Jeremiah 14:17 Meaning and Explanation
“Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease: for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →A true warning need not be cold. Jeremiah 14:17 places tears beside prophecy, showing that faithful speech about judgment can carry deep love for those who suffer. The verse matters because it teaches us to see disaster neither lightly nor with detached satisfaction.
The LORD tells Jeremiah to speak grief without ceasing over Judah's coming ruin. The prophet's tears match the severity of a people shattered by a grievous blow, even as judgment has been announced.
The Context of Jeremiah 14:17
The LORD has rejected the false prophets' promise that sword and famine will not come. He declares judgment upon them and describes people cast into Jerusalem's streets through famine and sword. Verse 17 turns from that pronouncement to Jeremiah's required response: he is to speak words of continuous weeping for the "virgin daughter" of his people. Verse 18 expands the picture with slain people in the field and famine within the city. The chapter closes with communal confession, a plea for covenant mercy, and a declaration that the LORD alone can give rain.
What Does Jeremiah 14:17 Mean?
"Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them" introduces a message whose tone is itself part of its truth. Jeremiah is commanded to let his eyes run down with tears "night and day," without ceasing. The phrase describes persistent grief, not a passing display. He weeps for "the virgin daughter of my people," a tender way of speaking of Judah and Jerusalem as a beloved community struck by calamity. She is "broken with a great breach," language that pictures a devastating rupture or crushing wound. The "very grievous blow" confirms the seriousness of what is coming. The prophet must announce judgment while feeling the anguish it brings.
These tears stand within a chapter where Judah's sin, wandering, and false assurances have already been named. The verse does not soften the LORD's words about accountability. It reveals the proper human response to the ruin of a people. Jeremiah is neither told to celebrate their fall nor allowed to make their pain into an argument for self-righteousness. His lament anticipates verse 18, where sword and famine fill both field and city. The chapter's final prayer also shares this posture: it acknowledges wickedness and asks the LORD to remember his covenant. Grief, confession, warning, and intercession belong together in Jeremiah's ministry.
Jesus weeps over Jerusalem as it stands under the shadow of coming destruction, a close and earned echo of Jeremiah's lament. He sees what the city has missed and speaks of its approaching days of distress. His tears show compassion toward people who have resisted God's visitation, while his warning remains true. Jeremiah's commanded weeping helps us recognize this biblical pattern: divine judgment is never an occasion for casual triumph among God's servants. Christ bears sorrow for the city and opens the way of peace through his own faithful self-giving. The verse therefore trains our hearts for truthful compassion in the presence of sin and suffering.
Bible Verses Related to Jeremiah 14:17
“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!”
- Jeremiah 9:1
“For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.”
- Lamentations 1:16
“And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,”
- Luke 19:41
“Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.”
- Romans 12:15
Where Jeremiah 14:17 Echoes in Scripture
Luke 19:41 is the strongest later echo because Jesus weeps as he draws near to Jerusalem. Jeremiah is commanded to weep over the broken daughter of his people amid a warning of sword and famine. Jesus' tears likewise accompany a truthful warning about the city's future. The echo shows continuity in God's compassionate concern for a people under judgment. It also gives Jeremiah's lament a clear Gospel counterpart without reducing either passage to sentiment alone.
How to Apply Jeremiah 14:17 Today
When people or communities suffer after grave wrongdoing, we can refuse the habit of speaking about their pain with distance or satisfaction. Jeremiah invites prayerful lament, practical mercy, and honest words that neither excuse evil nor make suffering entertaining. This matters in families, congregations, neighborhoods, and public life. We may grieve losses caused by sin while also seeking repair wherever a faithful action is within reach. The verse encourages us to listen before offering quick explanations. Tears can become part of truthful witness when they arise from love for people and reverence before God.
Reflection & Prayer
Do we allow the pain of others, including those whose choices have caused harm, to awaken compassionate prayer? Bring before God a wounded person or place without minimizing either the injury or the need for truth. Suggested prayer: "O Lord, give us Jeremiah's tears and a faithful tongue. Teach us to mourn evil, seek mercy, and speak thy truth with love. Amen."