Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:
Both important people and ordinary people will die in this land. They won't be buried, and no one will mourn for them or cut themselves or shave their heads as signs of grief.
God is warning that a devastating judgment is coming where so many people will die that normal burial and mourning customs won't even be possible.
📚 Historical Context
Jeremiah was a prophet in Judah during the 7th-6th century BC, warning the people of God's impending judgment for their widespread idolatry and rebellion against His covenant. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, including Israel, mourning practices like burial, lamentation, self-cutting, and shaving the head were standard ways to honor the dead and express grief. This verse illustrates the severity of the prophesied disaster, where even these customary rituals would be absent, symbolizing total desolation and divine punishment.
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