Jeremiah 14:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And the containers in the field brought forth life. Why is silence subjected to suffering? It is for the benefit of humanity, for their refinement, as it is on their account that these events occurred.

In the fields, the fallow deer gave birth and abandoned their young due to the absence of grass. Wild asses stood in the paths, drawing the wind like a serpent. Jeremiah warned the idolatrous Israelites of the famine and thirst that Moses had prophesied. This terrible fate came upon them during the reign of Zedekiah, as the residents of Jerusalem faced severe suffering from hunger and thirst; the heavens withheld rain, leaving the land parched and desperate for water. The prophet illustrates this situation using two types of field animals, quick and agile in movement. Despite being tormented by hunger and thirst, they scoured every corner, their swift feet carrying them in search of sustenance.

Even the doe gives birth in the open fields but abandons her fawn due to the lack of nourishment, while the wild donkeys perch on the rocks, gasping as if they were dragons, their vision dimmed by the absence of sustenance. The desolation is profound when even the fallow deer produce their young in the fields and leave them behind, unable to find food; creatures that through their keen sense could reveal hidden serpents and eliminate venomous threats do not partake in the blessings of grace.

(Jeremiah 14:6) "She shall stand upon the rocks and take the wind as a serpent does." (Jeremiah 14:6) "The shewbearers stand on the rocks, drawing in the wind like a serpent." This reflects what people do when they are parched, seeking relief from their inner turmoil. The Prophet then offers a prayer, acknowledging the collective sins, thus seeking God's mercy. He declares, "To Thee we have sinned" (Jeremiah 14:8), "the hope of Israel," who delivers in "the time of trouble." From You comes all kindness.