Jeremiah 14 Study Notes

14:11-12 Once again the prophet was forbidden to pray for the people of Judah (see notes at 7:16-17; 15:1). The Lord would not accept any of the ritual that had no meaning, including a fast, a burnt offering, or a grain offering. Instead, God will finish them off by sword, famine, and plague.

Meshuvah is the most frequent of the nouns that derive from shub (turn, return). Three nouns stress the idea of a turning away from God. Meshuvah, which occurs (4x) with shub, suggests apostasies (Jr 2:19), rebellions (Jr 14:7), infidelity (Hs 14:4), or waywardness (Pr 1:32). It appears as unfaithful, unfaithfulness, or unfaithful deeds (Jr 3:6,22; 5:6). It involves turning away (Jr 8:5) or from (Hs 11:7). Shovav (4x) is being faithless (Jr 3:14) or turning back to sinful desires (Is 57:17). Shovev (3x) connotes faithless (Jr 31:22) or pagan (Mc 2:4). Two other nouns from shuv have the opposite implication. Shuvah is returning to God (Is 30:15), and shiyvah implies restoration to favor (Ps 126:1). One noun from shuv, teshuvah (8x), is neutral. It indicates a physical return (1Sm 7:17), spring as “the turning of the year” (2Sm 11:1), or an answer (Jb 21:34).

14:13-16 The false prophets are blamed for Judah’s resistance to the word of God. More than any other prophet, Jeremiah dealt with false prophets (23:9-22; 28). Though they had been called to be revivalists who turned the people back to God, they instead flattered and promised peace.

14:14 This verse cites four methods the false prophets were using: (1) they were prophesying a lie in the Lord’s name, (2) they were using false visions and (3) worthless divination, and (4) they were speaking the deceit of their own minds.

14:17 Judah is called the virgin daughter of my people because she had been guarded and protected from pagan nations and their gods.

14:18 The word travel means “to go about” as a herdsman, or “to travel about” as a merchant or tradesperson, or even in Syriac, “to go about as a beggar.” The false prophets and priests could practice their illegitimate trade in exile, Jeremiah declared.

14:19-22 Finally, the people admitted that it was their wickedness that had brought this trouble, but in desperation they pleaded for God’s help for three reasons: (1) your name’s sake, (2) your glorious throne, and (3) your covenant. God’s throne was Jerusalem, particularly the temple (2Kg 19:15; Ps 99:1).

14:22 Jeremiah returned to the rain theme that began in 14:3. The astral deities could not bring rain; the only hope for relief from the drought was action from the Lord.