ירמיהו, פרק כ״ב, פסוק י״ח

A harsh prophecy of doom seals the fate of King Jehoiakim of Judah [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. When a king or great leader dies, the event is usually met with loud cries of sorrow and widespread public mourning [מצודת ציון]. However, Jehoiakim's death will be entirely different, marked only by silence and a deep sense of alienation. There will be no traditional eulogies or laments from his relatives, his royal staff, or the general public.

The commentators agree that there are two distinct circles of grief that will be noticeably absent when the king passes. The first circle involves his closest family. His relatives will not weep or call out the standard laments for a fallen brother. The traditional mourning formula also includes a cry for a sister, which raises a question since the king is a man. Some explain that this is simply the standard, fixed chant used by relatives to mourn any family member, whether male or female. Others, however, suggest that this specific cry is directed at Jehoiakim's wife, even though she is not explicitly mentioned [רד״ק].

The second absent circle of mourning involves the king's subjects and servants. His royal staff will not lament him or call him their master, and the broader nation will not mourn their king. They will not weep for his lost majesty, beauty, and power [רש״י, מצודת ציון, רד״ק]. This lack of grief goes beyond the man himself; the people will not shed a single tear for the lost glory of his rule, recognizing that the kingship itself has ended and vanished from the world with his passing [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, מלבי״ם].