Her nobles send their servants for water; they come to the cisterns; they find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are ashamed and confounded and cover their heads.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights a desperate situation where even the "nobles," the society's leaders, are reduced to sending their servants to find meager water supplies, only to return empty-handed. This imagery underscores the profound and widespread nature of the drought, showing that no one, not even those in power, is spared from its devastating effects.
Her nobles send their servants for water; they come to the cisterns; they find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are ashamed and confounded and cover their heads.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage vividly illustrates the devastating drought gripping Judah, a direct consequence of their sin. The nation's leaders, the nobles, are so desperate that they resort to sending their servants to search for any remaining water in cisterns, only to return with empty vessels, a stark picture of their shame and despair. This scene of profound scarcity and humiliation directly follows the prophet's lament over Jerusalem's suffering and precedes further descriptions of the land's desolation and God's judgment.
When the rain stops and the earth cracks, it's easy to blame the weather. But what if the drought itself is a message?
Jeremiah paints a stark picture in this passage, not just of a natural disaster, but of a divine indictment. The failure of the water sources—the 'cisterns' and 'pits' where water was stored—was meant to be understood as a direct act of God's judgment.
Imagine the journey: the hope for relief, the long search, and the crushing return with nothing. What does this 'shame' truly represent?
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The emotional weight of this verse is immense. The people, from the nobles down to the servants sent out, experienced a profound shame and confusion when their search for water yielded only empty vessels.
Understand the original words
bôr · Hebrew Noun
An artificial reservoir or pit constructed to store water. In biblical imagery, it represents human attempts to secure sustenance and life apart from the "fountain of living waters" (God).
bûš · Hebrew Verb
A feeling of humiliation, disappointment, or disgrace resulting from failed expectations, sin, or judgment. It is the opposite of being established or standing firm.
This prophecy of drought and water scarcity occurs during a period of intense political turmoil and impending national destruction, highlighting that the physical suffering of famine is deeply intertwined with divine judgment for Judah's spiritual unfaithfulness.
c. 627 BC
Death of Josiah
King Josiah, a righteous ruler who enacted significant religious reforms, was killed in battle against the Egyptians. His death plunged Judah into political instability and spiritual confusion.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Following his victory at Carchemish, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon begins deporting Judean elites and skilled workers to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's subjugation to Babylon.
c. 601-598 BC
Growing Discontent and Rebellion
Despite the deportations, King Jehoiakim of Judah rebels against Babylonian rule. This defiance leads to increasing pressure from Babylon.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem and deports King Jehoiachin and another large group of Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel. Zedekiah is placed on the throne as a puppet ruler.
c. 594 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Drought Prophecy
Jeremiah prophesies a severe drought and famine as divine judgment upon Judah for its continued sin and rejection of God's warnings. The vivid imagery of empty cisterns and ashamed people underscores the severity of the impending crisis.
589-586 BC
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Judah's final rebellion under King Zedekiah leads to a prolonged siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. The city eventually falls, and the Temple is destroyed.
586 BC
Third Deportation to Babylon
The final destruction of Jerusalem results in a massive deportation of the remaining population, leaving the land largely desolate.
This passage describes Ahab and Obadiah also desperately searching for water during a severe drought, showing how widespread and devastating such crises can be across different eras.
Amos 4:8Amos depicts a similar scene of cities wandering in desperate search of water, highlighting the severe consequences of God's judgment and the people's unresponsiveness.
Isaiah 37:24When Sennacherib boasts, the people are left without water, mirroring the shame and distress of Jeremiah's people who found their cisterns empty.
Lamentations 1:1The profound sorrow and desolation described in Lamentations, with Jerusalem 'great among the nations,' 'a princess among the provinces,' now desolate, echoes the deep grief and shame of empty vessels returning in Jeremiah 14.
Psalm 42:1The imagery of the soul 'panting' for water finds a parallel in the physical desperation of Jeremiah's people searching for water, illustrating a deep spiritual thirst that can be met by God.
barnesJeremiah 14:3: "And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads."
Little ones - mean ones, the common people. The word is unique to Jeremiah Jer 48:4. The pits - i. e., tanks for holding water. Covered their heads - The sign of grief.
clarkeJeremiah 14:3: "And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads."
Their nobles have sent their little ones - So general was this calamity, that the servants no longer attended to their lords, but every one was interested alone for himself; and the nobles of the land were obliged to employ their own children to scour the land, to see if any wate…
The verse highlights a desperate situation where even the "nobles," the society's leaders, are reduced to sending their servants to find meager water supplies, only to return empty-handed. This imagery underscores the profound and widespread nature of the drought, showing that no one, not even those in power, is spared from its devastating effects.
This passage vividly illustrates the devastating drought gripping Judah, a direct consequence of their sin. The nation's leaders, the nobles, are so desperate that they resort to sending their servants to search for any remaining water in cisterns, only to return with empty vessels, a stark picture of their shame and despair. This scene of profound scarcity and humiliation directly follows the prophet's lament over Jerusalem's suffering and precedes further descriptions of the land's desolation and God's judgment.
This passage vividly illustrates the devastating drought gripping Judah, a direct consequence of their sin. The nation's leaders, the nobles, are so desperate that they resort to sending their servants to search for any remaining water in cisterns, only to return with empty vessels, a stark picture of their shame and despair. This scene of profound scarcity and humiliation directly follows the prophet's lament over Jerusalem's suffering and precedes further descriptions of the land's desolation and God's judgment.
"Her nobles send their servants for water; they come to the cisterns; they find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are ashamed and confounded and cover their heads." — The verse highlights a desperate situation where even the "nobles," the society's leaders, are reduced to sending their servants to find meager water supplies, only to return empty-handed. This image…
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Last reviewed October 2026