The Meaning of Jeremiah 14:4 Explained

Jeremiah 14:4

KJV: Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.

YLT: Because the ground hath been broken, For there hath been no rain in the land, Ashamed have been husbandmen, They have covered their head.

Darby: Because the ground is chapt, for there hath been no rain on the earth, the ploughmen are ashamed, they cover their heads.

ASV: Because of the ground which is cracked, for that no rain hath been in the land, the plowmen are put to shame, they cover their heads.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Because the ground  is chapt,  for there was no rain  in the earth,  the plowmen  were ashamed,  they covered  their heads. 

What does Jeremiah 14:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The farmers, the lowest persons on the social scale, likewise felt humiliated by the lack of rain. The drought had cracked their land open and had made normal farming impossible.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 14

1  The grievous famine,
7  causes Jeremiah to pray
10  The Lord will not be entreated for the people
13  false prophets are no excuse for them
17  Jeremiah is moved to complain for them

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 14:4 mean?

Because the ground is parched for no there was rain in the land were ashamed the plowmen they covered their heads
בַּעֲב֤וּר הָאֲדָמָה֙ חַ֔תָּה כִּ֛י לֹא־ הָיָ֥ה גֶ֖שֶׁם בָּאָ֑רֶץ בֹּ֥שׁוּ אִכָּרִ֖ים חָפ֥וּ רֹאשָֽׁם

בַּעֲב֤וּר  Because 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֲבוּר  
Sense: for the sake of, on account of, because of, in order to conj.
הָאֲדָמָה֙  the  ground 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
חַ֔תָּה  is  parched 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָתַת  
Sense: to be shattered, be dismayed, be broken, be abolished, be afraid.
לֹא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הָיָ֥ה  there  was 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
גֶ֖שֶׁם  rain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֶּשֶׁם  
Sense: rain, shower.
בָּאָ֑רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
בֹּ֥שׁוּ  were  ashamed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
אִכָּרִ֖ים  the  plowmen 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִכָּר  
Sense: plowman, husbandman, farmer.
חָפ֥וּ  they  covered 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָפָה  
Sense: to cover, overlay, wainscotted, covered with boards or panelling.
רֹאשָֽׁם  their  heads 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.