Jeremiah 13:17
But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jeremiah’s sorrow isn't just about impending disaster, but about a specific, devastating loss: the people, God’s “flock,” being taken captive. This highlights that their downfall isn't merely punishment, but a tragic separation from their Shepherd, leaving him grieved over His own cherished possession being lost.
Jeremiah has just described a symbolic act involving a linen loincloth, meant to illustrate how Judah's pride and stubborn sin have become utterly ruined and corrupted. If the people refuse to listen to this stark warning and turn back to God, the prophet says his heart will break in private sorrow. He'll weep bitterly, not just for their sinful pride, but because the very people of God, His flock, are destined to be taken away captive into exile.
Imagine pouring your heart out, only to see your words fall on deaf ears. Jeremiah’s response reveals a profound depth of personal grief.
When God's people refuse to listen to His warnings, Jeremiah’s sorrow is so deep that it drives him to 'weep in secret places.' This isn't a public display for show, but a private, gut-wrenching grief that stems from the core of his being. His 'pride' is not just the people's arrogance, but the loss of their spiritual standing before God. It's a sorrow for the spiritual 'glory' that is departing from them, leading to their eventual downfall.
The phrase 'the LORD's flock' is more than just a metaphor; it speaks to a deep theological truth about God's relationship with His people.
Jeremiah refers to the people of Judah as 'the LORD's flock.' This imagery casts God as the ultimate Shepherd and His people as sheep under His care. The terrible reality of captivity means these sheep are being scattered, taken from their divine Shepherd's pasture. This isn't just a political defeat; it's a profound spiritual crisis, a loss of divine protection and presence, which is the ultimate heartbreak for Jeremiah.
Understand the original words
ṣō’n · Hebrew Noun
A term frequently used to describe Israel as belonging to Yahweh, who is their Shepherd. It emphasizes the intimacy of the relationship, the accountability of the leaders, and the vulnerability of the people under God's care.
gē’ût · Hebrew Noun
An attitude of self-reliance or arrogance that stands in opposition to God; it is the fundamental sin of elevating oneself above the Creator. Pride is regarded as the root cause of rebellion, leading to spiritual blindness and eventual destruction.
Jeremiah's profound sorrow in this verse stems from the impending and ongoing Babylonian deportations. The 'Lord's flock' being taken captive isn't just a metaphor; it's the very real experience of his people, particularly the exile of King Jehoiachin and others in 597 BC, which the prophet witnessed and deeply mourned.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Captivity
The northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire, and a large portion of its population is exiled. This event serves as a stark warning of the consequences of disobedience for the remaining southern Kingdom of Judah.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon conquers Judah and begins deporting elites, including members of the royal family and skilled workers, to Babylon. This marks the start of Judah's decline and foreshadows future exiles.
597 BC— this verse
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar again deports a significant portion of Judah's population, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel. This event is often seen as the primary context for Jeremiah's prophecies of a seventy-year exile.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
This passage shows Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, mirroring Jeremiah's deep sorrow for God's people when their destruction is certain due to their unfaithfulness.
Psalm 77:1The psalmist cries out with his voice to God, 'I cry aloud to God, with my voice to God; and he will hear me,' reflecting the intense, almost overwhelming grief Jeremiah expresses here for his people.
John 10:11Jesus, the Good Shepherd, lays down His life for the sheep. This passage elevates the imagery of God as Shepherd, making the captivity of 'the Lord's flock' in Jeremiah a profound tragedy of lost sheep.
Romans 9:2Paul speaks of his 'great sorrow and unceasing anguish' for his kinsmen, the Israelites, echoing Jeremiah's profound personal anguish and public grief over the fate of God's chosen people.
Ezekiel 34:11-16God Himself promises to seek out His flock and deliver them, highlighting the tender, pastoral care He desires for His people, making their scattering into captivity a deep sorrow for both prophet and God.
barnesJeremiah 13:17: "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."
The Lord's flock - The people carried away captive with Jeconiah formed the Jewish Church, as we are expressly told, whereas Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem possessed only the externals of the Church and not its reality. It is for this reason that the seventy years' exile counts from Jeconi…
pulpitJeremiah 13:17: "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."
Verse 17. - Should all admonitions be in vain, Jeremiah will return (like Samuel, 1 Samuel 15:35) and give vent to his sorrowful emotion. The Lord's flock. Jehovah is likened to a shepherd (comp. Zechariah 10:3).
Jeremiah’s sorrow isn't just about impending disaster, but about a specific, devastating loss: the people, God’s “flock,” being taken captive. This highlights that their downfall isn't merely punishment, but a tragic separation from their Shepherd, leaving him grieved over His own cherished possession being lost.
Jeremiah has just described a symbolic act involving a linen loincloth, meant to illustrate how Judah's pride and stubborn sin have become utterly ruined and corrupted. If the people refuse to listen to this stark warning and turn back to God, the prophet says his heart will break in private sorrow. He'll weep bitterly, not just for their sinful pride, but because the very people of God, His flock, are destined to be taken away captive into exile.
Jeremiah has just described a symbolic act involving a linen loincloth, meant to illustrate how Judah's pride and stubborn sin have become utterly ruined and corrupted. If the people refuse to listen to this stark warning and turn back to God, the prophet says his heart will break in private sorrow. He'll weep bitterly, not just for their sinful pride, but because the very people of God, His flock, are destined to be taken away captive into exile.
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Nebuchadnezzar's forces finally destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, bringing the Kingdom of Judah to an end. The remaining population is largely exiled to Babylon.
"But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive." — Jeremiah’s sorrow isn't just about impending disaster, but about a specific, devastating loss: the people, God’s “flock,” being taken captive. This highlights that their downfall isn't merely punishm…
