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 |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 28:15, 23 | "But if you will not obey... your heavens over your head shall be bronze..." | Drought as curse for disobedience |
| 1 Kin 17:1 | "there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word." | Prophet announces severe drought (Elijah) |
| Psa 42:1 | "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so my soul pants for you, O God." | Deer seeking water, similar longing/need |
| Isa 5:13 | "Therefore my people go into exile... their thirst by lack of water." | Consequences of sin, leading to thirst |
| Joel 1:16-18 | "Is not food cut off... The seed shrivels... The beasts groan." | Description of devastating famine and animal suffering |
| Jer 3:3 | "Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain." | Divine withholding of rain for sin |
| Jer 12:4 | "How long will the land mourn... for the wickedness of those who dwell in it." | Land suffering due to inhabitants' wickedness |
| Jer 14:1-2 | "Concerning the drought... Judah mourns... They have gone up to the cisterns." | Immediate context of severe drought and scarcity |
| Jer 14:6 | "And the wild donkeys stand on the bare heights... because there is no herbage." | Further animal suffering in Jeremiah 14 |
| Lam 4:3 | "Even jackals offer the breast... But the daughter of my people has become cruel." | Abandonment of children due to famine |
| Ez 14:13 | "If a land sins against me... and I break its supply of bread." | God bringing famine as judgment |
| Hag 1:10-11 | "Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew... upon the land." | Divine curse on land affecting harvest |
| Zech 10:1 | "Ask of the LORD rain... So the LORD will make severe thunderstorms." | Prayer for rain and God's control over it |
| Rev 6:5-6 | "a pair of scales in his hand... a quart of wheat for a denarius." | Famine and scarcity as divine judgment (apocalyptic) |
| Lev 26:19-20 | "And I will break the pride of your power... your land shall not yield its increase." | Covenant curses, barrenness of the land |
| Psa 104:14-15 | "He causes the grass to grow for the livestock... for man." | God's provision of sustenance |
| Psa 106:15 | "He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul." | Consequences of desires over divine will |
| Pro 28:21 | "To show partiality is not good... for a piece of bread a man will transgress." | Desperation leading to moral compromise |
| Isa 41:17 | "The poor and needy search for water... I the LORD will answer them." | God's mercy on the desperate seeking water |
| Zeph 1:2-3 | "I will utterly sweep away everything... even the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea." | Universal judgment, even affecting creation |
| Luke 23:29 | "For behold, the days are coming... blessed are the barren..." | Desperation where not having children is a 'blessing' |
Jeremiah 14 verses
Jeremiah 14 5 Meaning
Jeremiah 14:5 graphically depicts the severity of a drought and famine by illustrating its impact on the natural world, specifically on the female deer (doe). Even this animal, known for its strong maternal instinct, abandons its newborn fawn because there is utterly no grass or sustenance available. This image serves as a powerful metaphor for the extreme desolation and breakdown of natural order brought about by divine judgment.
Jeremiah 14 5 Context
Jeremiah 14 opens with a prophetic lament, described as "the word of the Lord to Jeremiah concerning the drought." This entire chapter is a poignant description of the devastating effects of a severe drought and famine plaguing Judah, framed as a consequence of the people's idolatry and spiritual apostasy. Jeremiah serves as an intercessor, pleading with God on behalf of the suffering nation, but God remains resolute in His judgment. Verse 5 is part of a vivid, emotional description of the widespread suffering that extends beyond humans to the animals, emphasizing the total ecological collapse and the profound disruption of natural order. This period precedes the Babylonian exile, during a time when Judah was deeply steeped in sin, despite the prophets' warnings, leading to divine punishment manifested in natural disasters. Culturally, drought was understood in ancient Israel as a direct indicator of God's favor or disfavor, linking the land's fruitfulness to the people's covenant faithfulness.
Jeremiah 14 5 Word analysis
- For even (כִּי גַּם - ki gam): The initial "For" (כִּי - ki) provides the reason for the lamentable situation, connecting this vivid description to the preceding declaration of drought. The particle "even" (גַּם - gam) functions as an intensifier, emphasizing that the severity of the drought has reached an almost unimaginable level. It highlights an extreme example to underline the dire state.
- the doe (אַיָּלָה - 'ayyalah): A female deer. This creature is often celebrated in biblical and ancient Near Eastern literature for its grace (Gen 49:21), agility, and most notably, its strong maternal instincts (Lam 4:3 mentions women being crueler than jackals). By choosing the doe, the prophet paints a picture of profound, unnatural distress, as the abandonment of offspring is an act contrary to its fundamental nature.
- in the field (בַּשָּׂדֶה - baśśādeh): This specifies the animal's natural habitat – the open land where it would normally find sustenance and raise its young. The mention of the "field" here serves to highlight the utter emptiness and barrenness of what should be a source of life, reinforcing the pervasive nature of the drought.
- forsakes (עָזְבָה - 'azvah): Derived from the verb עזב ('azab), meaning "to leave, abandon, neglect, forsake." This verb powerfully conveys an act of rejection and lack of care. Applied to a doe and her fawn, it's particularly shocking, signaling a complete collapse of essential protective and nurturing behaviors driven by overwhelming despair.
- her newborn fawn (וְתַלְדֵהּ - wəṯaldēh, from תַּלְדָּהּ - taldehah): This phrase emphasizes the extreme vulnerability of the abandoned creature. A "newborn" fawn is completely dependent on its mother for survival. The term underlines that the abandonment is not of an older, less dependent offspring, but of the most helpless, intensifying the tragic image.
- because there is no grass (כִּי אֵין חָצִיר - ki 'ēn ḥāṣîr): This provides the immediate, undeniable cause for the doe's unnatural behavior.
- because (כִּי - ki): Explanatory, offering the reason.
- there is no (אֵין - 'ēn): A negation, signifying complete absence.
- grass (חָצִיר - ḥāṣîr): This refers to the green herbage, the primary food source for grazing animals like deer. Its total absence signifies an extreme level of drought, leading to a desperate struggle for survival where even maternal bonds are broken. It highlights the direct environmental cause of this profound tragedy.
- "the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn": This entire phrase forms the core shocking image of the verse. It reverses the fundamental instinct of maternal protection and nurturing. It's a "bottom line" scenario: when even a creature with such strong innate bonds acts against them, it illustrates an unbearable level of suffering and desperation, affecting the very fabric of nature. This profound disruption serves as a potent sign of severe divine displeasure and judgment.
Jeremiah 14 5 Bonus section
This verse functions as a powerful rhetorical device within Jeremiah's lament and oracle of judgment. By describing the suffering of innocent animals, especially the universally understood maternal agony of a doe, Jeremiah bypasses intellectual arguments and appeals directly to the emotions of his audience. It forces them to confront the severity of their sin by witnessing its impact on the natural order, demonstrating that their unfaithfulness to God has disrupted not just human society, but the very covenant with the land. The universal reach of this judgment emphasizes God's sovereign control over creation and how His responses to human sin impact the entirety of existence.
Jeremiah 14 5 Commentary
Jeremiah 14:5 offers a deeply moving and disturbing picture of environmental catastrophe caused by a devastating drought, serving as a powerful prophetic sign of divine judgment. The imagery of a doe abandoning its newborn, a complete reversal of natural instinct, highlights the sheer desperation gripping the land. This is not just human suffering, but a suffering so pervasive that it breaks the most primal bonds in the animal kingdom. The ultimate cause, "no grass," speaks to an utter lack of basic sustenance, rendering the entire ecosystem barren. It illustrates that when humanity's spiritual drought leads to divine withholding of natural blessings, the consequences cascade through all of creation, revealing a world plunged into profound desolation.