TRV
Translation
King James Version
O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?
Complete Jewish Bible
You, hope of Isra'el, its savior in time of trouble, why should you be like a stranger in the land, like a traveler turning aside for the night?
Berean Standard Bible
O Hope of Israel, its Savior in times of distress, why are You like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who stays but a night?
American Standard Version
O thou hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a sojourner in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?
World English Bible Messianic
You hope of Israel, its Savior in the time of trouble, why should you be as a foreigner in the land, and as a wayfaring man who turns aside to stay for a night?
Geneva Bible (1599)
O the hope of Israel, the sauiour thereof in the time of trouble, why art thou as a strager in ye land, as one that passeth by to tary for a night?
Young's Literal Translation
O Hope of Israel--its saviour in time of trouble, Why art Thou as a sojourner in the land? And as a traveller turned aside to lodge?
In the KJVVerse 19,302 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Jeremiah 14 verses 1–9
1 ¶ The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth.
2 Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.
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.
4 Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.
5 Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.
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.
7 O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.
8 O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?
9 Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.
The first verse is the title of the whole chapter: it does indeed all concern the dearth, but much of it consists of the prophet's prayers concerning it; yet these are not unfitly said to be, The word of the Lord which came to him concerning it, for every acceptable prayer is that which God puts into our hearts; nothing is our word that comes to him but what is first his word that comes from him. In these verses we have,
I. The language of nature lamenting the calamity. When the heavens were as brass, and distilled no dews, the earth was as iron, and produced no fruits; and then the grief and confusion were universal. 1. The people of the land were all in tears. Destroy their vines and their fig-trees and you cause all their mirth to cease, Hos 2:11, Hos 2:12. All their joy fails with the joy of harvest, with that of their corn and wine. Judah mourns (Jer 14:2), not for the sin, but for the trouble - for the withholding of the rain, not for the withdrawing of God's favour. The gates thereof, all that go in and out at their gates, languish, look pale, and grow feeble, for want of the necessary supports of life and for fear of the further fatal consequences of this judgment. The gates, through which supplies of corn formerly used to be brought into their cities, now look melancholy, when, instead of that, the inhabitants are departing through them to seek for bread in other countries. Even those that sit in the gates languish; they are black unto the ground, they go in black as mourners and sit on the ground, a the poor beggars at the gates are black in the face for want of food, blacker than a coal, Lam 4:8. Famine is represented by a black horse, Rev 6:5. They fall to the ground through weakness, not being able to go along the streets. The cry of Jerusalem has gone up; that is, of the citizens (for the city is served by the field), or of people from all parts of the country met at Jerusalem to pray for rain; so some. But I fear it was rather the cry of their trouble, and the cry of their prayer. 2. The great men of the land felt from this judgment (Jer 14:3): The nobles sent their little ones to the water, perhaps their own children, having been forced to part with their servants because they had not wherewithal to keep them, and being willing to train up their children, when they were little, to labour, especially in a case of necessity, as this was. We find Ahab and Obadiah, the king and the lord chamberlain of his household, in their own persons, seeking for water in such a time of distress as this was, Kg1 18:5, Kg1 18:6. Or, rather, their meaner ones, their servants and inferior officers; these they sent to seek for water, which there is no living without; but there was none to be found: They returned with their vessels empty; the springs were dried up when there was no rain to feed them; and then they (their masters that sent them) were ashamed and confounded at the disappointment. They would not be ashamed of their sins, nor confounded at the sense of them, but were unhumbled under the reproofs of the word, thinking their wealth and dignity set them above repentance; but God took a course to make them ashamed of that which they were so proud of, when they found that even on this side hell their nobility would not purchase them a drop of water to cool their tongue. Let our reading the account of this calamity make us thankful for the mercy of water, that we may not by the feeling of the calamity be taught to value it. What is most needful is most plentiful. 3. The husbandmen felt most sensibly and immediately from it (Jer 14:4): The ploughmen were ashamed, for the ground was so parched and hard that it would not admit the plough even when it was so chapt and cleft that it seemed as if it did not need the plough. They were ashamed to be idle, for there was nothing to be done, and therefore nothing to be expected. The sluggard, that will not plough by reason of cold, is not ashamed of his own folly; but the diligent husbandman, that cannot plough by reason of heat, is ashamed of his own affliction. See what an immediate dependence husbandmen have upon the divine Providence, which therefore they should always have an eye to, for they cannot plough nor sow in hope unless God water their furrows, Psa 65:10. 4. The case even of the wild beasts was very pitiable, Jer 14:5, Jer 14:6. Man's sin brings those judgments upon the earth which make even the inferior creatures groan: and the prophet takes notice of this as a plea with God for mercy. Judah and Jerusalem have sinned, but the hinds and the wild asses, what have they done? The hinds are pleasant creatures, lovely and loving, and particularly tender of their young; and yet such is the extremity of the case that, contrary to the instinct of their nature, they leave their young, even when they are newly calved and most need them, to seek for grass elsewhere; and, if they can find none, they abandon them, because not able to suckle them. It grieved not the hind so much that she had no grass herself as that she had none for her young, which will shame those who spend that upon their lusts which they should preserve for their families. The hind, when she has brought forth her young, is said to have cast forth her sorrows (Job 39:3), and yet she continues her cares; but, as it follows there, she soon sees the good effect of them, for her young ones in a little while grow up, and trouble her no more, Jer 14:4. But here the great trouble of all is that she has nothing for them. Nay, one would be sorry even for the wild asses (though they are creatures that none have any great affection for); for, though the barren land is made their dwelling at the best (Job 39:5, Job 39:6), yet even that is now made too hot for them, so hot that they cannot breathe in it, but they get to the highest places they can reach, where the air is coolest, and snuff up the wind like dragons, like those creatures which, being very hot, are continually panting for breath. Their eyes fail, and so does their strength, because there is no grass to support them. The tame ass, that serves her owner, is welcome to his crib (Isa 1:3) and has her keeping for her labour, when the wild ass, that scorns the crying of the driver, is forced to live upon air, and is well enough served for not serving. He that will not labour, let him not eat.
II. Here is the language of grace, lamenting the iniquity, and complaining to God of the calamity. The people are not forward to pray, but the prophet here prays for them, and so excites them to pray for themselves, and puts words into their mouths, which they may make use of, in hopes to speed, Jer 14:7-9. In this prayer, 1. Sin is humbly confessed. When we come to pray for the preventing or removing of any judgment we must always acknowledge that our iniquities testify against us. Our sins are witnesses against us, and true penitents see them to be such. They testify, for they are plain and evident; we cannot deny the charge. They testify against us, for our conviction, which tends to our present shame and confusion, and our future condemnation. They disprove and overthrow all our pleas for ourselves; and so not only accuse us, but answer against us. If we boast of our own excellencies, and trust to our own righteousness, our iniquities testify against us, and prove us perverse. If we quarrel with God as dealing unjustly or unkindly with us in afflicting us, our iniquities testify against us that we do him wrong; "for our backslidings are many and our revolts are great, whereby we have sinned against thee - too numerous to be concealed, for they are many, too heinous to be excused, for they are against thee." 2. Mercy is earnestly begged: "Though our iniquities testify against us, and against the granting of the favour which the necessity of our case calls for, yet do thou it." They do not say particularly what they would have done; but, as becomes penitents and beggars, they refer the matter to God: "Do with us as thou thinkest fit," Jdg 10:15. Not, Do thou it in this way or at this time, but "Do thou it for thy name's sake; do that which will be most for the glory of thy name." Note, Our best pleas in prayer are those that are fetched from the glory of God's own name. "Lord, do it, that they mercy may be magnified, thy promise fulfilled, and thy interest in the world kept up; we have nothing to plead in ourselves, but every thing in thee." There is another petition in this prayer, and it is a very modest one (Jer 14:9): "Leave us not, withdraw not thy favour and presence." Note, We should dread and deprecate God's departure from us more than the removal of any or all our creature-comforts. 3. Their relation to God, their interest in him, and their expectations from him grounded thereupon, are most pathetically pleaded with him, Jer 14:8, Jer 14:9. (1.) They look upon him as one they have reason to think should deliver them when they are in distress, yea, though their iniquities testify against them; for in him mercy has often rejoiced against judgment. The prophet, like Moses of old, is willing to make the best he can of the case of his people, and therefore, though he must own that they have sinned many a great sin (Exo 32:31), yet he pleads, Thou art the hope of Israel. God has encouraged his people to hope in him; in calling himself so often the God of Israel, the rock of Israel, and the Holy One of Israel, he has made himself the hope of Israel. He has given Israel his word to hope in, and caused them to hope in it; and there are those yet in Israel that make God alone their hope, and expect he will be their Saviour in time of trouble, and they look not for salvation in any other; "Thou hast many a time been such, in the time of their extremity." Note, Since God is his people's all-sufficient Saviour, they ought to hope in him in their greatest straits; and, since he is their only Saviour, they ought to hope in him alone. They plead likewise, "Thou art in the midst of us; we have the special tokens of thy presence with us, thy temple, thy ark, thy oracles, and we are called by the name, the Israel of God; and therefore we have reason to hope thou wilt not leave us; we are thine, save us. Thy name is called upon us, and therefore what evils we are under reflect dishonour upon thee, as if thou wert not able to relieve thy own." The prophet had often told the people that their profession of religion would not protect them from the judgments of God; yet here he pleads it with God, as Moses, Exo 32:11. Even this may go far as to temporal punishments with a God of mercy. Valeat quantum valere potest - Let the plea avail as far as is proper. (2.) It therefore grieves them to think that he does not appear for their deliverance; and, though they do not charge it upon him as unrighteous, they humbly plead it with him why he should be gracious, for the glory of his own name. For otherwise he will seem, [1.] Unconcerned for his own people: What will the Egyptians say? they will say, "Israel's hope and Saviour does not mind them; he has become as a stranger in the land, that does not at all interest himself in its interests; his temple, which he called his rest for ever, is no more so, but he is in it as a wayfaring man, that turns aside to tarry but for a night in an inn, which he never enquires into the affairs of, nor is in any care about." Though God never is, yet he sometimes seems to be, as if he cared not what became of his church: Christ slept when his disciples were in storm. [2.] Incapable of giving them any relief. The enemies once said, Because the Lord was not able to bring his people to Canaan, he let them perish in the wilderness (Num 14:16); so now they will say, "Either his wisdom or his power fails him; either he is as a man astonished (who, though he has the reason of a man, yet, being astonished, is quite at a loss and at his wits' end) or as a mighty man who is overpowered by such as are more mighty, and therefore cannot save; though mighty, yet a man, and therefore having his power limited." Either of these would be a most insufferable reproach to the divine perfections; and therefore, why has the God that we are sure is in the midst of us become as a stranger? Why does the almighty God seem as if he were no more than a mighty man, who, when he is astonished, though he would, yet cannot save? It becomes us in prayer to show ourselves concerned more for God's glory than for our own comfort. Lord, what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–9. Public domain.
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Origen of AlexandriaAD 253
COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 2:1
It will serve us to remember that what is called the Word came to certain persons, as “the word of the Lord which came to Hosea, the son of Beeri,” and “the word which came to Isaiah, the son of Amoz, concerning Judah and concerning Jerusalem,” and “the word that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought.” We must inquire how this Word came to Hosea, and how it came also to Isaiah the son of Amoz, and again to Jeremiah concerning the drought. The comparison may enable us to find out how the Word was with God. We will generalize by simply looking at what the prophets said, as if that were the Word of the Lord or the Word that came to them. May it not be … that … the Son, the Word, of whom we are now theologizing, came to Hosea, sent to him by the Father, historically, that is to say, to the son of Beeri, the prophet Hosea.… Similarly the Word comes also to Isaiah, teaching the things that are coming on Judea and Jerusalem in the last days. So also it comes to Jeremiah lifted up by a divine elation.… Thus to find out what is meant by the phrase “the Word was with God,” we have adduced the words used about the prophets, how he came to Hosea, to Isaiah, to Jeremiah.… We have to add that in his coming to the prophets he illuminates the prophets with the light of knowledge, causing them to see things that had been before them but that they had not understood until then.
John ChrysostomAD 407
AGAINST THE ANOMOEANS 8:5
Again, the Scriptures speak of God as asleep when the psalmist says, “Arise! Why do you sleep, O Lord?” He does not say this to make us suspect that God sleeps. This would be the utmost madness. By the word sleep the psalm shows God’s patience and forbearance toward us. Another prophet has said, “You will not be like a person who sleeps, will you?” Do you not see that we need much help from our understanding and reason when we are searching into the treasure house of the divine Scriptures? If we listen to the words only, if we do not think but take the words as they come, not only will those absurdities follow, but many a conflict will be seen in what has been said.
JeromeAD 420
SIX BOOKS ON JEREMIAH 3:41.1-3
After many and various thoughts, he returns to the prophecy’s title, in which it is written, “What the word of the Lord gave to Jeremiah concerning the drought.” This is why he says, in effect: “Because the idols of demons are unable to make it rain, and the heavens are unable to give showers in and of themselves, therefore give us rain, O Lord our God, on whom we always wait and toward whom we have turned our hope and devotion. For everything is yours, and whatever is good cannot be given without you, to whom it belongs.” Let us speak this word also against the heretics who are unable to grant rain showers of doctrine. Although they prefer themselves to be the heavens and thus glory in themselves, concerning what is written, “the heavens tell forth the glory of God,” they are nonetheless incapable of providing rain showers of doctrine. For it is God alone who instructs people and grants a diversity of graces to those who wait on him.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Jeremiah 14:8 encapsulates a profound lament from the prophet Jeremiah on behalf of a suffering Judah, grappling with a severe drought and famine. This verse articulates the agonizing tension between Israel's historical understanding of God as their ultimate hope and deliverer in times of crisis, and their present experience of His apparent distance and inaction. It voices a desperate plea for God to act according to His covenant character, questioning why He seems to be behaving like a transient visitor rather than a steadfast, indwelling presence in their land.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 14:8 is profoundly rich in literary devices that amplify its emotional and theological impact, conveying the depth of Judah's anguish. The most prominent is Lament, a common and vital form in biblical literature where an individual or community expresses deep sorrow, suffering, and a desperate plea for divine intervention. This lament takes the form of a powerful Rhetorical Question, "why shouldest thou be as a stranger...?" which is not seeking information but rather expressing profound distress, confusion, and an urgent appeal for God to act consistently with His revealed character and covenant promises. The verse also employs striking Metaphor and Simile, comparing God's perceived behavior to that of a "stranger" and a "wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night." These comparisons evoke a sense of fleeting presence, detachment, and lack of commitment, sharply contrasting with God's covenant promises of steadfast dwelling and active, compassionate care. The direct address, "O the hope of Israel," is an example of Apostrophe, which adds to the pathos, making the appeal intensely personal and direct, as if speaking directly to the absent or silent Divine.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 14:8 encapsulates the profound tension between God's unchanging character and His people's lived experience of His apparent withdrawal, often a consequence of their sin and covenant unfaithfulness. It highlights the biblical truth that while God is inherently faithful, all-powerful, and capable of salvation, His active intervention and blessing can feel distant when His people break covenant and turn away. This lament is not a denial of God's power or identity but a desperate, faith-filled plea for Him to manifest His presence and saving power in a tangible way amidst their suffering. It underscores the critical importance of God's abiding presence as the ultimate source of life, hope, and security, and the devastating spiritual and physical impact when that presence feels withheld. The verse serves as a model for honest, faith-filled questioning in the midst of suffering, demonstrating how believers can express their deepest anguish while simultaneously acknowledging God's identity and appealing to His covenant character, even when circumstances seem to contradict it.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 14:8 offers profound and enduring insights for believers navigating periods of spiritual dryness, intense suffering, or perceived divine silence. It powerfully validates the human experience of lament, affirming that it is not only permissible but also a deeply biblical and healthy response to express our honest anguish, confusion, and questions to God, even when He seems distant or unresponsive. This verse challenges us to anchor our faith deeply in God's unchanging character as our eternal "hope" and faithful "saviour," even when our present circumstances contradict our expectations or when our fervent prayers seem to go unanswered. It calls us to courageous self-examination, prompting us to consider if our own unfaithfulness, disobedience, or spiritual complacency might be contributing to a perceived distance from God, not because He moves, but because we have turned away from His path. Ultimately, this lament is an act of persistent faith, a desperate cry for God to act according to His nature and His covenant promises, trusting that He hears and will respond in His perfect timing and sovereign wisdom, bringing about His purposes even through periods of hardship.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does it mean for God to be "as a stranger" in the land?
Answer: The phrase "as a stranger in the land" (along with the amplifying image of "a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night") is a powerful and deeply poignant metaphor expressing the people's perception of God's behavior during their time of severe distress. It does not imply that God is literally a stranger or has truly abandoned them, but rather that His active, saving, and comforting presence feels absent or withheld. A "stranger" (Hebrew: gêr') or "wayfaring man" is someone who has no permanent ties, no deep commitment, and only a temporary, fleeting presence in a place. For a people who understood God as their covenant Lord, who had promised to dwell intimately among them and be their steadfast protector (e.g., Exodus 29:45-46), His perceived inaction during their severe drought felt like a profound contradiction of His character and covenant promises. It was as if He were merely passing through their land without concern for their plight, rather than abiding with them as their ever-present, faithful God. Thus, it is a cry of anguish, a desperate plea for God to re-engage and manifest His promised presence.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 14:8, with its poignant lament for a seemingly distant God and its desperate cry for the "hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble," finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The very longing expressed by Judah is definitively answered in Jesus, who is indeed the true hope of Israel and the Savior of the world. While Israel lamented God's perceived absence, the Incarnation stands as the supreme demonstration of God's ultimate commitment to dwell among His people, not as a transient visitor, but as Emmanuel, "God with us". In Christ, God did not merely "tarry for a night" or pass through; He took on human flesh, lived among us in full solidarity with our suffering, and offered Himself as the ultimate, perfect sacrifice for sin, thereby bridging the chasm of perceived distance caused by human unfaithfulness (John 1:14). Furthermore, Jesus Himself experienced the ultimate divine abandonment on the cross, crying out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", so that those who believe in Him would never truly be forsaken or left alone (Hebrews 13:5). Through His death, resurrection, and ascension, Christ secured a permanent, indwelling presence with His people through the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-18), ensuring that the lament of a "stranger in the land" is forever transformed into the joyous reality of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27), a constant, abiding, and saving presence.