Jeremiah 14:1-10

1 The word of the Lord, that was made to Jeremy, of the words of dryness. (The word of the Lord, that was made to Jeremiah, about the drought.)

2 Judah wailed, and the gates thereof fell down (and its cities fell down), and be made dark in [the] earth, and the cry of Jerusalem went up.

3 Greater men sent their less(er) men to (the) water; they came to draw water, and they found no water, (and) they brought again their vessels void; they were shamed and tormented, and they covered their heads,

4 for [the] destroying of the land, for rain came not in the land. (The) Earth-tillers were shamed, (and) they covered their heads.

5 For why and an hind calved in the field, and left her calves, for none herb was (for there was no grass);

6 and wild asses stood in rocks, and drew wind as dragons; their eyes failed, for none herb was. (and the wild donkeys stood on the high rocks, and drew up the wind like jackals; and their eyes failed, for there was no grass.)

7 If our wickednesses answer to us, Lord, do thou for thy name, for our turnings away be many; we have sinned against thee. (Our wickednesses witness against us, Lord, but do thou it for the sake of thy name, even though our turnings away, that is, our sins, be many; yea, we have sinned against thee.)

8 Thou abiding of Israel, the saviour thereof in the time of tribulation, why shalt thou be as a comeling in the land, and as a waygoer bowing [down] to dwell? (O hope of Israel, its Saviour in the time of trouble, why shalt thou be like a newcomer in the land, and like a waygoer bowing down to rest?)

9 why shalt thou be as a man of unstable dwelling, as a strong man that may not save? Forsooth, Lord, thou art in us, and thine holy name is called to help on us; forsake thou not us. (why shalt thou be like a person of unstable dwelling, like a strong man who cannot save? For Lord, thou art in the midst of us, and thy holy name is called on to help us/and we be called by thy name; do not thou abandon us.)

10 The Lord saith these things to this people, that loved to stir his feet, and rested not, and pleased not the Lord; now he shall have mind on the wickednesses of them, and he shall visit the sins of them. (The Lord saith these things to this people, who loved to stir their feet, that is, to go astray, and did not rest, and did not please the Lord; now he shall remember their wickednesses, and he shall punish them for their sins.)

Jeremiah 14:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 14

This chapter contains prophecy of a drought, which produced a famine, Jer 14:1, and is described by the dismal effects of it; and general distress in the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, Jer 14:2, even the nobles were affected with it, whose servants returned without water ashamed, when sent for it, Jer 14:3, the ploughmen could not use their plough, their ground was so hard, Jer 14:4 and the very beasts of the field suffered much, because there was no grass, Jer 14:5,6, upon this follows a prayer of the prophet to the Lord, that he would give rain for his name's sake; he confesses the sins of the people, that they were many, and against the Lord; and testified against them, that they deserved to be used as they were; and he addresses the Lord as the hope and Saviour of his people in time past, when it was a time of trouble with them; and expostulates with him, why he should be as a stranger and traveller, and like a mighty man astonished, that either had no regard to their land any more than a foreigner and a traveller; or no heart to help them, or exert his power, than a man at his wits' end, though he was among them, and they were called by his name; and therefore he begs he would not leave them, Jer 14:7-9, but he is told that it was for the sins of the people that all this was, which the Lord was determined to remember and visit; and therefore he is bid not to pray for them; if he did, it would not be regarded, nor the people's fasting and prayers also; for they should be consumed by the sword, famine, and pestilence, Jer 14:10-12, and though the prophet pleads, in excuse of the people, that the false prophets had deceived them; yet not only the vanity and falsehood of their prophecies are exposed, and they are threatened with destruction, but the people also, for hearkening unto them, Jer 14:13-16, wherefore the prophet, instead of putting up a prayer for them, has a lamentation dictated to him by the Lord, which he is ordered to express, Jer 14:17,18, and yet, notwithstanding this, he goes on to pray for them in a very pathetic manner; he expostulates with God, and pleads for help and healing; confesses the iniquities of the people; entreats the Lord, for the sake of his name, glory, and covenant, that he would not reject them and his petition; and observes, that the thing asked for (rain) was what none of the gods of the Heathens could give, or even the heavens themselves, only the Lord; and therefore determines to wait upon him for it, who made the heavens, the earth, and rain, Jer 14:19-22.