Jeremiah 9:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Who will provide water for my head? I, he states, do not possess by nature a sufficient quantity of tears to match the depth of my sorrow. Since those who are in mourning typically find some relief from their profound grief through weeping, I, too, desired to stir my nature more intensely so that my tears would flow abundantly, for nothing remained but to weep. O, the afflicted daughter of my people. What do you have to say? Is it necessary to grieve for those beset by wickedness? Yes, I respond, I grieve for them. Why is that? For this reason: not because they are being punished, but rather because the hope for their redemption is entirely lost. Either through the transgressors or through sin. This incomplete phrase likely alludes to the words concerning the afflicted ones.

The prophet Jeremiah, filled with deep sorrow, lamented to Israel, who were provoking the Lord's anger, “Who will give me water from my head and a fountain of tears from my eyes? I weep day and night for the wounded children of my people.” These sentiments, I believe, extend beyond Israel alone and resonate with those who speak against Christ without restraint; they are described as “profligate, self-indulgent, and blasphemous” (2 Pet. 2:10). Indeed, those worthy of lamentation are those who, in their profound foolishness, abandon the pure and righteous way of godliness found in Christ, opting for sinful paths and distorting the inherent beauty of truth with the corrupted illusions of their senses.

Who will provide water for my head and a fountain of tears for my eyes? I will cry both day and night for the fallen daughters of my people. If, he continues, I transform into weeping and my tears flow not merely as drops but as torrents, still I will not be able to weep adequately for the lost daughters of my people. The afflictions are so immense that they surpass any sorrow. This can be understood in relation to both the prophet and the Lord.

The Scriptures refer to sinners as wounded, as seen in the declarations of Jeremiah: “O who shall give my head water and my eyes a spring of tears! I would weep day and night for the afflicted children of my people.” This notion is further echoed in the words of the psalmist (Psalms 87:6), who describes those with whom Christ identifies not only as the wounded but also as those forgotten by God, forsaken, lying in the grave, and lacking vigor and vitality.