Jeremiah 14:1

1 The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah about the drought.

Jeremiah 14:1 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 14:1

The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the
dearth.
] Or, "concerning the words of straints" ^F24; that is, concerning the businesses of a drought, as the Targum; concerning the Lord's restraining rain from the earth, and forbidding the heavens dropping it down; the consequence of which is a drought, or dryness of the earth; and the effect of that a famine; when this was it is not anywhere said; it could not be the famine at the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, because that only affected the city; this all Judea. Some think it was in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, long before the siege; and others, that it was in the reign of Jehoiakim, since we read of a fast in his time, ( Jeremiah 36:9 ) , which might be on this occasion; and it appears that there was one at this time, though not acceptable to God; see ( Jeremiah 14:12 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 (twrubh yrbd le) "super verbis, cohibitionum", Junius & Tremellius; "retentionum"; Tigurine version; "prohibitionum", Pagninus, Montanus.

Jeremiah 14:1 In-Context

1 The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah about the drought.

2 Judah mourns; its gates fall apart. The people of Judah sit in mourning on the ground. Their cry goes up from Jerusalem.

3 Important people send their assistants out for water. They go to the cisterns, but they don't find any water. They come back with their containers empty. They cover their heads, because they are ashamed and disgraced.

4 The ground is cracked because there has been no rain in the land. The farmers are disappointed. They cover their heads.

5 Even deer in the fields give birth and abandon their young because there's no grass.