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 ) .