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 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 14:2 | Judah mourns, and her gates languish; they sit in mourning on the ground. | Jer 14:2 (Context) |
| Isaiah 24:4-5 | The earth mourns and withers... because they have transgressed the laws. | Isa 24:4-5 (Disobedience) |
| Jeremiah 12:10 | Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard; they have trodden my portion underfoot. | Jer 12:10 (Bad Leaders) |
| Ezekiel 34:2-4 | Woe to the shepherds of Israel... you have not strengthened the weak. | Ezek 34:2-4 (Condemned Shepherds) |
| Jeremiah 8:11 | They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace. | Jer 8:11 (False Peace) |
| Joel 1:10 | The field is devastated; the ground mourns. | Joel 1:10 (Devastation) |
| Psalms 107:34 | He turns a fruitful land into a barren waste... for the wickedness of its inhabitants. | Ps 107:34 (Consequences of Sin) |
| Lamentations 1:4 | Her gates are deserted; her priests groan; her virgins are sad. | Lam 1:4 (Sorrow) |
| Jeremiah 23:1-2 | "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" | Jer 23:1-2 (Judgment on Shepherds) |
| Micah 6:16 | For you have kept the statutes of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and you have walked in their counsels. | Micah 6:16 (Imitating Sinful Kings) |
| 2 Chronicles 16:7 | The eyes of the LORD search to and fro throughout the whole earth. | 2 Chron 16:7 (Divine Oversight) |
| Habakkuk 1:14 | You make man like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler. | Hab 1:14 (Loss of Order) |
| Jeremiah 6:14 | They dress the wound of my people as though it were minor. "Peace, peace!" they say, when there is no peace. | Jer 6:14 (False Healing) |
| Ezekiel 13:10 | Because they have led my people astray, saying, "Peace," when there is no peace. | Ezek 13:10 (Deceitful Prophets) |
| Nahum 3:1-3 | Woe to the bloody city... Woe to the continually lying, rapacious city! | Nahum 3:1-3 (Judgment on Wickedness) |
| 2 Peter 2:1-3 | But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. | 2 Peter 2:1-3 (False Teachers) |
| Proverbs 11:13 | Whoever goes about spreading slander is revealing secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered. | Prov 11:13 (Wisdom in Counsel) |
| Jeremiah 2:8 | The priests did not say, "Where is the LORD?" And the price of leaders held me in contempt. | Jer 2:8 (Loss of Spiritual Leadership) |
| 1 Kings 22:11 | And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, "Thus says the LORD..." | 1 Kings 22:11 (False Prophecy) |
| Galatians 5:19-21 | Now the works of the flesh are evident... such things as these all have the nature of hell. | Gal 5:19-21 (Consequences of Sin) |
| Isaiah 9:16 | Those who guide this people have been making them stray. | Isa 9:16 (Misleading Leaders) |
| Jeremiah 5:30-31 | A wonderful and horrible thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means. | Jer 5:30-31 (Sin in the Land) |
Jeremiah 14 verses
Jeremiah 14 2 Meaning
The land mourns; the pastures of the wilderness are dry, for their people have been wicked and their shepherds have failed to lead them with discernment.
Jeremiah 14 2 Context
Jeremiah 14:2 speaks during a period of severe drought in Judah. The land itself is depicted as suffering, reflecting the spiritual and moral decay of its people and leaders. This chapter follows Judah's persistent disobedience and rejection of God's warnings. The people turn to prayer, seeking relief from the drought, but the prophet Jeremiah is reminded that their plea is not based on repentance, but on a superficial desire for their land to flourish without addressing their wickedness. The context highlights the disconnect between outward expressions of distress and the underlying unrighteousness that has brought divine judgment.
Jeremiah 14 2 Word Analysis
Judah (יְהוּדָה - yehudah): Refers to the kingdom of Judah and its people, the remnant of Israel. The name itself means "praise."
mourns (אָבְלָה - ovlah): Hebrew word meaning to mourn, grieve, or lament, often accompanied by outward signs of sorrow like wearing sackcloth or sitting in dust.
her gates (שְׁעָרֶיהָ - she'areha): Represents the entrances to cities and thus the cities themselves. Desolation of the gates signifies the emptiness and abandonment of the populated centers.
languish (צָמְּתוּ - tsamtsehthuh): A Hebrew word meaning to be silent, speechless, or to become languid and faint, often due to distress or defeat.
sit (יָשְׁבוּ - yash'vu): A common Hebrew verb meaning to sit or dwell. Here it implies a state of helpless inactivity or surrender to despair.
mourning (קְדוֹרַת - kedorah): Indicates wearing dark garments or ashes, a sign of deep mourning and humility.
on the ground (עַל הָאָרֶץ - al ha'aretz): Signifies being cast down, humbled, or defeated, stripped of dignity and facing ruin directly upon the earth.
the pastures (מִרְיֵה - miryeh): Refers to feeding places, grazing lands, but metaphorically here means the fertile plains or the people's source of sustenance and well-being.
wilderness (שִׁימוֹן - shim'mon): Means desolation, dryness, or waste. It directly contrasts with the expectation of fertile pastures.
dry (יָבְשׁוּ - yavshew): Means withered, parched, or dried up, indicating extreme drought and lack of life-giving water.
for their people (כִּי בַעֲוֺנוֹת – ki ba'avonot): Translates to "for because of the iniquities" or "for their transgressions." This phrase directly links the land's suffering to the sinfulness of the people.
have been wicked (רוֹעַ– ro'a): Indicates persistent evil, malice, or doing wrong.
shepherds (רֹעִים – ro'im): Refers to leaders, kings, or religious authorities responsible for guiding and caring for the people.
failed to lead (הָשְׁמִידוּ– hashmedi'u): Means to destroy, to make null and void, or to fail utterly in their duty.
with discernment (בַּבִּינָה– ba'binah): Implies understanding, wisdom, or spiritual insight. The failure to lead with discernment signifies a lack of God-given wisdom in governance and spiritual direction.
Jeremiah 14 2 Bonus Section
The connection between the land's health and the people's spiritual state is a recurring theme in biblical prophecy. Droughts, famines, and other natural disasters are often presented as signs of God's displeasure with sin and covenant disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:23-24). The term "shepherds" for leaders is common in Scripture, signifying their responsibility to feed, protect, and guide the flock (the people). False shepherds, who enrich themselves or lead the people into sin, are consistently condemned. The verse's lamentation is a call to recognize that true prosperity, both material and spiritual, is contingent on faithfulness to God and wise leadership.
Jeremiah 14 2 Commentary
Jeremiah 14:2 paints a vivid picture of ecological disaster mirroring spiritual collapse. The land's desolation—the barren pastures of the wilderness—is not merely an act of nature but a direct consequence of the people's deep-seated wickedness. The leaders, termed "shepherds," are explicitly blamed for their failure. Their inability to lead with discernment signifies a dereliction of duty, leading the flock (the people) astray through corrupt governance and misguided spiritual counsel. This verse underscores a fundamental theological principle in the Old Testament: national suffering is often linked to collective sin, particularly the failings of leadership. The mourning of Judah, evident in the deserted gates and the people prostrate on the ground, is a consequence of both divine judgment and the human failure to uphold righteousness. The dryness of the land serves as a stark metaphor for the spiritual drought resulting from a lack of divine guidance and the perversion of justice.