Jeremiah 14:22 kjv
Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things.
Jeremiah 14:22 nkjv
Are there any among the idols of the nations that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are You not He, O LORD our God? Therefore we will wait for You, Since You have made all these.
Jeremiah 14:22 niv
Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, LORD our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.
Jeremiah 14:22 esv
Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are you not he, O LORD our God? We set our hope on you, for you do all these things.
Jeremiah 14:22 nlt
Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain?
Does it fall from the sky by itself?
No, you are the one, O LORD our God!
Only you can do such things.
So we will wait for you to help us.
Jeremiah 14 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 45:5 | "I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides me there is no God..." | God's exclusive deity |
| Deut 4:35 | "To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him." | Uniqueness of Yahweh |
| Zech 10:1-2 | "Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime... the idols speak delusion..." | God controls rain; idols are false |
| Jer 5:24 | "...fear the LORD our God, who gives the rain in its season..." | Yahweh provides rain |
| Jer 10:13 | "When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar... He made the earth..." | God's power over rain & creation |
| Ps 115:3-7 | "Our God is in the heavens... Their idols are silver and gold... they have mouths, but do not speak..." | Impotence of idols |
| Isa 44:9-10 | "All who fashion idols are nothing... and their choicest things do not profit." | Nothingness of idol makers & their idols |
| Job 5:10 | "He gives rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields." | God's providential control over rain |
| Ps 147:8 | "He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth..." | God initiates rain |
| Gen 1:1 | "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." | God as ultimate Creator |
| Neh 9:6 | "You are the LORD, you alone... You made the heavens... and all their host." | God's sole creation power |
| Col 1:16-17 | "For by him all things were created... all things were created through him..." | Christ's role in creation |
| Heb 1:2-3 | "...through whom also he created the world..." | God creating through His Son |
| Ps 62:5 | "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him." | Hope anchored in God |
| Ps 130:5 | "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope." | Waiting and hoping in God's word |
| Rom 5:5 | "And hope does not put us to shame..." | Christian hope in God |
| Gal 4:8 | "Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods." | Serving false gods as slavery |
| 1 Cor 8:4-6 | "...an idol has no real existence... there is one God, the Father..." | Idols are nothing; one true God |
| Deut 11:13-17 | Promises of rain for obedience and drought for disobedience. | God's control of rain for covenant |
| Acts 14:15-17 | "...turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the heaven... and gave you rains..." | God's provision in nature; rejection of idols |
| 1 Ki 17:1 | "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word." | Elijah's proclamation of God's rain control |
Jeremiah 14 verses
Jeremiah 14 22 Meaning
Jeremiah 14:22 presents Judah's climactic confession of faith amidst a severe drought, acknowledging the futility of idols and the exclusive sovereignty of the Lord God over creation, especially the critical life-giving rain. It declares that only Yahweh, as the sole Creator, holds ultimate power and therefore deserves their unwavering hope and trust.
Jeremiah 14 22 Context
Jeremiah chapter 14 describes a severe drought plaguing Judah, a divine judgment for their pervasive sin and idolatry. The land is parched, crops fail, and even animals suffer. Amidst this catastrophe, Jeremiah laments deeply, interceding for the people while also proclaiming God's judgment. The people confess their wrongdoing and acknowledge their backsliding (v. 20-21). Verse 22 culminates this lament and confession with a direct theological assertion of Yahweh's exclusive power and their subsequent hope in Him. This declaration functions as a powerful polemic against the Canaanite worship of Baal, the storm god, whom many in Judah had turned to for fertility and rain.
Jeremiah 14 22 Word analysis
- Are there any among the false gods (`אליל - ʾelîl`) of the nations (`גוים - goyim`) `ʾelîl`: Often translated as "idols" or "false gods." The word signifies "worthless," "impotent," "non-existent." It's a derogatory term, indicating these entities have no reality or power. `goyim`: Refers to the Gentile nations surrounding Israel, many of whom worshipped nature deities like Baal. Significance: This challenges the core pagan belief that deities controlled specific natural phenomena, asserting their utter lack of power, especially over rain.
- that can bring rain (`גשם - geshem`)? `geshem`: Refers to "heavy rain" or "showers." Rain was crucial for life and agriculture in an agrarian society like ancient Judah. Significance: Directly targets the domain of Baal, the Canaanite storm and fertility god. The rhetorical question emphatically declares Baal's inability to provide what the people desperately need.
- Or can the heavens (`שמים - shamayim`) by themselves give showers? `shamayim`: "Heavens" or "sky." This probes a naturalistic or impersonal understanding of rain, or even the deification of celestial bodies. Significance: It refutes both overt paganism (false gods) and any impersonal or deistic view where nature operates autonomously. The ultimate power resides beyond the created order itself.
- Are not you, O Lord (`יהוה - Yahweh`) our God (`אלהינו - ʾelōhênû`), the only one? `Yahweh`: The personal, covenant name of God revealed to Israel. It denotes His self-existent, faithful nature. `ʾelōhênû`: "Our God." Emphasizes Israel's covenant relationship and possession of Yahweh as their distinct deity, standing in contrast to the `goyim`. Significance: This is a direct, emphatic affirmation of monotheism and Yahweh's exclusive identity and sovereignty. The rhetorical "Are not you...?" (Hebrew `Hăloʾ ʾattāh`) expects a strong affirmative answer: "Yes, You alone are!"
- We hope (`נקוה - neqawweh`) in you, `neqawweh`: From `קָוָה (qāwāh)`, meaning "to wait," "to look eagerly," "to expect," "to hope." It conveys a patient, trusting dependence, often amidst difficulty. Significance: This is a pivot from rhetorical questions to a profound confession of active trust and reliance. It signifies a return to faith after previous backsliding.
- for you are the one who made (`עשית - ʿāśîtā`) all these things. `ʿāśîtā`: From `עשה (ʿāśāh)`, "to make," "to create," "to fashion." It directly attributes creation to Yahweh. Significance: Links God's unique control over natural phenomena (like rain) to His exclusive role as Creator. What He created, He sustains and governs, affirming His ultimate authority and power.
- "false gods of the nations... bring rain? Or can the heavens by themselves give showers?" This sequence powerfully rejects two common errors: idolatry (assigning power to false deities) and naturalism (believing nature operates without divine agency). It asserts that neither idols nor an impersonal cosmos can provide.
- "Are not you, O Lord our God, the only one?" This is the crucial monotheistic affirmation, declaring Yahweh's unparalleled existence and exclusive authority. It highlights the uniqueness of Israel's God in a polytheistic world.
- "We hope in you, for you are the one who made all these things." This final clause marries faith, dependence, and the doctrine of creation. It demonstrates a foundational understanding that true hope rests in the Creator alone, as He holds all power over His creation.
Jeremiah 14 22 Bonus section
This verse embodies a powerful polemic against the Canaanite pantheon, particularly Baal, whose cult was widespread and influential in Judah. The Israelites' repeated inclination towards Baal worship, specifically for agricultural fertility and rain, made this drought a potent object lesson. God's withholding of rain, Baal's supposed domain, exposed the idols' utter powerlessness. The confession in Jeremiah 14:22 therefore signifies a profound moment of spiritual clarity for the people, recognizing the covenant God Yahweh as the only true source of life and provision, compelling them to shift their hope from vain gods to the living Creator. It underscores that repentance includes not just turning from sin, but turning to the true God in faith and exclusive worship.
Jeremiah 14 22 Commentary
Jeremiah 14:22 represents a crucial theological confession from Judah in a time of extreme distress. It dismantles the two primary illusions that compete with true faith: the power of false gods and the autonomy of natural forces. By first discrediting impotent idols (like Baal, believed to control rain) and then ruling out a purely naturalistic explanation for showers, the people definitively declare Yahweh's unique and sole control over the cosmos. Their ensuing declaration, "Are not you, O Lord our God, the only one? We hope in you, for you are the one who made all these things," encapsulates a rediscovery of essential monotheistic truth. Their hope is logically anchored in His creative power; only the One who created all things can truly sustain and provide. This confession, though emerging from despair, points to a true and proper re-orientation towards God's sovereignty.