Both great and small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, and no one shall lament for them or cut himself or make himself bald for them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights a chilling consequence of widespread death: the cessation of normal mourning rituals. Not only will people not be buried, but the customary ways of expressing grief—lamenting, cutting oneself, or shaving one's head—will also cease because the sheer scale of death will overwhelm any attempt at solemnity. This speaks to a desolation so profound that it numbs the very capacity for human connection and shared sorrow.
Both great and small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, and no one shall lament for them or cut himself or make himself bald for them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is announcing a devastating plague and war that will sweep through Judah, killing everyone—from the highest officials to the lowest commoners. The sheer scale of death will be so overwhelming that proper burials and even outward expressions of grief, like lamenting or ritualistic mourning practices forbidden by God, will become impossible. This stark picture of a nation consumed by death sets the stage for further pronouncements about the utter desolation to come, as God’s judgment is poured out.
Imagine a world where the dead are not honored, where grief is suppressed by sheer numbers. Jeremiah 16:6 paints a stark picture of such a reality.
This verse describes a judgment so complete that the normal rituals of mourning are impossible.
The Breakdown of Society
In times of disaster, it's often assumed the powerful are insulated. Jeremiah 16:6 shatters that assumption, declaring that judgment comes for all.
Ask a follow-up
The prophecy explicitly states that 'Both great and small shall die in this land.' This is a crucial point because it emphasizes the indiscriminate nature of the coming judgment.
The Great Equalizer
Understand the original words
qabar · Hebrew Verb
To inter in the earth; in biblical culture, proper burial was a mark of honor and dignity, while being denied burial was considered a profound curse and divine judgment.
saphad · Hebrew Verb
To express profound grief or sorrow; often associated with public mourning rituals, such as weeping or singing dirges.
This prophecy unfolds against the backdrop of escalating Babylonian invasions and the ultimate destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, a time when death was so pervasive that even the most basic rites of burial and mourning were impossible. The verse underscores God's judgment, not only in the physical devastation but also in the cessation of normal human expressions of grief, which were themselves often intertwined with forbidden pagan practices.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Exile
The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire, leading to the exile of its people and the devastation of the land. This event serves as a grim precedent for future judgment.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invades Judah and deports a portion of the population, including young nobles like Daniel. This marks the beginning of Judah's Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a revolt, Babylon deports more of Judah's population, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel. Jerusalem's temple is plundered.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, completing the deportation of Judah's people. This is the catastrophic climax of God's judgment on Judah.
c. 586 BC
Widespread Death and Lack of Burial
In the aftermath of Jerusalem's fall, overwhelming death and destruction mean that proper burials and traditional mourning rituals become impossible, fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecy.
c. 586 BC
Prohibition of Pagan Mourning Practices
The extreme circumstances highlight the forbidden pagan mourning customs of self-mutilation and excessive baldness, which God had prohibited to His people. The sheer scale of death makes even these forbidden practices unthinkable.
This passage directly prohibits the very practices of cutting oneself and making oneself bald for the dead, highlighting that these were pagan customs forbidden to Israel.
Deuteronomy 14:1Similar to Leviticus, this verse reiterates the prohibition against disfigurement as mourning, emphasizing the distinctiveness God desired for His people.
Ezekiel 7:18This prophetic passage echoes the despair and the cessation of normal mourning rituals, describing a similar state of overwhelming grief and the inability to properly lament.
Jeremiah 41:5This passage describes people coming from specific places to mourn, which implicitly contrasts with Jeremiah 16:6, where no mourning is possible due to the sheer scale of death.
Romans 12:15While not about death rituals, this New Testament passage calls believers to 'weep with those who weep,' showing a Christian ideal of empathetic community that is starkly absent in the desolation described in Jeremiah.
clarkeJeremiah 16:6: "Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:"
Nor cut themselves - A custom of the heathen forbidden to the Jews, Leviticus 19:28 ; Deuteronomy 14:1 , and which appears now to have prevailed among them; because, having become idolaters, they conformed to all the customs of the heathen. They tore their hair, rent their garments, cut their hands, arms, and fa…
pooleJeremiah 16:6: "Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:"
There shall so many of all ranks and sizes die in this land, that men shall have no time to bury them, or there shall not be enough left living to bury the dead; nor shall men, for their own miseries, have leisure to lament for the miseries of other men. Cutting themselves in their flesh, and cutting off their h…
The verse highlights a chilling consequence of widespread death: the cessation of normal mourning rituals. Not only will people not be buried, but the customary ways of expressing grief—lamenting, cutting oneself, or shaving one's head—will also cease because the sheer scale of death will overwhelm any attempt at solemnity. This speaks to a desolation so profound that it numbs the very capacity for human connection and shared sorrow.
God is announcing a devastating plague and war that will sweep through Judah, killing everyone—from the highest officials to the lowest commoners. The sheer scale of death will be so overwhelming that proper burials and even outward expressions of grief, like lamenting or ritualistic mourning practices forbidden by God, will become impossible. This stark picture of a nation consumed by death sets the stage for further pronouncements about the utter desolation to come, as God’s judgment is poured out.
God is announcing a devastating plague and war that will sweep through Judah, killing everyone—from the highest officials to the lowest commoners. The sheer scale of death will be so overwhelming that proper burials and even outward expressions of grief, like lamenting or ritualistic mourning practices forbidden by God, will become impossible. This stark picture of a nation consumed by death sets the stage for further pronouncements about the utter desolation to come, as God’s judgment is poured out.
"Both great and small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, and no one shall lament for them or cut himself or make himself bald for them." — The verse highlights a chilling consequence of widespread death: the cessation of normal mourning rituals. Not only will people not be buried, but the customary ways of expressing grief—lamenting, cu…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026