Jeremiah 14:5 kjv
Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.
Jeremiah 14:5 nkjv
Yes, the deer also gave birth in the field, But left because there was no grass.
Jeremiah 14:5 niv
Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass.
Jeremiah 14:5 esv
Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn because there is no grass.
Jeremiah 14:5 nlt
Even the doe abandons her newborn fawn
because there is no grass in the field.
Jeremiah 14 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 14:5 | The doe also in the field travaileth and forsaketh her young, because there is no grass. | Drought and desolation |
| Deut 32:24 | They also shall be forth wasted with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction. | God's judgment |
| Isa 24:4 | The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. | Land's response to sin |
| Isa 35:7 | And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where they lay, shall be green grass with reeds and rushes. | Contrast to drought |
| Jer 8:22 | Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? | National suffering |
| Jer 50:46 | At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations. | Consequences of judgment |
| Amos 4:6-7 | And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. | Divine discipline |
| Joel 1:10 | The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth. | Drought effects |
| Joel 2:22 | Be not afraid, O beast of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the trees bear their fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. | Promise of restoration |
| Hab 3:17-18 | Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock also shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. | Faith amid hardship |
| Zeph 2:15 | This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand. | Ruin and desolation |
| Ps 107:34 | Turned a fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. | Judgment for sin |
| Rev 18:7-8 | How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and anguish give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. | Babylon's downfall |
| Luke 19:42 | Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at the least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. | Jesus weeping over Jerusalem |
| Acts 3:19 | Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. | Call to repentance |
| Gal 6:7 | Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. | Consequences of actions |
| Gen 2:15 | And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. | Initial creation's state |
| Ezek 14:13 | Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by doing trespass, a trespass, and I stretch out mine hand upon it, and break the staff of the bread thereof, and send famine upon it, and cut off man and beast from it: | Divine judgment specifics |
| Lev 26:22 | I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and cut off your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. | Consequences of disobedience |
Jeremiah 14 verses
Jeremiah 14 5 Meaning
Jeremiah 14:5 describes the devastating impact of drought on wild animals, showing their distress as they pant and search in vain for pasture. The verse highlights the helplessness and suffering caused by God's judgment, revealing the land's vulnerability when divine provision is withheld.
Jeremiah 14 5 Context
Jeremiah 14 is set during a severe drought that afflicted Judah. This drought was not merely a natural disaster but was understood by Jeremiah as a consequence of the people's persistent idolatry and sin, despite repeated warnings. The prophet is interceding for the people, but God declares that even fervent prayer cannot avert the coming judgment due to their deep-seated unfaithfulness. This verse is part of a broader oracle describing the widespread suffering across the land as a direct result of God's punitive action. The impact is so severe that even the natural world, represented by the doe and its young, experiences extreme distress and failure.
Jeremiah 14 5 Word analysis
וְגַּם (və-gam): "And also" or "And furthermore." This particle connects this statement to previous declarations of distress, intensifying the pervasive nature of the hardship.
אַיָּלַת (ʾayyalaṯ): "Doe." A female deer. The choice of a doe emphasizes gentleness and maternal instinct, making its suffering more poignant.
בַּשָּׂדֶה (baśśādeh): "in the field." Indicates an open, natural setting, away from human habitation, where the distress of nature is observed.
צִרְעָה (ṣirʿāh): "in travail" or "pangs of childbirth." This term conveys intense agony and a desperate struggle, comparing the land's suffering to the difficult process of birth.
וְעָזְבָה (wə-ʿāzəḇāh): "and she forsakes" or "leaves behind."
יֻנְקָתָהּ (yunnəqāṯāh): "her suckling" or "young one."
כִּי (kī): "because" or "for." Introduces the reason for the doe's abandonment.
אֵין (ʾên): "there is not." A stark statement of absence.
רָבָץ (rāḇāṣ): "pasture" or "grass."
שָׂדֶה (śādeh): "field." Reiterates the setting where sustenance is absent.
doe in travail and forsakes her young: This powerful image personifies the land's suffering. The doe's instinct is to protect its young, but the extremity of the situation forces it to abandon its maternal duty, illustrating the breakdown of natural order under divine judgment. The suffering is so profound that even instinctual love and protection are overcome by desperation for survival.
no pasture: Directly links the distress to the lack of food and water, a consequence of the drought described in the chapter. It shows that the hardship affects all living creatures, not just humans.
Jeremiah 14 5 Bonus section
The imagery of a doe in distress can be linked to the "Shepherdless sheep" metaphor often applied to Israel in the Old Testament (e.g., Numbers 27:17, 1 Kings 22:17, Ezekiel 34:5-6). In this verse, it's not just people who are like sheep without a shepherd (God), but even the wild creatures suffer because the divine caretaker of the earth has, in judgment, withdrawn his providential care over the land due to its sinfulness. The verse powerfully connects the physical condition of the land to the spiritual condition of its inhabitants.
Jeremiah 14 5 Commentary
This verse vividly portrays the consequence of ecological collapse due to prolonged drought, serving as a visible sign of God's displeasure. The distress of the doe, an animal known for its natural grace and maternal care, underscores the severity of the situation. Its abandonment of its young signifies that even fundamental life instincts are challenged by the lack of sustenance, reflecting the widespread devastation and desperation in Judah. This natural suffering mirrors the spiritual barrenness of a people who have turned away from God. The drought, as depicted here, is not just an environmental issue but a theological statement about the consequence of sin and rebellion against the Creator who sustains all life.