Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider, and call for the mourning women to come; send for the skillful women to come;
English Standard Version (ESV)
The "mourning women" and "skillful women" weren't just hired mourners; they were artists of grief, hired to amplify sorrow. God instructs Jeremiah to call them not because He approves of their artificial wailing, but to underscore the immense loss coming, so profound that even professional mourners would be needed to express it.
Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider, and call for the mourning women to come; send for the skillful women to come;
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Lord calls for professional mourners, skilled women known for their ability to heighten lamentation at funerals. Jeremiah uses this vivid image to underscore the immense national tragedy that's coming upon Judah, a calamity so great that even hired experts will be needed to express the depth of their collective grief and loss.
Imagine a funeral where the most intense crying isn't from the family, but from hired professionals. This was a real thing in ancient times!
Jeremiah is calling for professional mourners, specifically women known for their skill in expressing grief. These weren't just sad people; they were trained artists.
Masters of Lamentation
Why would God command the hiring of mourners? It wasn't to approve of the practice, but to illustrate a terrifying truth.
Jeremiah isn't actually endorsing the custom of hired mourners. Instead, he's using a familiar cultural practice to convey the immense scale of impending judgment.
The Ultimate Lament
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Understand the original words
tsaba' · Hebrew Noun
The divine title 'YHWH of Armies' or 'LORD of Hosts'. It emphasizes God’s supreme authority over all heavenly and earthly powers, including angelic armies, and His role as the sovereign Ruler over history and nations.
The prophet Jeremiah is speaking in the shadow of Jerusalem's imminent destruction and the people's impending exile. He calls for professional mourners, a cultural practice of the time, to demonstrate the profound grief and lamentation that the nation's sins will bring upon them.
c. 627–586 BC
Jeremiah's Ministry
Jeremiah prophesied during a tumultuous period in Judah's history, warning of impending Babylonian invasion and exile due to the people's unfaithfulness to God.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, captures Jerusalem and deports a group of prominent citizens, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's subjugation.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and many more Judeans to Babylon. This event intensifies the sense of impending doom.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, devastating the nation and scattering its people. This is the nadir of Judah's existence.
c. 586 BC onwards
Exile in Babylon
The majority of the remaining population is forced into exile in Babylon, living as displaced people in a foreign land, longing for their homeland.
This passage speaks of 'wailing in the marketplaces' and 'skilled lamentation,' directly paralleling the 'cunning' or skillful mourning women mentioned in Jeremiah.
2 Chronicles 35:25This verse describes how Jeremiah and the singing women mourned for King Josiah, showing the established practice of professional mourners in Israel's history.
Matthew 9:23Jesus encountered hired mourners and musicians making a commotion at the home of Jairus, illustrating this ancient custom and its presence even in New Testament times.
Ecclesiastes 12:5The 'mourners who go about the streets' in this verse evoke a similar image of public lamentation, highlighting the pervasive nature of these public displays of grief.
cambridgeJeremiah 9:17: "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come:"
17 . cunning ] i.e. skilled . Cp. Genesis 25:27 ; 1 Samuel 16:18 ; 2 Chronicles 26:15 . 17, 18 . “There are in every city and community women exceedingly cunning in this business.… When a fresh company of sympathisers comes in, these women ‘make haste’ to ‘take up a wailing’ that the newly come may the more easily unite their tears with…
barnesJeremiah 9:17: "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come:"
The mourning women - Hired to attend at funerals, and by their skilled wailings aid the real mourners in giving vent to their grief. Hence, they are called "cunning," literally "wise" women, wisdom being constantly used in Scripture for anything in which people are trained.
The "mourning women" and "skillful women" weren't just hired mourners; they were artists of grief, hired to amplify sorrow. God instructs Jeremiah to call them not because He approves of their artificial wailing, but to underscore the immense loss coming, so profound that even professional mourners would be needed to express it.
The Lord calls for professional mourners, skilled women known for their ability to heighten lamentation at funerals. Jeremiah uses this vivid image to underscore the immense national tragedy that's coming upon Judah, a calamity so great that even hired experts will be needed to express the depth of their collective grief and loss.
The Lord calls for professional mourners, skilled women known for their ability to heighten lamentation at funerals. Jeremiah uses this vivid image to underscore the immense national tragedy that's coming upon Judah, a calamity so great that even hired experts will be needed to express the depth of their collective grief and loss.
"Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider, and call for the mourning women to come; send for the skillful women to come;" — The "mourning women" and "skillful women" weren't just hired mourners; they were artists of grief, hired to amplify sorrow. God instructs Jeremiah to call them not because He approves of their artifi…
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Last reviewed October 2026