7 O LORD, H3068 though our iniquities H5771 testify H6030 against us, do H6213 thou it for thy name's H8034 sake: for our backslidings H4878 are many; H7231 we have sinned H2398 against thee.
We acknowledge, H3045 O LORD, H3068 our wickedness, H7562 and the iniquity H5771 of our fathers: H1 for we have sinned H2398 against thee. Do not abhor H5006 us, for thy name's H8034 sake, do not disgrace H5034 the throne H3678 of thy glory: H3519 remember, H2142 break H6565 not thy covenant H1285 with us.
We have sinned, H2398 and have committed iniquity, H5753 and have done wickedly, H7561 and have rebelled, H4775 even by departing H5493 from thy precepts H4687 and from thy judgments: H4941 Neither have we hearkened H8085 unto thy servants H5650 the prophets, H5030 which spake H1696 in thy name H8034 to our kings, H4428 our princes, H8269 and our fathers, H1 and to all the people H5971 of the land. H776 O Lord, H136 righteousness H6666 belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion H1322 of faces, H6440 as at this day; H3117 to the men H376 of Judah, H3063 and to the inhabitants H3427 of Jerusalem, H3389 and unto all Israel, H3478 that are near, H7138 and that are far off, H7350 through all the countries H776 whither thou hast driven H5080 them, because of their trespass H4604 that they have trespassed H4603 against thee. O Lord, H136 to us belongeth confusion H1322 of face, H6440 to our kings, H4428 to our princes, H8269 and to our fathers, H1 because we have sinned H2398 against thee. To the Lord H136 our God H430 belong mercies H7356 and forgivenesses, H5547 though we have rebelled H4775 against him; Neither have we obeyed H8085 the voice H6963 of the LORD H3068 our God, H430 to walk H3212 in his laws, H8451 which he set H5414 before H6440 us by H3027 his servants H5650 the prophets. H5030 Yea, all Israel H3478 have transgressed H5674 thy law, H8451 even by departing, H5493 that they might not obey H8085 thy voice; H6963 therefore the curse H423 is poured H5413 upon us, and the oath H7621 that is written H3789 in the law H8451 of Moses H4872 the servant H5650 of God, H430 because we have sinned H2398 against him. And he hath confirmed H6965 his words, H1697 which he spake H1696 against us, and against our judges H8199 that judged H8199 us, by bringing H935 upon us a great H1419 evil: H7451 for under the whole heaven H8064 hath not been done H6213 as hath been done H6213 upon Jerusalem. H3389 As it is written H3789 in the law H8451 of Moses, H4872 all this evil H7451 is come H935 upon us: yet made we not our prayer H2470 before H6440 the LORD H3068 our God, H430 that we might turn H7725 from our iniquities, H5771 and understand H7919 thy truth. H571 Therefore hath the LORD H3068 watched H8245 upon the evil, H7451 and brought H935 it upon us: for the LORD H3068 our God H430 is righteous H6662 in all his works H4639 which he doeth: H6213 for we obeyed H8085 not his voice. H6963 And now, O Lord H136 our God, H430 that hast brought H3318 thy people H5971 forth H3318 out of the land H776 of Egypt H4714 with a mighty H2389 hand, H3027 and hast gotten H6213 thee renown, H8034 as at this day; H3117 we have sinned, H2398 we have done wickedly. H7561 O Lord, H136 according to all thy righteousness, H6666 I beseech thee, let thine anger H639 and thy fury H2534 be turned away H7725 from thy city H5892 Jerusalem, H3389 thy holy H6944 mountain: H2022 because for our sins, H2399 and for the iniquities H5771 of our fathers, H1 Jerusalem H3389 and thy people H5971 are become a reproach H2781 to all that are about H5439 us.
O my God, H430 incline H5186 thine ear, H241 and hear; H8085 open H6491 thine eyes, H5869 and behold H7200 our desolations, H8074 and the city H5892 which is called H7121 by thy name: H8034 for we do not present H5307 our supplications H8469 before H6440 thee for our righteousnesses, H6666 but for thy great H7227 mercies. H7356 O Lord, H136 hear; H8085 O Lord, H136 forgive; H5545 O Lord, H136 hearken H7181 and do; H6213 defer H309 not, H408 for thine own sake, O my God: H430 for thy city H5892 and thy people H5971 are called H7121 by thy name. H8034
Howbeit thou art just H6662 in all that is brought H935 upon us; for thou hast done H6213 right, H571 but we have done wickedly: H7561 Neither have our kings, H4428 our princes, H8269 our priests, H3548 nor our fathers, H1 kept H6213 thy law, H8451 nor hearkened H7181 unto thy commandments H4687 and thy testimonies, H5715 wherewith thou didst testify H5749 against them.
And said, H559 O my God, H430 I am ashamed H954 and blush H3637 to lift up H7311 my face H6440 to thee, my God: H430 for our iniquities H5771 are increased H7235 over H4605 our head, H7218 and our trespass H819 is grown up H1431 unto the heavens. H8064 Since the days H3117 of our fathers H1 have we been in a great H1419 trespass H819 unto this day; H3117 and for our iniquities H5771 have we, our kings, H4428 and our priests, H3548 been delivered H5414 into the hand H3027 of the kings H4428 of the lands, H776 to the sword, H2719 to captivity, H7628 and to a spoil, H961 and to confusion H1322 of face, H6440 as it is this day. H3117
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Jeremiah 14
Commentary on Jeremiah 14 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
The Word Concerning the Droughts - Jeremiah 14-17
The distress arising from a lengthened drought (Jeremiah 14:2-6) gives the prophet occasion for urgent prayer on behalf of his people (Jeremiah 14:7-9 and Jeremiah 14:19-22); but the Lord rejects all intercession, and gives the people notice, for their apostasy from Him, of their coming destruction by sword, famine, and pestilence (Jeremiah 14:10-18 and Jeremiah 15:1-9). Next, the prophet complains of the persecution he has to endure, and is corrected by the Lord and comforted (Jeremiah 15:10-21). Then he has his course of conduct for the future prescribed to him, since Judah is, for its sins, to be cast forth into banishment, but is again to be restored (16:1-17:4). And the discourse concludes with general considerations upon the roots of the mischief, together with prayers for the prophet's safety, and statements as to the way by which judgment may be turned aside.
This prophetic word, though it had its origin in a special period of distress, does not contain any single discourse such as may have been delivered by Jeremiah before the people upon occasion of this calamity, but is, like the former sections, a summary of addresses and utterances concerning the corruption of the people, and the bitter experiences to which his office exposes the prophet. For these matters the special event above mentioned serves as a starting-point, inasmuch as the deep moral degradation of Judah, which must draw after it yet sorer judgments, is displayed in the relation assumed by the people to the judgment sent on them at that time. - The favourite attempts of recent commentators to dissect the passage into single portions, and to assign these to special points of time and to refer them to particular historical occurrences, have proved an entire failure, as Graf himself admits. The whole discourse moves in the same region of thought and adheres to the same aspect of affairs as the preceding ones, without suggesting special historical relations. And there is an advance made in the prophetic declaration, only in so far as here the whole substance of the discourse culminates in the thought that, because of Judah's being hardened in sin, the judgment of rejection can no in no way be turned aside, not even by the intercession of those whose prayers would have the greatest weight.
The Uselessness of Prayer on behalf of the People. - The title in Jeremiah 14:1 specifies the occasion for the following discourse: What came a word of Jahveh to Jeremiah concerning the drought. - Besides here, אשׁר היה is made to precede the דבר יהוה in Jeremiah 46:1; Jeremiah 47:1; Jeremiah 49:34; and so, by a kind of attraction, the prophecy which follows receivers an outward connection with that which precedes. Concerning the matters of the droughts. בּצּרות , plur. of בּצּרה , Psalms 9:10; Psalms 10:1, might mean harassments, troubles in general. But the description of a great drought, with which the prophecy begins, taken along with Jeremiah 17:8, where בּצּרת occurs, meaning drought, lit., cutting off, restraint of rain, shows that the plural here is to be referred to the sing. בּצּרת (cf. עשׁתּרות from עשׁתּרת ), and that it means the withholding of rain or drought (as freq. in Chald.). We must note the plur., which is not to be taken as intensive of a great drought, but points to repeated droughts. Withdrawal of rain was threatened as a judgment against the despisers of God's word (Leviticus 26:19.; Deuteronomy 11:17; Deuteronomy 28:23); and this chastisement has at various times been inflicted on the sinful people; cf. Jeremiah 3:3; Jeremiah 12:4; Jeremiah 23:10; Haggai 1:10. As the occasion of the present prophecy, we have therefore to regard not a single great drought, but a succession of droughts. Hence we cannot fix the time at which the discourse was composed, since we have no historical notices as to the particular times at which God was then punishing His people by withdrawing the rain.
Description of the distress arising from the drought. - Jeremiah 14:2. Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish, like mourning on the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goeth up. Jeremiah 14:3. Their nobles send their mean ones for water: they come to the wells, find no water, return with empty pitchers, are ashamed and confounded and cover their head. Jeremiah 14:4. For the ground, which is confounded, because no rain is fallen upon the earth, the husbandmen are ashamed, cover their head. Jeremiah 14:5. Yea, the hind also in the field, she beareth and forsaketh it, because there is no grass. Jeremiah 14:6. And the wild asses stand on the bare-topped heights, gasp for air like the jackals; their eyes fail because there is no herb."