Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.
Call to lament: "Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night" (tsa'ak libam el-Adonai chomot bat-Tsiyon horidi kha-nachal dim'ah yomam va-laylah). The personified walls are called to weep—as if even inanimate stones should mourn. "Give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease" (al-titeni fugat lakh al-tidom bat-eineikh). The "apple of the eye" (bat-ayin, literally "daughter of the eye") refers to the pupil—the most precious, protected part. The command: don't let your tears cease, don't rest from mourning. This intensity of grief demonstrates appropriate response to covenant breaking and judgment. Superficial remorse isn't enough; deep, sustained repentance is required. Joel 2:12-13 similarly calls for rending hearts, not just garments. The verse shows that genuine grief over sin and its consequences honors God rather than offends Him.
Historical Context
The call for walls to cry out employs hyperbole to express comprehensive grief. Habakkuk 2:11 similarly speaks of stones and beams crying out. The command to weep day and night, giving no rest, describes intense mourning practices. 2 Samuel 12:16-17 shows David fasting and lying on the ground for seven days when his child was dying. Nehemiah 1:4 records days of fasting and prayer upon hearing Jerusalem's ruined state. Ancient mourning could last extended periods—7 days (Genesis 50:10, 1 Samuel 31:13), 30 days (Numbers 20:29, Deuteronomy 34:8), even 70 days (Genesis 50:3). The intensity matched the loss's severity. For Jerusalem's destruction—end of temple, monarchy, and national existence—prolonged, intense mourning was fitting. This contrasts with modern tendency toward brief, controlled grief. Scripture validates deep, extended expression of pain as appropriate response to genuine tragedy.
Questions for Reflection
What does the command to 'give thyself no rest' from weeping teach about the appropriate intensity of grief over sin and judgment?
How do we balance prolonged mourning (as Scripture validates) with inappropriate wallowing or refusing comfort?
In what ways does our culture's discomfort with sustained grief reflect unbiblical attitudes toward sin's seriousness and consequences?
Analysis & Commentary
Call to lament: "Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night" (tsa'ak libam el-Adonai chomot bat-Tsiyon horidi kha-nachal dim'ah yomam va-laylah). The personified walls are called to weep—as if even inanimate stones should mourn. "Give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease" (al-titeni fugat lakh al-tidom bat-eineikh). The "apple of the eye" (bat-ayin, literally "daughter of the eye") refers to the pupil—the most precious, protected part. The command: don't let your tears cease, don't rest from mourning. This intensity of grief demonstrates appropriate response to covenant breaking and judgment. Superficial remorse isn't enough; deep, sustained repentance is required. Joel 2:12-13 similarly calls for rending hearts, not just garments. The verse shows that genuine grief over sin and its consequences honors God rather than offends Him.