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Jeremiah 17:8
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, andthat spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

that came to Jeremiah
Jeremiah, known as the "weeping prophet," was called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. His ministry spanned the reigns of several kings, during a tumultuous period leading up to the Babylonian exile. Jeremiah's role was to convey God's messages, often facing opposition and persecution. His prophetic career is marked by personal suffering and a deep emotional connection to the fate of his people, reflecting the heart of God for His wayward children.

concerning the drought:
Droughts were significant events in the ancient Near East, often seen as divine judgment for the people's sins. In the context of Jeremiah's time, a drought would have had severe implications for an agrarian society, affecting food supply, economic stability, and social order. This particular drought is a manifestation of God's displeasure with Judah's idolatry and disobedience. Theologically, droughts are sometimes used in scripture as metaphors for spiritual barrenness, as seen in passages likeAmos 4:7-8. The drought in Jeremiah's prophecy serves as both a literal and symbolic call to repentance, urging the people to return to God for restoration and blessing.

• The verse opens by underscoring divine authorship; what follows is not human opinion but God’s own proclamation.

• Scripture often begins prophetic messages this way (Jeremiah 7:1;Ezekiel 1:3), reminding readers that the Bible carries absolute authority.

• Because “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16), we can receive this warning with confidence, knowing the Lord’s character is righteous and His motives are loving.

• God chooses a specific messenger. Jeremiah, already set apart “before [he] was born” (Jeremiah 1:5), becomes the conduit for heaven’s message.

• This personal reception highlights that revelation is relational: the Creator speaks to people, not merely through impersonal signs (Hebrews 1:1).

• It also reminds us that prophets bear the weight of obedience when delivering hard truths (Jeremiah 20:8-9).

• The subject matter is a literal, devastating drought afflicting Judah, described in vivid detail a few verses later (Jeremiah 14:2-6).

• Drought was a covenant curse for persistent rebellion (Deuteronomy 28:23-24), so its appearance signals divine judgment, not random climate fluctuation.

• Similar judgments had occurred in Elijah’s day (1 Kings 17:1), reinforcing that God sometimes withholds rain to call His people to repentance.

• The verse therefore sets the stage: God is addressing a physical crisis with spiritual roots, urging the nation to turn back before worse follows.

Jeremiah 14:1 announces that the sovereign Lord has a specific, urgent message about a real drought striking Judah. By stressing divine origin, identifying Jeremiah as the appointed messenger, and naming the calamity, the verse frames the entire chapter: judgment is falling, but God is still speaking. Listen, repent, and find mercy while His Word is sounding.

(1)Concerning the dearth.--Literally,on the word or tidings of the drought.This is clearly the opening of a new discourse, which continues toJeremiah 17:18; but as no special calamity of this kind is mentioned in the historical account of Jeremiah's life, its date cannot be fixed with certainty. AsJeremiah 15:15 -implies that he had already suffered scorn or persecution for his prophetic work, we may reasonably assume some period not earlier than the reign of Jehoiakim.