Weep not for him that is dead, nor bemoan him with your tears: lament him that goeth away, for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.
אַל־תִּבְכּ֣וּ לְמֵ֔ת וְאַל־תָּנֻ֖דוּ ל֑וֹ בְּכ֤וּ בָכוֹ֙ לַֽהֹלֵ֔ךְ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָשׁוּב֙ ע֔וֹד וְרָאָ֖ה אֶת־אֶ֥רֶץ מוֹלַדְתּֽוֹ׃
2 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Mourn not for the deceased, but rather weep for him; that is, do not grieve for King Josiah, for he is surrounded by those who loved him during his burial. The fate of a captive, perishing far from home with no one to lay him to rest, does not apply to him. Mourn with deep sorrow for the one who has departed, for he will not return to those who behold the land of his nativity; in other words, lament for Sallum, also known as Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah.
Do not grieve for the one who has passed away, nor shed tears for him; rather, weep for the soul who has departed, for he will not return, nor will he behold the land of his ancestors. For the Lord has declared to Sellum, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who took over the reign from his father Josiah, who exited from this realm: he shall not return to this place; rather, in the land to which I have exiled him, there he will perish and will no longer see this territory. Josiah, the righteous sovereign, had three sons: Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah. The first of these was captured by Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, and taken to Egypt where he died, while Jehoiakim, his brother, was appointed king in his stead (4 Kings 23-25).
Following Jehoiakim’s death, his son reigned, but he, along with his mother and noblemen, was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Zedekiah, their uncle, ascended the throne in his place, but after Jerusalem’s fall, he too was carried away to Babylon. The question arises: who is this individual that is not to be lamented, who is destined for captivity, and will not return, when the three have already been taken away? The Hebrew scholars suggest this may encompass all three: Jehoahaz, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, with all the sons of Josiah identified as Sellum, signifying fulfillment, as the kingdom of Judah indeed came to its end during their reigns. However, it appears to me that this directly pertains to Zedekiah, prophesied about in this and the previous chapters, under whose reign the kingdom of Judah truly came to a close and the city was overtaken; it is recorded that he was taken to Babylon where he met his end. He embodies Sellum, representing fulfillment, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who ruled in the stead of his father. Notably, Jehoiachin was not a son but a grandson of Josiah, the son of Jehoiakim. Therefore, all that has been stated from the outset of the vision, when King Zedekiah dispatched to Jeremiah Phasur, son of Melchiah, and Sophonias, the son of Maaseiah the priest, leading up to this verse, is to be attributed to King Zedekiah.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS