Jeremiah 14:2

“Judah mourneth, etc.] That is, the inhabitants of Judah; those of the house of Judah, as the Targum; these mourned because of the drought and famine that were upon the land: and the gates thereof languish; the cities of Judah, as the Targum; the inhabitants of them, which used to be supplied from the field, and out of the country; gates may be mentioned, because through the gates the provisions were brought into the city; but now none; and therefore are said to languish; or else those that sat in the gates are meant, the elders of the people, the senators, the judges, and civil magistrates; these shared in the common calamity: they are black unto the ground; that is, the inhabitants of the…”

“gates--The place of public concourse in each city looks sad, as being no longer frequented (Isa 3:26; Isa 24:4). black--that is, they mourn (blackness being indicative of sorrow), (Jer 8:21). unto the ground--bowing towards it. cry--of distress (Sa1 5:12; Isa 24:11).”

“They are black unto the ground - The people assembled at the gates, the usual places of concourse, are in deep mourning and sit humbly on the ground. return to 'Top of Page'”

“14:2-3 During a drought, no crops were sold in the markets at the Jerusalem gates. Previous harvests could not be stored long, so starvation threatened the people. Cisterns constructed to collect water dried up, and with no rain, no water was available for drinking or for cooking meals. As a result, a great cry went up from Jerusalem.”

“mourneth: Jer 4:28, Jer 12:4; Isa 3:26; Hos 4:3; Joe 1:10 the gates: Isa 24:4, Isa 24:7, Isa 33:9 they: Jer 8:21; Lam 2:9, Lam 4:8, Lam 4:9, Lam 5:10; Joe 2:6 the cry: Jer 11:11, Jer 18:22; Exo 2:24; Sa1 5:12, Sa1 9:16; Job 34:28; Isa 5:7, Isa 15:5; Zac 7:13 Jeremiah 14:3”

“Description of the distress arising from the drought. - Jer 14:2. Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish, like mourning on the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goeth up. Jer 14:3. Their nobles send their mean ones for water: they come to the wells, find no water, return with empty pitchers, are ashamed and confounded and cover their head. Jer 14:4. For the ground, which is confounded, because no rain is fallen upon the earth, the husbandmen are ashamed, cover their head. Jer 14:5. Yea, the hind also in the field, she beareth and forsaketh it, because there is no grass. Jer 14:6. And the wild asses stand on the bare-topped heights, gasp for air like the jackals; their eyes fail…”