Jeremiah 13:17

But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jeremiah addresses Judah’s leadership and people, delivering a divine warning immediately after calling them to give glory to God before impending darkness falls.

The words — The Hebrew תִבְכֶּה (tibkeh) literally means “it will weep,” joined with נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) to indicate the prophet’s own person is weeping. The term גֵוָה (gevah) denotes pride, explicitly distinct from the variant גֵאוּת.

The thread — The motif of unceasing weeping appears in Jeremiah 9:1 over the slain and Jeremiah 14:17 over a pierced virgin daughter, while the conditional “if you do not listen” echoes Malachi 2:2.

Why it lands — The text states that God will weep secretly because of Judah’s pride and because His flock has been taken captive. The passage demands acknowledgment of divine sorrow preceding judgment and a rejection of self-exaltation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאִם֙ve./'Imand/ if לֹ֣אlo'not תִשְׁמָע֔וּהָtish.ma.'U./hayou will listen to/ it בְּמִסְתָּרִ֥יםbe./mis.ta.Rimin/ secret places תִּבְכֶּֽה־tiv.keh-it will weep נַפְשִׁ֖יnaf.Sh/iself/ my מִפְּנֵ֣יmi./pe.Nei<from>/ because of גֵוָ֑הge.Vahpride וְדָמֹ֨עַve./da.Mo.a'and/ utterly <to weep>תִּדְמַ֜עtid.Ma'it will weep וְתֵרַ֤דve./te.Radand/ it may run down עֵינִי֙'ei.N/ieye/ my דִּמְעָ֔הdim.'Ahtear[s]כִּ֥יkifor נִשְׁבָּ֖הnish.Bahit has been taken captive עֵ֥דֶר'E.der[the] flock of יְהוָֽה׃ סYah.wehYahweh

King James Version

But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.

Cross-references

Malachi 2:2 If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to honor My name,” says the LORD of Hosts, “I will send a curse among you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already begun to curse them, because you are not taking it to heart.
Jeremiah 9:1 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.
Jeremiah 14:17 You are to speak this word to them: ‘My eyes overflow with tears; day and night they do not cease, for the virgin daughter of my people has been shattered by a crushing blow, a severely grievous wound.
Psalms 80:1 For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm of Asaph. Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth
Luke 19:41 As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it
Romans 9:2 I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
1 Samuel 15:35 And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
Psalms 119:136 My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.
Lamentations 1:16 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.
Lamentations 2:18 The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord. O wall of the Daughter of Zion, let your tears run down like a river day and night. Give yourself no relief, and your eyes no rest.