Jeremiah 14 2

Jeremiah 14:2 kjv

Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.

Jeremiah 14:2 nkjv

"Judah mourns, And her gates languish; They mourn for the land, And the cry of Jerusalem has gone up.

Jeremiah 14:2 niv

"Judah mourns, her cities languish; they wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 14:2 esv

"Judah mourns, and her gates languish; her people lament on the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.

Jeremiah 14:2 nlt

"Judah wilts;
commerce at the city gates grinds to a halt.
All the people sit on the ground in mourning,
and a great cry rises from Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 14 verses

Jeremiah 14 2 Meaning

Jeremiah 14:2 graphically portrays the widespread and profound suffering that has engulfed the people of Judah. The nation is depicted in deep sorrow and lamentation, brought to a standstill by a severe crisis, implicitly the drought mentioned in verse 1. Public life and normal societal functions have ceased, symbolized by the "languishing" city gates, and a collective despair pervades the very land. This overwhelming distress, a loud and desperate "cry" from the heart of Jerusalem, ascends as a testament to their dire circumstances, acknowledged by all, including heaven.

Jeremiah 14 2 Context

Jeremiah 14:2 is part of a series of laments and pronouncements concerning a severe drought, introduced explicitly in Jeremiah 14:1 as "the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought." This passage serves as a stark depiction of the national crisis from the people's perspective. Verses 3-6 detail the extent of the drought's impact on all levels of society, from nobles to farmers and animals, illustrating the physical and emotional desolation. This dire situation is interpreted as divine judgment for Judah's persistent sin and apostasy, occurring during a turbulent period (late 7th century BC) when Judah faced political instability, idolatry, and the looming threat of Babylonian invasion. The drought serves as a tangible consequence of their broken covenant with God, contrasting with the false hopes propagated by prophets who denied such impending doom.

Jeremiah 14 2 Word analysis

• Judah (יְהוּדָה - Yehudah): The name of the southern kingdom, implying "praise" or "thanksgiving." The irony here is that instead of praise, Judah is now filled with profound mourning. This term represents the entire people, the political and religious entity, encompassing both its leaders and populace.

• mourns (אֶבְלָה - avelah): Derived from the Hebrew root abal, meaning to mourn, grieve, or lament deeply. It describes an active state of profound sorrow, often expressed publicly through lamentation, fasting, and symbols like sackcloth and ashes (cf. Jer 4:28; Amos 8:8). The verb is in the feminine singular, personifying Judah as a woman grieving.

• And her gates (וּשְׁעָרֶיהָ - u'she'areha): The word sha'ar refers to the city gates, which were the focal points of ancient urban life—centers for judicial proceedings (e.g., Ruth 4:1-11), commerce (e.g., 2 Kgs 7:1), social gatherings, and defense. "Her" refers to Judah/Jerusalem.

• languish (אֻמְלְלֻּוּ - umlelalu): From the root amlal, meaning to droop, wither, fade, or languish. This verb is primarily used for plants that wither from lack of water or severe conditions. Its application to city gates is a powerful personification, visually evoking a state of desolation, inactivity, and the decay of normal societal functions due to the prevailing crisis (the drought). It signifies a complete paralysis of the public sphere.

• They mourn (קָדְרוּ - kadru): From the root qadar, which means to be dark, somber, gloomy, or dirty. Here, it signifies the inhabitants of Judah (or possibly the gates again, by implication) are in a state of deep despondency and have taken on a somber, darkened appearance, reflecting their overwhelming grief. It may also suggest the darkening of their faces from sorrow, heat, or despair, or the lack of cleansing rituals during mourning.

• for the land (לָאָרֶץ - la'aretz): The lamed preposition indicates the cause of their mourning: "for" or "concerning" the land. The land itself, promised by God as a source of blessing and sustenance, has become a source of affliction due to the drought, failing to yield crops and becoming barren (cf. Jer 9:10). This highlights the direct link between their suffering and the devastated physical environment.

• And the cry (וְצִוְחַת - v'tzivchat): From tza'ach, indicating a loud, piercing, desperate shout, shriek, or wail. This is not necessarily a prayer of repentance but an intense, primal outburst of distress, agony, and lamentation (cf. Ex 3:7; 1 Sam 5:12).

• of Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם - Yerushalaim): The capital city, the political, spiritual, and cultural heart of Judah. The cry of Jerusalem symbolizes the amplified and concentrated anguish of the entire nation, centralizing their despair.

• has gone up (עָלְתָה - altah): From the root alah, meaning to ascend, go up, or rise. The cry "going up" implies that it reaches the heavens, either as an appeal to God (though unacknowledged in terms of active deliverance at this stage) or simply as a loud testament to the unparalleled suffering that registers even beyond the earthly realm. It indicates the intensity and pervasiveness of their distress.

• "Judah mourns": This phrase personifies the nation as a singular entity experiencing a deep, collective sorrow, emphasizing the pervasive nature of the lament. It signifies not just individual grief but a national catastrophe.

• "And her gates languish": This metaphorical expression uses the gates, vital symbols of civic life and societal function, to represent the complete shutdown and desolation of Judah. Their "languishing" vividly portrays the cessation of normal activities and vitality within the urban centers, mirroring the wilting vegetation from the drought.

• "They mourn for the land": This segment highlights the direct cause of their widespread lamentation – the severe impact of the drought on the physical land. It underscores the agricultural foundation of their society and the existential threat posed by the desolation of their Promised Land.

• "And the cry of Jerusalem has gone up": This powerful culminating statement intensifies the imagery of despair. The "cry" from the capital signifies a climax of anguish, a desperate and unavoidable wail of suffering that is not merely heard on earth but "ascends" to the heavens, demanding recognition of their dire state.

Jeremiah 14 2 Bonus section

• The passage's vivid, anthropomorphic language (Judah mourns, gates languish) amplifies the profound tragedy, making the nation and its urban centers seem to share in the physical suffering. This literary device is characteristic of prophetic lamentations.
• The "languishing" of the gates draws a direct parallel between the dying landscape due to drought and the cessation of vital human activity. It underscores the interconnectedness of their natural environment and their societal well-being in an agrarian culture.
• The repeated theme of lament and mourning throughout Jeremiah and other prophetic books (like Lamentations, Amos, Joel) signifies a state of deep distress and often serves as a call to repentance or a recognition of divine judgment. However, in Jeremiah, Judah's mourning here is often presented as a reaction to suffering rather than a prompt to genuine change.
• This verse provides a crucial backdrop against which Jeremiah's subsequent prophecies of God's rejection of their lament (e.g., Jer 14:10-12) are understood. Despite the intensity of their cry, God's justice dictates that their sin prevents immediate relief, revealing the gravity of their apostasy.

Jeremiah 14 2 Commentary

Jeremiah 14:2 provides a raw, visceral depiction of Judah's anguish during a devastating drought, serving as God's judgment. The language employs vivid personification: "Judah mourns," reflecting a collective, national lament (not just individual sadness) that saturates every aspect of life. The "gates languish," a profound metaphor indicating the complete cessation of public, commercial, and judicial activities. Gates were the hub of ancient cities; their "languishing" portrays a silent, paralyzed desolation akin to wilting plants, underscoring the severity of the drought's impact. This mourning for "the land" explicitly connects their sorrow to the direct covenant curse of drought (Deut 28), where God withheld rain for disobedience. Finally, "the cry of Jerusalem has gone up" signifies the intense, widespread despair emanating from the nation's capital, a desperate wail rising toward heaven. This isn't necessarily a repentant prayer but a desperate, perhaps accusing, cry of a people overwhelmed by suffering, which, in the broader context of Jeremiah, highlights the disconnect between their pain and their unaddressed sin, despite the Lord's warnings.