The first lament begins with a poem in Jeremiah 14:2–6 that describes the drought in Judah. The poem starts with a general description of the drought (Jeremiah 14:2) followed by four pictures in Jeremiah 14:3–6 which highlight features of the suffering caused by the drought.1
The description of the drought shows a nation lamenting a national disaster as Judah mourns, and her gates languish.
Her gates
is the translation of a Hebrew word that is often used in the Old Testament to represent the whole city (Deuteronomy 12:12, Deuteronomy 12:15, Deuteronomy 12:17, Deuteronomy 12:18; Deuteronomy 14:21; Deuteronomy 15:7; etc.).2
The word translated as languish
is a play on words that graphically shows the impact that the devastating drought has on the people of Judah. The verb can mean both the physical effect of drought on crops (Joel 1:10, Joel 1:12) and it can also be used of human sorrow so intense that it leads to physical exhaustion and weakness (Jeremiah 15:9; 1 Samuel 2:5; Isaiah 19:8).3 As the crops wilt and fail, so do the people of Judah.
2 “Judah mourns, and her gates languish; her people lament on the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.