John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 14:2-3

"Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish, they sit in black upon the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up. And their nobles send their little ones to the waters: they come to the cisterns, and find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are put to shame and confounded, and cover their heads." — Jeremiah 14:2-3 (ASV)

The Prophet suggests in these words that the scarcity would be so great as to appear to be a manifest and remarkable evidence of God’s vengeance. For when God punishes us in a common way, we generally refer the event to some fortuitous circumstances, and the devil also always keeps our minds focused on secondary causes. Therefore, the Prophet declares here that such an unusual event—the earth becoming so sterile—could not be ascribed to natural causes, but that it was the extraordinary judgment of God.

This is the reason why he employs so many figurative expressions. He could indeed have said, in one sentence, that there would be a most grievous famine in the land; but hardly one in a hundred would have been moved by words so simply expressed. Therefore, the Prophet, in order to arouse their stupor, uses the most forceful terms.

Thus he says, Mourned has Judah. Though he speaks of what was future, yet, according to his own usual manner and that of others, he uses the past tense to show the certainty of what he said. He then declares that there would be mourning in Judah. He afterwards says, His gates have been weakened, or scattered.

In mentioning gates, he takes a part for the whole, for he means the cities. But as judgments were usually administered at the gates, and as men often assembled there, he says that the gates would be reduced to solitude, so that hardly anyone would appear there.

Thirdly, he adds, They have become darkened to the ground, or, in plainer words, they became overwhelmed with grief. But the proper meaning of the word is to become darkened. And he says, to the ground, as though he meant that they would be so cast down as to be in the dust, and would not dare to raise up their heads, nor would be able to do so, being worn down by want and famine.

We therefore see what he means: the scarcity would be so great that men would lie on the ground and, in a way, seek darkness for themselves. This is similar to our own experience when we, as it were, flee from the light and lie on the ground, for we then show that we cannot enjoy the light, as it is disagreeable to us.

And thus we see more clearly what I have stated: that the Prophet uses very strong terms to make an impression on the Jews, so that they might know that the earth was so sterile, not through any natural or common cause, but through the judgment of God.

He afterwards adds, The cry of Jerusalem has ascended. Here he portrays their despair. For in doubtful matters we are accustomed to deliberate and to devise remedies; but when we are destitute of any counsel or advice, and when no hope appears, we then break out into crying.

We therefore see that it was an evidence of despair when the cry of Jerusalem ascended; for they would not be able to complain and to unburden their cares and griefs by sharing them with one another, but all of them would cry and howl.

It is then added, Their chiefs will send the common people to the waters. The Prophet’s object was again to point out something extraordinary: that the great, possessing authority, would constrain and compel the common people to draw water. They have sent them, he says, that is, by authority; those who could command others sent them to the waters.

They came, he says, to the cisterns. By the word גבים gabim, he means deep ditches or pits, though some render it cisterns. Regarding the subject at hand, this distinction does not matter, for the Prophet no doubt meant that they would come to the deepest wells or pits, as is usually done in a great drought.

Many springs often become dry, and pits also, situated in high places; but in valleys some water remains, and there it may be found. There are also some wells always full of water, where its abundance never fails. It was therefore the Prophet’s design to refer to such wells.

They came, he says, to the wells, where they thought they could find a sufficient supply; but he adds, They found no waters; they returned with their empty vessels.

We now perceive what I have said: that the Prophet here reproves the Jews for their stupidity in not understanding that God was angry with them when the order of nature, which ought always to continue the same, thus failed.

Droughts indeed often happen when there is no water in most places. But when no well supplies any water, when not a drop of water is to be found in the most favorable places, then indeed it ought to be concluded that God’s curse is on the people, who find nothing to drink.

For in nothing does God deal more bountifully with the world than in the supply of water.

We are not speaking now of wine. We see fountains everywhere pouring forth waters, and rivers also flow through countries. Moreover, pits are dug through the labors of men, and there are also cisterns in which rainwater is preserved in places that are commonly dry.

But when no water remains in cisterns, and when the fountains themselves refuse any supply, we may therefore surely know that it is the special judgment of God. This is what Jeremiah intended here to show.

And therefore he says that they were confounded and ashamed, and that they covered their head.