Jeremiah 14:1

War and Hunger

1 A message came to me from the Lord. He told me there wouldn't be any rain in the land. He said,

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 A message came to me from the Lord. He told me there wouldn't be any rain in the land. He said,

2 "Judah is filled with sadness. Its cities are wasting away. The people sob over the land. Crying is heard in Jerusalem.

3 The nobles send their servants to get water. They go to the wells. But they do not find any water. They return with empty jars. They are terrified. They do not have any hope. They cover their heads.

4 The ground is dry and cracked. There isn't any rain in the land. The farmers are terrified. They cover their heads.

5 Even the does in the fields desert their newborn fawns. There isn't any grass to eat.