141 That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah in regard to the drought : 2 "Judah mourns And her gates languish ; They sit on the ground in mourning , And the cry of Jerusalem has ascended . 3 "Their nobles have sent their servants for water ; They have come to the cisterns and found no water . They have returned with their vessels empty ; They have been put to shame and humiliated , And they cover their heads . 4 "Because the ground is cracked , For there has been no rain on the land ; The farmers have been put to shame , They have covered their heads . 5 "For even the doe in the field has given birth only to abandon her young, Because there is no grass . 6 "The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights ; They pant for air like jackals , Their eyes fail For there is no vegetation .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 14:1-6
Commentary on Jeremiah 14:1-9
(Read Jeremiah 14:1-9)
The people were in tears. But it was rather the cry of their trouble, and of their sin, than of their prayer. Let us be thankful for the mercy of water, that we may not be taught to value it by feeling the want of it. See what dependence husbandmen have upon the Divine providence. They cannot plough nor sow in hope, unless God water their furrows. The case even of the wild beasts was very pitiable. The people are not forward to pray, but the prophet prays for them. Sin is humbly confessed. Our sins not only accuse us, but answer against us. Our best pleas in prayer are those fetched from the glory of God's own name. We should dread God's departure, more than the removal of our creature-comforts. He has given Israel his word to hope in. It becomes us in prayer to show ourselves more concerned for God's glory than for our own comfort. And if we now return to the Lord, he will save us to the glory of his grace.