Jeremiah 14:6
The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights; they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail because there is no vegetation.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The vivid imagery of wild asses panting on barren heights, their eyes failing, isn't just about drought; it highlights how even creatures known for their resilience and keen sight are utterly undone, showing the pervasive and extreme nature of God's judgment in this situation. It paints a picture where nature itself is hostile, a stark indicator that no living thing is exempt from the consequences of sin.
Jeremiah paints a stark picture of a land suffering under a relentless drought, extending beyond human misery to the suffering of wild animals. He describes how even the hind forsakes its young due to the lack of vegetation, and now turns to the wild asses. These creatures, known for their hardiness, are depicted desperately standing on barren heights, panting for air and their eyes failing in their vain search for any sign of life-sustaining grass.
When God brings judgment, it doesn't just affect people; the very world around us cries out in distress. What does this tell us about the scope of God's justice?
Jeremiah paints a stark picture of drought's impact. The "wild asses" and "hind" (a female deer) are shown suffering immensely.
Nature's Suffering
A Divine Message
Commentators like Calvin point out that this isn't just about a drought. God is deliberately arming the elements against His people. The suffering of the animals underscores the severity of the judgment, showing that all of creation is affected when God's wrath is poured out due to sin. It's a visible sign that divine vengeance is at work.
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Imagine an animal so desperate for relief that it tries to breathe in the wind. Jeremiah uses this powerful image to show the extreme suffering caused by drought.
The phrase 'they snuffed up the wind like jackals' (or 'dragons' in some translations) is a vivid description of extreme distress.
The Struggle for Survival
This imagery highlights how sin and its consequences can lead to a state of desperate, futile searching for relief where none can be found.
The vivid imagery of suffering animals in Jeremiah 14:6 underscores the utter devastation of drought, reflecting a land gripped by famine as a consequence of profound national sin and judgment.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian invasions and deportations
The Northern Kingdom of Israel had already fallen to Assyria in 722 BC. The Southern Kingdom of Judah faced ongoing threats, leading to periods of political instability and fear.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon begins his campaigns against Judah, initiating the first wave of deportations, including notable figures like Daniel. This marks the beginning of increasing Babylonian influence.
597 BC
Second Babylonian deportation
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and a significant portion of Jerusalem's elite, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. Judah becomes a Babylonian vassal state.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple
After a prolonged siege and a final rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon. This event is a catastrophic national trauma.
c. 586-570 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's ministry during and after the fall of Jerusalem
Jeremiah prophesies during the intense final years of Judah and the subsequent destruction and exile. His prophecies often reflect the severe hardships and divine judgment experienced by the people.
c. 539 BC
Persian conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, leading to the eventual decree allowing Jewish exiles to return to Judah and rebuild the Temple.
This passage uses a similar expression, 'my eyes fail,' to describe an intense and desperate longing, mirroring the desperate search for sustenance seen in Jeremiah's description of the wild asses.
Lamentations 4:17This verse also speaks of failing eyes due to a lack of help and sustenance, highlighting the pervasive distress and helplessness that a severe drought or famine brings, just as described in Jeremiah.
Job 11:20This verse mentions 'failing eyes' as a consequence of lacking hope or refuge, drawing a parallel to the profound despair and loss of sight/hope for relief experienced by the animals in the parched land.
Jeremiah 9:11This verse, which Jeremiah also wrote, describes the land becoming a 'desert inhabited by jackals,' offering a conceptual link to the desolate, dry conditions and the creatures that inhabit such harsh environments.
clarkeJeremiah 14:6: "And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass."
Snuffed up the wind like dragons - תנים tannim here probably means the hippopotamus, who, after feeding under the water, is obliged to come to the surface in order to take in fresh draughts of air; or it may mean the wild asses.
calvinJeremiah 14:5-6: "Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass."
- Et onagri steterunt super excelsa (diximus de hoc nomine, super labia, vel, eminentias, vel, rupes,) traxerunt (vel, hauserunt) ventum sicut serpentes; defecerunt oculi eorum, quia non fuit herba (utitur alio nomine, posuerat ds' prius, nunc ponit sv sed eodem sensu.)
Jeremiah now comes to animals: he said before, that men would be visited with thirst, and then that the ground would become…
The vivid imagery of wild asses panting on barren heights, their eyes failing, isn't just about drought; it highlights how even creatures known for their resilience and keen sight are utterly undone, showing the pervasive and extreme nature of God's judgment in this situation. It paints a picture where nature itself is hostile, a stark indicator that no living thing is exempt from the consequences of sin.
Jeremiah paints a stark picture of a land suffering under a relentless drought, extending beyond human misery to the suffering of wild animals. He describes how even the hind forsakes its young due to the lack of vegetation, and now turns to the wild asses. These creatures, known for their hardiness, are depicted desperately standing on barren heights, panting for air and their eyes failing in their vain search for any sign of life-sustaining grass.
Jeremiah paints a stark picture of a land suffering under a relentless drought, extending beyond human misery to the suffering of wild animals. He describes how even the hind forsakes its young due to the lack of vegetation, and now turns to the wild asses. These creatures, known for their hardiness, are depicted desperately standing on barren heights, panting for air and their eyes failing in their vain search for any sign of life-sustaining grass.
"The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights; they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail because there is no vegetation." — The vivid imagery of wild asses panting on barren heights, their eyes failing, isn't just about drought; it highlights how even creatures known for their resilience and keen sight are utterly undone,…
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