John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 14:1

"The word of Jehovah that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought." — Jeremiah 14:1 (ASV)

The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the
dearth .
] Or, "concerning the words of straints" ^F24 ; that is, concerning the businesses of a drought, as the Targum; concerning the Lord's restraining rain from the earth, and forbidding the heavens dropping it down; the consequence of which is a drought, or dryness of the earth; and the effect of that a famine.

When this was it is not anywhere said; it could not be the famine at the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, because that only affected the city; this all Judea. Some think it was in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, long before the siege; and others, that it was in the reign of Jehoiakim, since we read of a fast in his time, (Jeremiah 36:9) , which might be on this occasion; and it appears that there was one at this time, though not acceptable to God; see (Jeremiah 14:12) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F24: (twrubh yrbd le) "super verbis, cohibitionum", Junius & Tremellius; "retentionum"; Tigurine version; "prohibitionum", Pagninus, Montanus.