John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 9

Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of
tears
Or, "who will give to my head water, and to mine eyes a fountain of tears?" as the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions. The prophet wishes that his head was turned and dissolved into water, and that tears might flow from his eyes as water issues out from a fountain. He suggests that, could this be, it would not be sufficient to deplore the miserable estate of his people and to express the inward grief and sorrow of his mind on account of it.

That I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my
people ;
The design of all this is to set forth the greatness and horribleness of the destruction, signifying that words were wanting to express it and tears to lament it, and to awaken the attention of the people to it, who were quite hardened, insensible, and stupid. The Jewish writers close the eighth chapter with this verse and begin the ninth with the following.

Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men Such as travellers take up with in a desert, when they are benighted, and cannot reach a town or village. This the prophet chose, partly that he might have an opportunity to give vent to his grief, being alone; for which reason he did not desire to be in cities and populous places, where he might be amused and diverted while his people were in distress: and partly to show his sympathy, not being able to bear the sight of their misery; and also some degree of indignation at their impieties, which had brought ruin upon them; on account of which it was more eligible to dwell with the wild beasts of the desert than with them in his native country:

wherefore it follows, that I might leave my people, and go from them; which of itself was not desirable; no man chooses to leave his country, his own people, and his father's house, and go into distant lands and strange countries; and especially into a wilderness, where there is neither suitable food nor agreeable company: wherefore this shows, that there must be something very bad, and very provoking, to lead him to take such a step as this: the reason follows, for they be all adulterers;

either in a literal or figurative sense; the latter seems rather intended; for though corporeal fornication and adultery might greatly prevail among them, yet not to such a height as that "all" of them were guilty; whereas idolatry did generally obtain among them: an assembly of treacherous men; not a few only, but in general they were apostates from God and from true religion, and treacherous to one another. The Septuagint calls them "a synod"; and Joseph Kimchi interprets it "a kingdom"; deriving the word from (rue) , as it signifies to have rule and dominion; denoting, that the kingdom in general was false and perfidious.

And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies
Their tongues were like bows, and their lying words like arrows, which they directed against persons to their injury; see (Psalms 11:2) (64:3) , or, "like their deceitful bow" ^F16 ; to which the Targum agrees,``they teach their tongues words of falsehood, they are like to a deceitful bow.''

Most agreeably to the accents the words may be rendered, "they bend their tongues, their bow is a lie" ^F17 ; either deceitful, or carries a lie in it, and shoots one out of it: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth ;
which a man should do everything for, and nothing against; and which he should earnestly contend for, and not part with or give up at any rate; not only for the truth of doctrine, for faith, as the Targum; for the doctrine of faith, the truth of the Gospel, and as it is in Christ; but for truth between man and man, for veracity, rightness, and integrity: for they proceed from evil to evil; from one sin to another, growing worse and worse, as wicked men and deceivers usually do.

Kimchi observes, it may be interpreted, as of evil works, so of the evil of punishment, from one evil of the enemy to another; or this year they are smitten with blasting, another with mildew, or with the locust, and yet they turn not from their evil ways: and they do not know me, says the Lord ;
the God of truth, and without iniquity, and who will severely punish for it; they did not serve and worship him as the only Lord God. The Targum is, ``the knowledge of my fear they did not learn.''

FOOTNOTES:

• F16: (rqv Mtvq) "veluti acum falsum", Munster; "quasi arcum mendacii", V. L.
• F17: "Et tetenderunt linguam suam, arcus ipsorum mendacium est", De Dieu; "qui tendunt linguam suam, arcus eorum est mendacium", Schmidt. Approved by Reinbeck. De Accent. Heb. p. 437.

Take heed everyone of your neighbour
Take care of being imposed upon by them, since they are so given to lying and deceit; be not too credulous, or too easily believe what is said; or keep yourselves from them; have no company or conversation with them, since evil communications corrupt good manners: and trust not in any brother ;
whether by blood or by marriage, or by religion, believe not his words; trust him not, neither with your money, nor with your mind; commit not your secrets to him, place no confidence in him; a people must be very corrupt indeed when this is the case:

or, "trust not in every brother" ^F18 ; some may be trusted, but not all though the following clause seems to contradict this, for every brother will utterly supplant ;
or, in supplanting supplant ^F19; play the Jacob, do as he did by his brother, who supplanted him twice; first got the birthright from him, and then the blessing; which was presignified by taking his brother by the heel in the womb, from where he had his name; and the same word is here used, which signifies a secret, clandestine, and insidious way of circumventing another;

and every neighbour will walk with slanders ;
go about spreading lies and calumnies, as worshippers, backbiters, and tale bearers do. The word (lykd) is used for a "merchant"; and because such persons went from place to place with their goods, and made use often times of fraudulent practices to deceive people, it is applied to one that is guilty of slander and calumny; (Song of Solomon 3:8) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F18: (wxjbt la xa lk lew) "et omni fratri ne fidatis", Paganinus.
• F19: (bqey bwqe) "supplantanto supplantat", Schmidt.

And they will deceive everyone his neighbour In conversation, with lying words; and in trade and commerce, by art and tricking.

and will not speak the truth with respect to facts they report, or goods they sell.

they have taught their tongue to speak lies and become so accustomed to lying that they cannot do otherwise; it is as it were natural to them.

and weary themselves to commit iniquity spared no pains to come at it, nor any in it, and go on even to weariness; are more laborious and indefatigable in committing sin than good men are in doing good; which shows great folly and stupidity. The Targum is, "they are become foolish, they have erred."