word is "utterly" (אָסֹ֥ף, 3 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "utterly" (אָסֹ֥ף), "I·will·consume·them" (אֲסִיפֵ֖ם), "grapes" (עֲנָבִ֨ים). The root אין appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·I·gave" (root נתן, 141x in Jeremiah); "to·them" (root הם, 132x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root נבל ("was·senseless") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'says·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 11 words. Full calculation: אָסֹ֥ף [utterly] (141) + אֲסִיפֵ֖ם [I·will·consume·them] (191) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה [says·Hashem] (117) + אֵין֩ [nothing] (61) + עֲנָבִ֨ים [grapes] (172) + בַּגֶּ֜פֶן [in·the·vine] (135) + וְאֵ֧ין [and·nothing] (67) + תְּאֵנִ֣ים [figs] (501) + בַּתְּאֵנָ֗ה [in·the·fig] (458) + וְהֶעָלֶה֙ [and·the·leaf] (116) + נָבֵ֔ל [was·senseless] (82) + וָאֶתֵּ֥ן [and·I·gave] (457) + לָהֶ֖ם [to·them] (75) + יַעַבְרֽוּם [they·transgress·them] (328) = 2901.
Rashi
"Gather, I will gather them." This is the language of destruction, as in: "Gather, I will gather all things away from the face of the earth" (Zephaniah 1:2).
"There are no grapes on the vine." Not a single thing shall remain.
"And the leaf withers." [This is] a term of withering — "pleishtish" in the vernacular [Old French] — as in "and like a withered fig from the fig tree" (Isaiah 34:4), "like a terebinth whose leaf withers" (ibid., ch. 1).
"And I gave to them—it shall pass away from them." All of this will befall them because I gave them statutes, yet they transgressed them.
Radak
“Gather, I will gather them,” says the Lord. Both are expressions of extinction/ending. “Asof” is an infinitive, from “and you shall gather your soul and the soul of your household”; and [the sense of] “I will gather them” is [paralleled by] “together they shall come to an end.” However, the word “I will gather them” is of the Hifil construction and is transitive, whereas “they shall come to an end” is of the Qal construction and is intransitive. Everything will be consumed until no grapes are found on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree. And it mentions these two species because they are the principal fruits, and those from which a person benefits more than from other fruits, as it says in the blessing, “Every man under his vine and under his fig tree,” and it says in the curse, “Your vine and your fig tree shall be eaten.”
"And the leaf withers." Even the leaf would wither before its time, in order to increase their punishment.
"And I gave to them, it shall pass from them." What I gave to them — the abundance of fruits, and I blessed the fruit of their land — shall pass away from them (they shall be removed from them), that the enemies shall consume them. The mem in "ya'avrum" stands in place of "mehem" (from them). Similarly, "chazaktani vatuchal" (You have overpowered me, and You have prevailed) is read as "chazakta mimeni" (You were stronger than me); "temal'emo nafshi" (my soul shall be filled with them) is read as "temaleh mehem nafshi" (my soul shall be filled from them); "banai yatz'uni" (my children have gone forth from me) is read as "yatz'u mimeni" (they went forth from me). And the commentators explained: Because I gave them the Torah and the commandments, and they transgressed them, therefore with this punishment, "I will make an end of them." And this is also the opinion of Jonathan [Targum Yonatan], and he translated the verse accordingly: "I will utterly annihilate them," says the Lord, etc., as printed in the column.
Metzudat David
"Asaf, asifam." I will consume them from the world.
"There are no grapes on the vine." On the grapevines, no grapes will remain; that is to say, not even a single item.
On the fig. In fig trees:
"And the leaf withers." The leaves also will shrivel, meaning that no remnant whatsoever will remain.
"And I will give them over to be passed through" – I will appoint for them enemies who will pass them through, i.e., cause them to perish from the world.
Metzudat Zion
“Gather them, gather them.” The matter is one of destruction, as it is written: “I will gather man and beast” (Zephaniah 1:3).
“Wither.” The meaning is one of withering, as in: “and its leaf shall not wither” (Psalms 1:3).
"They shall pass away." The matter is removal from the world:
Malbim
"Gathered, I will gather them": The prophet places his words in the mouths of various speakers; the prophet and the people speak and argue, and the Lord also speaks with them. (The Lord says:) "I will gather them," meaning that they will assemble to consult on what to do. And He explains that the assembly will be because My desire is to bring them to an end and destruction. (The words of the people:) "Surely there are no grapes on the vine, and no figs on the fig tree, and there is no food to restore the soul." (The Lord's response:) "And I gave to them, they transgress them." How shall I give them grapes and figs? Will they not transgress what I have given them, namely, the Torah and the commandments?
’Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be cut off there; for Hashem our God has cut us off, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against Hashem.
verse value 3378
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 81 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֨ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּי֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·let·us·be·cut·off·there" (וְנִדְּמָה־שָּׁ֑ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 30: for, for. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·let·us·be·cut·off·there" (וְנִדְּמָה־שָּׁ֑ם), "He·has·cut·us·off" (הֲדִמָּ֙נוּ֙), "and·He·made·us·drink" (וַיַּשְׁקֵ֣נוּ). The root כי appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "to·the·cities·of" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root עלמה ("upon·what") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root דמם ("He·has·cut·us·off") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·let·us·be·cut·off·there', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 9 words.
Rashi
"And we shall be silent there." [That is,] "and we shall be silent there" — we shall sit there, silent and in mourning.
"Water of gall." [Targum Yonatan:] "a cup of cursed venom, the evil of serpents' heads" — [i.e.] "the venom of asps," which is the poison that is in its fangs.
Radak
On what do we sit? In the villages and in the cities of the plain, as if we were secure. And on what do we have help?
"And be silent." The matter of silence means that we have no right to complain and grumble about the affliction that has befallen us, for the Lord our God has silenced us, because we have sinned against Him. And "be silent" (nidmah) derives from the root damah, and it is from the light [qal] form, from the pattern of "yashem" and "yashrek," [as in] "mah akov" (how shall I curse) and "yidmu ke'even" (they were still as a stone). And according to the opinion of my master and father of blessed memory, its root is nadam; "has silenced us" (hadimanu) derives from the root damam, from the hif'il conjugation, with the he being in shva and patach, and the meaning would be silence, namely, He has silenced us, that we have no permission to complain, because we have sinned against Him, and how can we dare to lift our faces before Him? Or perhaps the meaning is cutting off, like "yidmu" (let them be cut off) to Sheol, and "venidmu" (let the pleasant places be cut down).
“And they gave them water of gall.” “Water of gall” is a deadly poison, extracted from the juice of a herb. Therefore, the text says “water,” and its meaning is as rendered in the Targum: “and He gave us to drink a cup of an evil curse, like the venom of serpents' heads.” And the verse is the prophet’s statement in the language of Israel.
Metzudat David
"On what, etc." – When the enemy comes, the inhabitants of the fields will say: "On what account are we sitting in the fields, to be delivered into the hand of the coming enemy?"
"And meet our doom there." As if to say: But it is likely that even in the fortified cities we shall be cut off and lost, for the Lord has cut us off, and there is no counsel against the decree of the Omnipresent.
"And He gave us drink." He gave us drink water squeezed from bitter herbs. The meaning is that the Omnipresent prepared for us calamity, and not without cause, for truly we sinned against the Lord, and this is in retribution.
Metzudat Zion
"Venidammah," "hedimmanu." The sense is cutting off [destruction], as in "be not cut off in her punishment" (below, 31).
"Rosh. The name of a bitter herb, and similarly, 'a root that bears gall and wormwood' (Deuteronomy 29:17)."
Malbim
Concerning what? The people say: "Concerning what are we sitting idle, without preparing counsel and strength for war? Let us gather and go to the fortified cities to fight the enemy from there." But the prophet replies: "We shall be silent there." For in the fortified cities we shall be silent and do nothing, because the Lord our God has made us silent, likening them there to mourners who sit in silence. And whereas it is customary to give mourners a cup of consolation, He gave us bitter water [gall] to drink. And this is because we have sinned against the Lord.
We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and behold terror! ’
verse value 1969
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "wait" (קַוֵּ֥ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·peace" (לְשָׁל֖וֹם, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "to·time·of" (לְעֵ֥ת), "health" (מַרְפֵּ֖ה). The root עת appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·nothing" (root אין, 88x in Jeremiah); "good" (root טוב, 38x in Jeremiah); "to·time·of" (root עת, 34x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root מרפא ("health") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'good', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: קַוֵּ֥ה [wait] (111) + לְשָׁל֖וֹם [to·peace] (406) + וְאֵ֣ין [and·nothing] (67) + ט֑וֹב [good] (17) + לְעֵ֥ת [to·time·of] (500) + מַרְפֵּ֖ה [health] (325) + וְהִנֵּ֥ה [and·behold] (66) + בְעָתָֽה [time] (477) = 1969.
Radak
“Kavveh lish'lom” (hope for peace). ["Kavveh"] is an infinitive; that is to say, if we hope for peace from the enemy, it is not good, for it is not the peace that is good.
"At the time of healing." [Spelled] with a heh, just as [it would be] with an aleph: [meaning] if we have hoped for a time of healing from the pain of the troubles.
"And behold, in its time." These are great distresses that cause us pain and anger us. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it: "and for the time of the forgiveness of sins, but behold, the punishment of sins," as in the phrase, "Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You."
Metzudat David
"Hope for peace." They will hope for peace, but it will not be good, for peace will not come.
"At the time of healing." They will hope for a time of healing, but behold, terror and trembling have come.
Metzudat Zion
Marpeh. The word is from the root of "healing," and it is spelled with a final he.
"Be'atah" [terror]. The word denotes terror and trembling:
Malbim
"Hope for peace" (the words of the people): Is it not fitting to hope for peace? And why is it not good? (The prophet's answer): Because it was fitting to hope for a time of healing, in which those who are sick with sickness of the soul would engage in remedy and repentance. But behold, there is terror, for they still cling to their evil.
The snorting of his horses is heard from Dan; at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones the whole land trembles; for they are come, and have devoured the land and all that is in it, the city and those that dwell therein.
verse value 4349
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 73 letters. The shortest word is "in·her" (בָֽהּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "neighings·of" (מִצְהֲל֣וֹת, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "snorting" (נַחְרַ֣ת), "neighings·of" (מִצְהֲל֣וֹת), "and·they·went·in" (וַיָּב֗וֹאוּ). The root ארץ appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "all·the·earth" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "and·they·went·in" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "is·heard" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root אביר ("mighty") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·the·earth', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 7 words.
Rashi
"From Dan is it heard." Because they worshipped the calf that was in Dan:
"The snorting of his horses." The sneezing [snorting] of its nostrils:
"With the loud neighing of his mighty ones." "Neighing" is the term for the prancing of his horses. And we find elsewhere that horses are called "mighty ones," as it is stated: "From the galloping, the galloping of his mighty ones" (Judges 5:22) — the same term as "a galloping horse" (Nahum 3). And the Targum renders it: "From the sound of the pacing of his mighty men."
Radak
"From Dan is heard." Since it [Dan] was the border of the land of Israel, it is mentioned. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it: "Because they worshipped the calf that was in Dan, a king with his armies will rise up against them and exile them."
“His horses were snorting.” The snorting of his horses, and this snorting is called so because of the nostrils, which are the openings of the nose.
“From the voice of the neighing of His mighty ones.” Regarding the horses, it says “His mighty ones,” and “neighing” refers to the sound of the horses’ voices, expressing exultation and joy, as it is stated: “Upon the horse he rejoices with strength.” And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it: “From the sound of the steps of His mighty ones.”
Metzudat David
Dan. While the enemy is still in Dan, at the farthest border of the Land of Israel, the neighing of his horses will be heard.
"From the sound of the neighing." From the raising of the voice of his mighty ones, the whole land quaked.
And its fullness. The things with which the earth is filled:
A city. All the cities shall be destroyed, along with their inhabitants:
Metzudat Zion
"Nachrat" [snorting]. The sound that issues from his nostrils, which are the openings of the nose. And similarly: "The glory of his snorting is dread" (Job 39:20).
"Matzhalot." The meaning is a loud raising of the voice, as in "each one neighs after his neighbor's wife" (above, ch. 5).
"His stallions" [mighty ones]. From the language of "abir" [mighty] and strength:
Malbim
(The words of the people): "From Dan," meaning that in Jacob's blessing to his sons, he said, "Dan shall be a serpent by the way, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider falls backward." The sons of Dan were skilled in fighting against horsemen (and therefore Dan was the rearguard of all the camps, for it is the way of horsemen to fall upon the rear of the camp when pursuing it). According to this, they will ask: How is it now reversed, that the neighing of the enemy's horses is heard from Dan, and yet the serpent did not bite the horse's heels and its rider? For at the sound of the neighing of his steeds, the whole land trembled, and they came into the land and ate up the land and all that is in it? (The answer of the Lord): "For behold, I am sending among you" — what you think, that Dan is like a serpent, will be the opposite: I am sending among you horned vipers, which are more severe than a serpent, and they will bite you yourselves, not your horses.
For, behold, I will send serpents, basilisks, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, says Hashem.
verse value 3268
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 52 letters. Verse gematria: 3268 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "for" (כִּי֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "serpents" (נְחָשִׁים֙), "poisonous·serpents" (צִפְעֹנִ֔ים), "whispering" (לָ֑חַשׁ). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'whispering', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּי֩ [for] (30) + הִנְנִ֨י [they] (115) + מְשַׁלֵּ֜חַ [sending] (378) + בָּכֶ֗ם [in·you] (62) + נְחָשִׁים֙ [serpents] (408) + צִפְעֹנִ֔ים [poisonous·serpents] (340) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + אֵין־לָהֶ֖ם [have·no] (136) + לָ֑חַשׁ [whispering] (338) + וְנִשְּׁכ֥וּ [and·they·will·bite] (382) + אֶתְכֶ֖ם [you] (461) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה [says·Hashem] (117) = 3268.
Rashi
"Serpents, adders." At the end of seventy years, [the serpent] becomes an adder and stops its ear so that it will not hear the voice of the charmer who charms it, as it is said: "Like a deaf viper that stops its ear" (Psalms 58:5). This is what is meant by [the verse]: "which cannot be charmed."
Radak
"For behold, I am sending among you..." Its meaning is as its Targum: "Behold, I send among you murderous nations, like fierce beasts that cannot be charmed, and they will kill you," says the Lord.
Metzudat David
"Who sends them against you." I will incite among them evil serpents, against whom no charm is effective, and they will bite you. That is to say, you will not be able to appease the enemy with gentle words and supplications.
Metzudat Zion
"Sends forth." The sense is incitement and setting [them] loose [to attack], as in "and the teeth of beasts I will send against them" (Deuteronomy 32:24).
Tzif'onim. A species of venomous snake:
"And they shall bite." From the language of biting, and so too, "if the serpent bites without a charm" (Ecclesiastes 10:11).
Though I would take comfort against sorrow, my heart is faint within me.
verse value 856
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "upon·me" (עֲלֵ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "my·comfort" (מַבְלִ֥יגִיתִ֖י, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 110: upon·me, upon·me. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "my·comfort" (מַבְלִ֥יגִיתִ֖י), "faint" (דַוָּֽי). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·me" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "my·heart" (root לב, 42x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root יגון ("grief") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'grief', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: מַבְלִ֥יגִיתִ֖י [my·comfort] (505) + עֲלֵ֣י [upon·me] (110) + יָג֑וֹן [grief] (69) + עָלַ֖י [upon·me] (110) + לִבִּ֥י [my·heart] (42) + דַוָּֽי [faint] (20) = 856.
Rashi
"My suppression over my sorrow." Like [the word] "I suppressed," and it is a noun — the Old French "mes estenimenc" — meaning: if I said, "I will suppress and restrain myself," [that would be] over my sorrow.
"My heart is sick within me." From the voice of the prophecies revealed to me concerning the coming calamities.
Radak
"From my strengthening, upon me is sorrow." The matter is one of strengthening, as it is said, "And I will strengthen myself a little." And Rabbi Yonah explained that this word is composed of a masculine form and a feminine form, for from the masculine form one says "mavligi," and from the feminine form "mavligiti," and the word was compounded from both. And its interpretation is: the prophet said, "Men and women who strengthen me, upon me is sorrow; I say to them that I cannot strengthen myself, for upon my heart is pain." And my brother, Rabbi Moshe [Kimchi], explained that the word is a noun, "mavligit," in the pattern of "marbit," which in its completion is "marbiti," and in its pattern "mavligiti." The prophet said, "Strengthen yourself, upon me is sorrow," meaning that I would wish to strengthen myself against my sorrow, but I cannot, for upon my heart is pain. And what he said, "Upon my heart is pain," refers to my distress, which is added to the distress of Israel, whom I admonish but they do not heed me. And this is what he said, "Upon me."
Metzudat David
"My comfort." This means: If I said, 'I will strengthen myself against the grief, so that I will not continue in mourning,' I am unable to do so, for my heart is faint within me.
Metzudat Zion
"My comfort" [lit. strengthening]. The sense is fortifying oneself, as in "that I may take comfort a little" (Job 10).
"Davai." The word is derived from "madveh" (sickness) and "choli" (illness):
Malbim
"My comfort" (the words of the people): Now I see that the fact that I strengthened myself against the sorrow, and thought there was hope, this comes from the fact that my heart is sick, that I am like a sick person whose illness reaches his heart, and then he does not feel his illness at all, and this very thing, that he does not feel his illness, is a sign that his senses are lost and the illness has reached the soul.
Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land far off: ‘Is not Hashem in Zion? Is not her King in her?’— ‘Why have they provoked Me with their graven images, and with strange vanities?’—
verse value 3564
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 75 letters. Verse gematria: 3564 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "in·her" (בָּ֑הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "they·have·provoked·Me" (הִכְעִס֛וּנִי, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: nothing, nothing. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "behold·voice·of" (הִנֵּה־ק֞וֹל), "cry·of" (שַֽׁוְעַ֣ת), "distant·places" (מַרְחַקִּ֔ים). The root אין appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "is·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "from·land·of" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "nothing" (root אין, 88x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root פסיל ("in·their·graven·images") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·her', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 5 words.
Rashi
"Behold, the voice of the cry of my people." I hear that their end is to cry out in distant lands. And why is this so? Is it not because the Lord is in Zion? And if they return to Him, they will find Him.
Radak
"Behold, the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a distant land." They cry out in fear of the enemy coming from a distant land, saying, "Is the Name [of God] not in Zion? Is their king not in her?" If so, how could the enemy come upon us? For the Lord, His Divine Presence is in Zion, and there is a king in Zion — how then could the enemy rule over her? And God answers them: "Why have they provoked Me to anger?" How could they think to be saved while I am in Zion, when they themselves provoked Me with their idols, with the vanities of a foreign thing — that is to say, with the vanities of a foreign god. "From a distant land" — the mem is with a patach.
"Ha-Shem" [the interrogative opening of the verse, "Is the Lord..."]. The aleph is quiescent. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated "Is the Lord not in Zion" as: "Is there no prophet to rebuke them," etc., as [printed] in the column.
Metzudat David
“Behold, a voice.” This means: How could my heart not be distressed? For the exiles appear before my eyes as if they have already taken place, and as if I hear the voice of the cry of my people’s daughter from a distant land, where they went into the Babylonian exile. Yet it was within their power to remedy the matter, for is not the Lord in Zion, etc.? And if so, why did they not pray to Him to annul the decree? And why did they further provoke Me to anger with their idols, with the vanities of a foreign god — that is, the idolaters?
Metzudat Zion
Shav'at. A cry:
Malbim
"Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people" (the words of the Lord): It recounts the dispute that He had with the Ten Tribes, who are now in distant lands beyond the rivers of Kush. They were anticipating redemption and returning to the land of their ancestors, but they heard the bad news of the exile of Judah and the destruction of the Holy Temple. Through this, their hope was lost. (The Ten Tribes say): "Is there no Lord in Zion?" Surely, Zion is the place of the Divine Presence, and it is fitting that they be saved by means of a miracle and through the providence of the Lord, their stronghold. And even if the Lord has forsaken them and hidden His face, is there no king in her? Surely, it is fitting that they be saved by natural means through warfare? (The answer of the Lord): Why have they provoked Me to anger with their idols, thereby bringing upon themselves the punishment of providence? First, because they exchanged Him for other gods; second, because they exchanged Him for foreign vanities, as it is stated: "They provoked Me to jealousy with what is no god; they angered Me with their vanities," as explained there.
’The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.’
verse value 1567
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "passed" (עָבַ֥ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·we" (וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "summer" (קָ֑יִץ), "we·were·saved" (נוֹשָֽׁעְנוּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Lamed" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "passed" (root עבר, 31x in Jeremiah); "all" (root כלה, 21x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root קיץ ("summer") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'summer', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: עָבַ֥ר [passed] (272) + קָצִ֖יר [harvest] (400) + כָּ֣לָה [all] (55) + קָ֑יִץ [summer] (200) + וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ [and·we] (121) + ל֥וֹא [Lamed] (37) + נוֹשָֽׁעְנוּ [we·were·saved] (482) = 1567.
Rashi
"The harvest has passed, the summer is ended; we looked for help from Egypt, but it did not come. We said, 'Let the harvest pass, and they will be free, and they will come.' But behold, the time of the harvest in Iyyar has passed, and the time of the summer in Tammuz has passed, and they have not come."
Radak
The harvest time has passed. The harvest is the time in which a person is saved from droughts, and a person rejoices at the coming of the harvest, as it is written, “With joy in the harvest.” Likewise, during the summer season, a person rejoices in the summer fruits. This is a parable, meaning: The times in which we hoped to be saved have passed, and we have not been saved.
Metzudat David
"The harvest has passed." We await salvation, yet it is delayed in coming, for the harvest has already passed and the summer season has already ended, and still we have not been saved. That is to say, for a long time we have been in a state of prolonged hope.
Metzudat Zion
Kalah. From the word "keliyon" (destruction).
"Summer." This is the time when figs are spread out to dry them. And similarly, "As snow in summer" (Proverbs 26:1).
Malbim
(The words of the Ten Tribes): "It has passed"; has not the harvest already passed, and even the summer has passed, and yet we have still not been saved? And now, after we have waited for salvation for many days, behold, because of the breaking of the daughter of my people, which is the tribe of Judah, have I been utterly broken, for from now on there is no longer any hope? And He tripled His language, corresponding to the three times that Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem and exiled them.
For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I seized with anguish; I am black, appalment has taken hold on me.
verse value 3680
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "appalment" (שַׁמָּ֖ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "has·taken·hold·of·me" (הֶחֱזִקָֽתְנִי, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·was·broken" (הׇשְׁבָּ֑רְתִּי), "I·mourned" (קָדַ֕רְתִּי), "has·taken·hold·of·me" (הֶחֱזִקָֽתְנִי). The root שבר appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "appalment" (root שם, 122x in Jeremiah); "upon·breaking" (root שבר, 42x in Jeremiah); "daughter·of·my·people" (root בת, 31x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·was·broken', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: עַל־שֶׁ֥בֶר [upon·breaking] (602) + בַּת־עַמִּ֖י [daughter·of·my·people] (522) + הׇשְׁבָּ֑רְתִּי [I·was·broken] (917) + קָדַ֕רְתִּי [I·mourned] (714) + שַׁמָּ֖ה [appalment] (345) + הֶחֱזִקָֽתְנִי [has·taken·hold·of·me] (580) = 3680.
Rashi
"I am darkened." A term for blackness and darkness.
"Desolation." Astonishment/consternation.
"It has seized me." [Meaning] it has grasped me.
Radak
"Al shever" [Concerning the brokenness]. It is the prophet's statement about himself, that the brokenness is on account of the brokenness of Israel. And Jonathan explained that it is the statement of Jerusalem, for he translated: "Says Jerusalem: Concerning the breaking of the congregation," etc., as [printed] in the column. And "akhrum" is explained from [the phrase] "his face darkened."
Metzudat David
“On the breaking.” Regarding the calamity that is destined to come, I too have been broken:
“I am dejected.” My countenance has become blackened, and bewilderment has seized me.
Metzudat Zion
"I am shattered." From the term "shattering":
"I have become dark." The meaning is blackness and darkness, as it is said, "The sun and the moon are darkened" (Joel 2:10):
Shammah. Amazement and confusion, like "and the priests were amazed" (above, ch. 4).
"It has held me fast." The meaning of "holding fast":
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
verse value 3027
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֑ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·Gilead" (בְּגִלְעָ֔ד, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: nothing, nothing. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "Zeri" (הַצֳּרִי֙), "in·Gilead" (בְּגִלְעָ֔ד), "or·a·physician" (אִם־רֹפֵ֖א). The root אין appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "there" (root שם, 122x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root צרי ("Zeri") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root גלעד ("in·Gilead") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'there', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: הַצֳּרִי֙ [Zeri] (305) + אֵ֣ין [nothing] (61) + בְּגִלְעָ֔ד [in·Gilead] (109) + אִם־רֹפֵ֖א [or·a·physician] (322) + אֵ֣ין [nothing] (61) + שָׁ֑ם [there] (340) + כִּ֗י [for] (30) + מַדּ֙וּעַ֙ [why?] (120) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + עָֽלְתָ֔ה [came·up] (505) + אֲרֻכַ֖ת [healing] (621) + בַּת־עַמִּֽי [daughter·of·my·people] (522) = 3027.
Rashi
"Is there no balm in Gilead?" For balm comes from there, as it is stated: "Go up to Gilead, and take balm" (below, 45). That is to say, were there not righteous men from whom they could learn and improve their ways?
"Healing." [Meaning] a remedy — "emplastre" [a plaster] in the vernacular.
Radak
“Is there no balm in Gilead?” This is stated by way of parable: If there is no balm in Gilead, and if there is no physician there to heal my people of their wounds—now, Gilead was a place where balm was found, as it is also said, “Go up to Gilead and take balm,” and it is a remedy for severe illnesses, such as snakebite and others. The meaning is that they will not find peace from this distress. And is there no pious person among them, for whose sake God would grant them atonement?
"Arukhat." Healing. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated: "Said Jeremiah the prophet," etc., as [printed] in the column.
Metzudat David
There is no balm in Gilead. And is there truly no balm in Gilead with which to heal the illness? Is not that place the very source of balm? And is there no physician there who knows the manner of healing? And why, then, was the daughter of my people not healed? This means: Is there not Torah and commandments in their hands? Are there not sages to instruct them in the proper path? And why, therefore, did they not return them to what is good, to annul the decree?
Metzudat Zion
Tzari. It is the resin mentioned among the ingredients of the incense, and it is the sap of a tree, and it is used specifically for healing; and likewise it says, "Take tzari for her ailment" (below, 51).
Arochah. The matter of healing, like "Behold, I am bringing up healing for her" (below, 33):
Malbim
(Answer of the Lord): "The balm" — was it necessary for the tribe of Judah to obtain drugs and remedies from distant lands for their healing? Was not the 'tzari' (healing balm) by which they would be healed found in Gilead, where the place of the 'tzari' is located? And likewise, the physician who arranges how they should take the 'tzari' and how they should heal with it was also found there. If so, why has healing not come to the daughter of my people? This means: Was not the healing of the people dependent upon their improving their deeds and returning to walk in the Torah of the Lord? Yet among them was found both the Torah and the commandments that I placed before them, which is the 'tzari' (healing balm), and among them were the prophets and sages who straighten and teach them the ways of the Lord, which is the physician. And why were they not healed? Thus, they themselves are guilty of the matter, for they refused to be healed of their illness.
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!
verse value 2934
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 50 letters. Verse gematria: 2934 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "water" (מַ֔יִם, 3 letters) and the longest is "oh·that" (מִֽי־יִתֵּ֤ן, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "oh·that" (מִֽי־יִתֵּ֤ן), "my·head" (רֹאשִׁי֙), "and·my·eye" (וְעֵינִ֖י). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "oh·that" (root נתן, 141x in Jeremiah); "day" (root יום, 133x in Jeremiah); "and·my·eye" (root עין, 52x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root דמעה ("tears") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root בכה ("and·let·me·weep") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'tears', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words.
Radak
"If only my head were water." [Meaning:] If only my entire head were water, so that it would flow through my eyes in weeping; and likewise my eyes would be a fountain of tears that would never cease.
"The slain of the daughter of my people." One for whom people weep is regarded as if he were the object of the weeping; were this not so, it would not accord with the usage of the Hebrew language. And similarly it says, "and his father wept for him," and likewise "and to weep for her." And this usage is found in other languages besides Hebrew, because since the weeping is done on his account, he is as though he were receiving the action.
Metzudat David
"If only my head were a fountain of weeping and my eyes a spring of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of my people."
Metzudat Zion
"Who would give": Its meaning is like "Would that," and similarly, "Who would give that their heart…" (Deuteronomy 5:26).
Source. Spring:
"The slain of." [Used] in place of "concerning the slain of," as [in] "and they conspired against him" (Genesis 37:18) — the Targum renders: "and they plotted against him."
Malbim
(The words of the Prophet): "If only," etc.; "If only I were," etc. He says on one hand that because of his great love for his people, he longs to weep day and night over their slain; and on the other hand he says that because of his hatred of their evil deeds, he longs to distance himself from them and go to the wilderness. "If only my head were waters," meaning that it would be full of tears, and "my eyes a fountain of tears," so that from that fountain they would flow outward, in order that I might weep day and night. The natural philosophers wrote that continuous weeping dries out the brain until the tears are exhausted. Therefore, he requests that even though he weeps day and night, his head should be of the element of water, so that it would constantly produce tears into the fountain, which are the eyes.
Radak
Metzudat David
Malbim