THEOSISJerome of Stridon
For the Lord declares, Do not enter the house of feasting, nor weep or offer consolation for them; for I have removed my peace from this people, says the Lord, along with mercy and compassion. Both great and small will perish in this land and will not receive burial, nor will they be mourned or have their hair cut in their honor. They will not share bread with those who mourn for the departed, nor will they offer them drink to comfort grieving parents. You shall not enter the house of feasting to sit and eat and drink with them. The apostle instructs that it is even inappropriate to have a meal with those who have rejected God (1 Cor. 5). Moreover, you should not even speak in joy with him (2 Jn. 1:10). The Saviour advises the apostles not to greet anyone along their journey (Luke 10:4).
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Hence, Elisha instructed not to greet him while he was on his way to heal the boy Giesias (4 Sam. 4:29). There exists a custom of providing food for those who grieve, known among the Greeks as περίδειπνα, while our common people refer to them as parentalia, as they are held in honor of relatives. In another scripture, it is prescribed: give drink to those who are sorrowful (Proverbs 31:6), so they may forget their grief. Thus, the prophet is directed to refrain from comforting any of the people, participating in the feasts of those opposed to God, or observing the customary rites for the dead. Dying according to the universal law of nature differs from dying by God's decree. The Lord states He has removed peace from this people and that they are unworthy of mercy; He will show no distinction between ages, as both the great and the small shall perish without burial. They shall not grieve or cut their hair for their sake. It was customary in ancient times, and still is among some Jews today, to express sorrow through the act of shaving their heads and tearing their garments—practices we find exemplified in Job (Job 1; Job 22). Therefore, the prophet is also instructed not to break bread with them, nor to comfort the deceased, nor to offer drink, nor to partake in the house of feasting, nor to associate with those facing God's judgment. If such guidelines apply to mourners, what can be said of heretics, whose influence spreads like a disease and who continuously conduct funerals within the church for those they lead astray?