God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 16:6
6“Old and young alike will die in this land. No one will mourn for them or bury them. No one will cut his own body or shave his own head for them.
Jeremiah 16:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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:
- New International Version (NIV)“Both high and low will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned, and no one will cut themselves or shave their head for the dead.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Both the great and the small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried; neither shall men lament for them, cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them.
Context of Jeremiah 16:6
4They will die horrible deaths. No one will mourn for them or bury them. They will be like manure on the ground. Wars and famines will bring them to an end. Their bodies will be food for birds and animals. 5“This is what the Lord says: Don’t go into a house where people are grieving. Don’t go to mourn or to grieve for them. I’m taking my peace, love, and compassion away from these people,” declares the Lord. “Old and young alike will die in this land. No one will mourn for them or bury them. No one will cut his own body or shave his own head for them. 7No one will offer food to comfort those who mourn the dead. No one will give a consoling drink to those who have lost their fathers or mothers. 8“Don’t even go into a home where there is a banquet. Don’t sit with them to eat and drink.
Read all of Jeremiah 16Jeremiah 16:6 word by word
וּמֵ֨תוּ גְדֹלִ֧ים וּקְטַנִּ֛ים בָּאָ֥רֶץ הַזֹּ֖את לֹ֣א יִקָּבֵ֑רוּ וְלֹֽא־יִסְפְּד֣וּ לָהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֣א יִתְגֹּדַ֔ד וְלֹ֥א יִקָּרֵ֖חַ לָהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Both the greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- and the smallקָטָןqâţân qâţôn · smallH6996
- shall dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- in this landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- they shall not be buriedקָבַרqâbar · to buryH6912
- lamentסָפַדsâphad · to mournH5594
- for them, nor cutגָּדַדgâdad · to cutH1413
- themselves, nor make themselves baldקָרַחqârach · to make baldH7139
Cross-references for Jeremiah 16:6
- Jeremiah 13:13Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I’m going to make everyone who lives in this land drunk. The kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all those who live in Jerusalem will become drunk.
- Isaiah 9:14So in one day the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branches and cattails.
- Isaiah 24:2The same will happen to people and priests, male slaves and masters, female slaves and masters, buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, debtors and creditors.
- Ezekiel 9:5Then he said to the others as I was listening, “Follow him throughout the city and kill. Don’t have any compassion, and don’t feel sorry.
- Amos 6:11The Lord is going to give the command to level big houses and flatten little houses.
- Revelation 6:15Then the kings of the earth, the important people, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and all the slaves and free people hid themselves in caves and among the rocks in the mountains.
- Revelation 20:12I saw the dead, both important and unimportant people, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened, including the Book of Life. The dead were judged on the basis of what they had done, as recorded in the books.
- Jeremiah 16:4They will die horrible deaths. No one will mourn for them or bury them. They will be like manure on the ground. Wars and famines will bring them to an end. Their bodies will be food for birds and animals.
- Jeremiah 22:18This is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim, son of Judah’s King Josiah: People won’t mourn for him and say, “How horrible it is for my brother and sister!” They won’t mourn for him and say, “How horrible it is for my master and his splendor!”
- Jeremiah 7:29“Cut off your hair and throw it away. Sing a song of mourning on the bare hills, because in his anger the Lord has rejected and abandoned the people of this generation.
- Jeremiah 41:580 men arrived from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. Their beards were shaved off, their clothes were torn, and cuts were on their bodies. They brought grain offerings and incense to the Lord’s temple.
- Jeremiah 47:5Gaza will shave its head in mourning. Ashkelon will be destroyed. How long will you cut yourselves, you people left on the plains?
- Jeremiah 48:37“Every head is shaved, and every beard is cut off. There are gashes on every hand and sackcloth on every waist.
- Leviticus 19:28Never slash your body to mourn the dead, and never get a tattoo. I am the Lord.
- Deuteronomy 14:1You are the children of the Lord your God. So when someone dies, don’t ⌞mourn⌟ by cutting yourselves or shaving bald spots on your head.
- Isaiah 22:12On that day the Almighty Lord of Armies will call for crying and for mourning, for shaving your heads and for wearing sackcloth.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 16:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Nor 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 faces. These were not only signs of sorrow but were even supposed to give ease to the dead, and appease the angry deities. The Hindoos, on the death…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Cut themselves make themselves bald - Both these practices were strictly forbidden in the Law (marginal references) probably as being pagan customs, but they seem to have remained in common use. By “making bald” is meant shaving a bare patch on the front of the head.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-7The ban on funerals and mourning was a lesson for the people of Judah. The destruction would be so vast that no one could mourn properly or comfort others.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. cut themselves--indicating extravagant grief (Jr 41:5; 47:5), prohibited by the law (Le 19:28). bald--(Jr 7:29; Is 22:12).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 16:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries