Jeremiah 14:1

CHAPTER XIV

This chapter begins with foretelling a drought that should

greatly distress the land of Judea, the effects of which are

described in a most pathetic manner, 1-6.

The prophet then, in the people's name, makes a confession of

sins, and supplication for pardon, 7-9.

But God declares his purpose to punish, forbidding Jeremiah to

pray for the people, 10-12.

False prophets are then complained of, and threatened with

destruction, as are also those who attend to them, 13-16.

The prophet, therefore, bewails their misery, 17, 18;

and though he had just now been forbidden to intercede for

them, yet, like a tender pastor, who could not cease to be

concerned for their welfare, he falls on the happy expedient of

introducing themselves as supplicating in their own name that

mercy which he was not allowed to ask in his, 19-22.

NOTES ON CHAP. XIV

Verse 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 rivers were generally either very low or entirely dry. They kept the rain of the winter in tanks and reservoirs; and if little fell in winter, a dearth was unavoidable. See an account of a dearth in the time of Elijah, 1 Kings 18:5, through which almost all the cattle were lost.