Jeremiah 14:1-2

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 14:1-9

The first verse is the title of the whole chapter: it does indeed all concern the dearth, but much of it consists of the prophet's prayers concerning it; yet these are not unfitly said to be, The word of the Lord which came to him concerning it, for every acceptable prayer is that which God puts into our hearts; nothing is our word that comes to him but what is first his word that comes from him. In these verses we have, I. The language of nature lamenting the calamity. When the heavens were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 14:1

The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth. Or, "concerning the words of straints" F24 על דברי הבצרות "super verbis, cohibitionum", Junius & Tremellius; "retentionum"; Tigurine version; "prohibitionum", Pagninus, Montanus. ; 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 14:2

Judah mourneth ,.... That is, the inhabitants of Judah; those of the house of Judah, as the Targum; these mourned because of the drought and famine that were upon the land: and the gates thereof languish ; the cities of Judah, as the Targum; the inhabitants of them, which used to be supplied from the field, and out of the country; gates may be mentioned, because through the gates the provisions were brought into the city; but now none; and therefore are said to languish; or else those... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 14:1

The word - that came - concerning the dearth - This discourse is supposed to have been delivered, after the fourth year of Jehoiakim. Concerning the dearth. We have no historic record of any dearth that may fall in with the time of this prophecy, and perhaps it does not refer to any particular dearth: but this was a calamity to which Judea was very liable. They had ordinarily very dry summers, for scarcely any rain fell from April to the middle of October; and during much of this time, the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 14:2

The gates thereof languish - The gates being the places of public resort, they are put here for the people. They are black unto the ground - Covered from head to foot with a black garment, the emblem of sorrow and calamity. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 14:1

Verse 1 Though the Prophet does not distinctly express that what had not yet happened was divinely revealed to him, yet it may be easily gathered that it was a prophecy with reference to what was future. Of this sterility nothing is recorded in sacred history: there is, however, no doubt but God had in an unusual manner afflicted the Jews, as previously in the days of Ahab. As then a drought was near at hand which would cause great scarcity, his purpose was to forewarn the Jews of it before the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 14:2

Verse 2 The Prophet intimates in these words, that so great would be the scarcity as to appear to be a manifest and remarkable evidence of God’s vengeance; for when God punishes us in a common way, we for the most part refer the event to some fortuitous circumstances, and the devil also ever retains our minds in the consideration of secondary causes. Hence the Prophet declares here that an event so unusual could not be ascribed to natural causes, as that the earth should become so sterile, but... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 14:1

The dearth ; rather, the drought , or, more literally, the droughts, the plural being used to indicate the length of time the drought lasted. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 14:1-6

A plague of drought. I. A PLAGUE OF DROUGHT IS AN INSTANCE OF A NATURAL CALAMITY OCCASIONING GREAT DISTRESS . Jeremiah gives a vivid picture of the trouble such a plague causes. Men of all classes, from the noble to the ploughman, suffer under it; the animal world is driven from its natural instincts; universal desolation and agony prevail. Yet this is all natural . It is not the result of war nor of any human interference; it is a natural calamity. Nature is... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 14:1-6

The miseries produced by lack of water. I. THE BITTER CONSCIOUSNESS THAT AN IMPERATIVE NEED CANNOT BE SATISFIED . Well might there be mourning, languishing, and crying. When we are speaking of need, one of the first questions to be asked is whether the need is natural or artificial. An artificial need, by continued self-indulgence, may come to be very keenly felt; and yet, when circumstances arise which prevent the satisfying of the need, the artificiality of it is... read more

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