Jeremiah 9:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And there will be lifeless bodies as a sign on the surface of the land. The deceased will remain unburied, and this appears to be the utmost disgrace, for such a situation occurs in the absence of any burial rites.

Proclaim: Thus says the Lord, the corpses of humanity shall lie scattered like refuse upon the earth, akin to stubble left behind by the harvester, with none to collect them. The Hebrew term consisting of three letters, dalet, bet, resh, conveys different meanings depending on its vocalization: if pronounced as "dabar," it signifies speech; as "deber," it represents death; and as "daber," it means to say. Consequently, both the Septuagint and Theodotion connect the opening word of this passage to the prior verse, which speaks of eliminating the youth from public spaces and young men from the streets through death. Aquila and Symmachus translate it as "say," illustrating God's directive to the prophet to declare the following: thus says the Lord, among other things.

The Lord declares, “And the dead shall stand as a testimony in the fields of your land, like the stubble left behind after harvest, which shall not be gathered.” The fate that comes upon you will serve as a source of great gain. This is captured by the Prophet’s phrase, “as a testimony.” The reference to “the stubble left behind by the reaper” symbolizes the countless multitude of the deceased. However, as some take pride in their wealth, others in their wisdom, and yet others in their physical prowess, the Prophet urges us to refrain from boasting in these areas, instead encouraging us to find pride in godliness and righteous actions. Additionally, as they were overly confident in their circumcision, he brings low their arrogance, illustrating that many other nations are also circumcised, while revealing their eventual calling and salvation.