John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 9:20

"Yet hear the word of Jehovah, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth; and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbor lamentation." — Jeremiah 9:20 (ASV)

Yet hear the word of the Lord, O you women
Not the mourning women, but others who had lost their husbands and their children, and had just reason for real mourning; and therefore they are called upon to it, not only because they were more tenderhearted than men, as Kimchi observes; or because they were more attentive to the hearing of the word of God than men; but because of the paucity of men, such numbers being slain in the siege, and by the sword; and of the loss the women had sustained, see (Jeremiah 9:22) :

and let your ear receive the word of his mouth ;
by his prophets; so the Targum,``let your ear hearken to the words of his prophets:''

and teach your daughters wailing .
The Arabic version, "a mournful song"; but not the daughters of the mourning women are meant; but the real daughters of those who had lost their husbands or children; since it follows: and everyone her neighbour lamentation ;
signifying that the mortality among them would be very universal, not a family escaping; which is described in the next verses.

This wailing and lamentation was made by responses, according to the Jews; for they say ^F4 , ``what is lamentation? when one speaks, and all the rest answer after her, as it is written in (Jeremiah 9:20) .''

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FOOTNOTES:

• F4: Misn. Moed Katon, c. 3. sect. 9.