Yet hear the word of the Lord, O ye 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 Jer 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 ,"what is lamentation? when one speaks, and all the rest answer after her, as it is written in Jer 9:20.'' Misn.
Moed Katon, c. 3. sect.