Faced with overwhelming disaster and ruin, a deep cry of despair rings out, completely rejecting any attempt at consolation. The primary approach among commentators is that this is the voice of the prophet, addressing those around him who are trying to offer comfort [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, שד״ל]. However, an alternative perspective views these words as the voice of God speaking directly to the ministering angels [רש״י, חומת אנך].
Regardless of the speaker, the message is a firm plea to be left alone. The speaker asks the comforters to turn away and stop their efforts [רש״י, מצודות, רד״ק, אבן עזרא, שטיינזלץ], explicitly demanding that they not press or urge him to accept any comfort [מצודות, רד״ק, שד״ל, שטיינזלץ]. Repeating these requests in different ways is a classic style of lamentation [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. It highlights that the ruin, oppression, and destruction brought upon the people of Israel are simply too vast to allow for any consolation [מצודות, רד״ק, שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם].
The speaker declares an intention to weep bitterly, an act that carries different layers of meaning. Some explain that the speaker is embittering his own soul [רד״ק, שד״ל]. While crying usually calms emotional turmoil and brings a sense of relief, the sheer magnitude of this defeat means the tears only add to the bitterness and pain [מלבי״ם]. Others suggest that the intensity of the weeping is meant to embitter the hearts of those who hear it [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד].
Beyond the immediate grief, this intense mourning serves a deeper purpose. If the prophet is the one weeping, it may be a deliberate warning. He knows the actual destruction is not happening immediately, but he acts as a mourner to shock his people. Seeing them abandon their defense in despair and adopt a fatalistic attitude of eating and drinking before they die, he uses his bitter lament to show them exactly what disaster their laziness and lack of trust in God will ultimately bring [שד״ל]. On the other hand, if it is God who is speaking to the angels, the divine weeping actually serves to save. The act of mourning awakens divine mercy, ensuring that even if Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed, a remnant of the people of Israel will survive [חומת אנך].