Jeremiah 14:1

Drought and a Prayer for Mercy

1 That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah in regard to the ¹drought:

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 That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah in regard to the drought:

2 "Judah mourns And her gates languish; They sit on the ground in mourning, And the cry of Jerusalem has ascended.

3 "Their nobles have sent their servants for water; They have come to the cisterns and found no water. They have returned with their vessels empty; They have been put to shame and humiliated, And they cover their heads.

4 "Because the ground is cracked, For there has been no rain on the land; The farmers have been put to shame, They have covered their heads.

5 "For even the doe in the field has given birth only to abandon her young, Because there is no grass.

Cross References

• 1. Jeremiah 17:8