Focused Passage

Jeremiah 14:1-6

Drought, False Peace, and the Plea of a Guilty People

The chapter moves from drought lament over Judah's land, people, nobles, farmers, and animals, to Jeremiah's intercessory confession, to the LORD's rejection of the people's wandering love, to the command not to pray for their welfare, to the exposure and judgment of false prophets, and finally to Jeremiah's sorrowful plea that the LORD would remember his covenant and not utterly forsake his people.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:

2 “Judah mourns and her gates languish. Her people wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.

3 The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads.

4 The ground is cracked because no rain has fallen on the land. The farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads.

5 Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass.

6 Wild donkeys stand on barren heights; they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail for lack of pasture.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

[This is] the word דְבַר־ H1697 Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular that אֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Pronoun - relative came הָיָ֤ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to אֶֽל־ H413 Preposition Jeremiah יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ H3414 Noun - proper - masculine singular concerning עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . דִּבְרֵ֖י H1697 Noun - masculine plural construct the drought הַבַּצָּרֽוֹת׃ H1226 Article | Noun - feminine plural
Verse 2

Original words

Judah יְהוּדָ֔ה H3063 Noun - proper - masculine singular mourns אָבְלָ֣ה H56 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular and her gates וּשְׁעָרֶ֥יהָ H8179 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular languish אֻמְלְל֖וּ H535 Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person common plural [Her people] wail קָדְר֣וּ H6937 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural for the land לָאָ֑רֶץ H776 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular and a cry וְצִוְחַ֥ת H6682 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct goes up עָלָֽתָה׃ H5927 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular from Jerusalem יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם H3389 Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 3

Original words

The nobles וְאַדִּ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם H117 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural send שָׁלְח֥וּ H7971 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural their servants צְעוֹרֵיהֶם H6810 Adjective - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural for water לַמָּ֑יִם H4325 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural they go בָּ֣אוּ H935 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural to עַל־ H5921 Preposition the cisterns גֵּבִ֞ים H1356 Noun - masculine plural but find מָ֣צְאוּ H4672 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural no לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle water מַ֗יִם H4325 Noun - masculine plural their jars כְלֵיהֶם֙ H3627 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural return שָׁ֤בוּ H7725 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural empty רֵיקָ֔ם H7387 Adverb They are ashamed בֹּ֥שׁוּ H954 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural and humiliated וְהָכְלְמ֖וּ H3637 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural they cover וְחָפ֥וּ H2645 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural their heads רֹאשָֽׁם׃ H7218 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 4

Original words

- בַּעֲב֤וּר H5668 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular The ground הָאֲדָמָה֙ H127 Article | Noun - feminine singular is cracked חַ֔תָּה H2865 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular because כִּ֛י H3588 Conjunction no לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle . . . הָיָ֥ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular rain גֶ֖שֶׁם H1653 Noun - masculine singular has fallen on the land בָּאָ֑רֶץ H776 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular The farmers אִכָּרִ֖ים H406 Noun - masculine plural are ashamed בֹּ֥שׁוּ H954 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural they cover חָפ֥וּ H2645 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural their heads רֹאשָֽׁם׃ H7218 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 5

Original words

Even כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction . . . גַם־ H1571 Conjunction the doe אַיֶּ֙לֶת֙ H355 Noun - feminine singular in the field בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה H7704 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular deserts וְעָז֑וֹב H5800 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute her newborn fawn יָלְדָ֖ה H3205 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular because כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction there is הָיָ֖ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular no לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle grass דֶּֽשֶׁא׃ H1877 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 6

Original words

Wild donkeys וּפְרָאִים֙ H6501 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural stand עָמְד֣וּ H5975 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural on עַל־ H5921 Preposition barren heights שְׁפָיִ֔ם H8205 Noun - masculine plural they pant שָׁאֲפ֥וּ H7602 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural for air ר֖וּחַ H7307 Noun - common singular like jackals כַּתַּנִּ֑ים H8577 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - common plural their eyes עֵינֵיהֶ֖ם H5869 Noun - cdc | third person masculine plural fail כָּל֥וּ H3615 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural for כִּי־ H3588 Conjunction lack אֵ֥ין H369 Adverb of pasture עֵֽשֶׂב׃ H6212 Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Or serpents or dragons

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.