Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah's desperate wish for his head to become water and his eyes a fountain of tears isn't just about sadness; it reveals that his capacity for weeping has been utterly exhausted by the overwhelming sorrow for his people. The word for "fountain" here suggests a reservoir, indicating he desires an inexhaustible source to fully express the depth of his grief over the devastation he foresees.
Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage immediately follows Jeremiah's lament over the spiritual decline and impending judgment of Judah, where he previously described the people as "slain" by their own sin. Now, the prophet expresses his overwhelming sorrow and grief for the devastation he foresees, wishing for an endless flow of tears to adequately mourn the destruction and loss of life. He continues to cry out for understanding of God's judgment and intercedes for his people, even as the nation's hardened hearts lead to inevitable disaster.
Jeremiah's heart is so heavy with sorrow that he wishes for a physical impossibility – to cry without end. What does this extreme metaphor reveal about his pain?
Jeremiah uses a powerful hyperbole: 'Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears!' (Jeremiah 9:1). This isn't just sadness; it's an overwhelming grief that exceeds human capacity.
Beyond Human Limits
The Hebrew phrasing, 'Who will give my head waters?', expresses a deep yearning. Jeremiah feels that his natural ability to weep is exhausted. He wishes for a literal, unending supply – a reservoir ('fountain' in some translations, but more like a storage tank) of tears to adequately express the magnitude of the tragedy he foresees.
Empathy in Action
This isn't just abstract sorrow; it's a profound empathy for his people, the 'slain of the daughter of my people.' He weeps not for himself, but for the destruction and loss that sin has brought upon them. His desire for infinite tears highlights the devastating consequences of their rebellion against God.
Jeremiah isn't just sad about death; he's mourning the reason for the death. What does this verse teach us about the connection between sin and destruction?
Jeremiah's lament is directly tied to the 'slain of the daughter of my people.' This isn't a random tragedy; it's the consequence of their actions. The context of Jeremiah often emphasizes the people's idolatry, deceit, and disobedience.
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A Nation's Downfall
The prophet sees that their spiritual adultery and rejection of God's ways have led them to a point of no return. The impending 'slain' are not merely casualties of war, but the direct result of a nation that has turned its back on its covenant with God.
The Prophet's Burden
Jeremiah's immense sorrow is a reflection of God's own grief over their sin. His weeping is a prophetic act, a vivid illustration of the terrible cost of turning away from the Lord. It serves as a stark warning: sin carries a devastating price, not just for individuals, but for entire communities.
Understand the original words
bat ammi · Hebrew Noun phrase
A metaphorical expression representing the people of Israel as a corporate unit, often highlighting the covenantal relationship and the Lord's protective care for them.
Jeremiah's profound grief in this verse stems from his prophetic foresight of the devastating destruction of Jerusalem and the slaughter of his people by the Babylonians. He laments the immense loss of life and the spiritual desolation that precedes and follows these calamitous events.
c. 629-624 BC
Scythian Invasion of Judah
A period of significant threat and upheaval for Judah, marked by the invasion of Scythian tribes.
609 BC
Death of King Josiah
Josiah, a righteous king, is killed in battle, leading to a period of political instability and a return to idolatry.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon begins his campaigns, leading to the first deportation of Judean captives, including Daniel, and establishing Babylonian dominance.
c. 600 BC— this verse
Jeremiah Preaches in Jerusalem
Jeremiah delivers his prophecies of judgment against Jerusalem and Judah due to their persistent sinfulness, anticipating the destruction of the city.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin, and installs Zedekiah as king.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem and its temple, marking the end of the Kingdom of Judah and the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
This passage describes a similar scene of devastation and slaughter, with a lament over the fallen that echoes Jeremiah's deep sorrow.
Luke 19:41-42Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, expressing profound grief for the city's impending destruction and its inhabitants' blindness to the coming judgment, much like Jeremiah's tears for his people.
Romans 9:2Paul speaks of his 'great sorrow and unceasing anguish' for his fellow Israelites, highlighting a shared prophetic burden of grief for a people facing judgment due to their unfaithfulness.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4This passage speaks of God as the 'Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,' who comforts us so that we can comfort others; this resonates with Jeremiah's deep empathy and desire to express sorrow for his people.
barnesJeremiah 9:1: "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!"
This verse is joined in the Hebrew to the preceding chapter. But any break at all here interrupts the meaning. A fountain - Rather, "a reservoir," in which tears had been stored up, so that the prophet might weep abundantly.
clarkeJeremiah 9:1: "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!"
O that my head were waters - מי יתן ראשי מים mi yitten roshi mayim, "who will give to my head waters?" My mourning for the sins and desolations of my people has already exhausted the source of tears: I wish to have a fountain opened there, that I may weep day and night for the slain of my people. This has been the sorrowful language of many…
Jeremiah's desperate wish for his head to become water and his eyes a fountain of tears isn't just about sadness; it reveals that his capacity for weeping has been utterly exhausted by the overwhelming sorrow for his people. The word for "fountain" here suggests a reservoir, indicating he desires an inexhaustible source to fully express the depth of his grief over the devastation he foresees.
This passage immediately follows Jeremiah's lament over the spiritual decline and impending judgment of Judah, where he previously described the people as "slain" by their own sin. Now, the prophet expresses his overwhelming sorrow and grief for the devastation he foresees, wishing for an endless flow of tears to adequately mourn the destruction and loss of life. He continues to cry out for understanding of God's judgment and intercedes for his people, even as the nation's hardened hearts lead to inevitable disaster.
This passage immediately follows Jeremiah's lament over the spiritual decline and impending judgment of Judah, where he previously described the people as "slain" by their own sin. Now, the prophet expresses his overwhelming sorrow and grief for the devastation he foresees, wishing for an endless flow of tears to adequately mourn the destruction and loss of life. He continues to cry out for understanding of God's judgment and intercedes for his people, even as the nation's hardened hearts lead to inevitable disaster.
"Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!" — Jeremiah's desperate wish for his head to become water and his eyes a fountain of tears isn't just about sadness; it reveals that his capacity for weeping has been utterly exhausted by the overwhelmi…
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Last reviewed October 2026