Jer 4:11, 14:6 | JFB | STEP | 11. dry wind —the simoom, terrific and destructive, blowing from the southeast across the sandy deserts east of Palestine. Image of the invading Babylonian army ( ). Babylon in its turn shall be visited by a similar "destroying wind" ( ). of . . . high places —that is, that sweeps over the high places. daughter —that is, the children of my people. not to fan —a very different wind from those ordinary winds employed for fanning the grain in the open air.

Jeremiah 4:11

11. dry wind—the simoom, terrific and destructive, blowing from the southeast across the sandy deserts east of Palestine. Image of the invading Babylonian army (Ho 13:15). Babylon in its turn shall be visited by a similar "destroying wind" (Jer 51:1).

of . . . high places—that is, that sweeps over the high places.

daughter—that is, the children of my people.

not to fan—a very different wind from those ordinary winds employed for fanning the grain in the open air.

Jeremiah 14:6

6. wild asses—They repair to "the high places" most exposed to the winds, which they "snuff in" to relieve their thirst.

dragons—jackals [HENDERSON].

eyes—which are usually most keen in detecting grass or water from the "heights," so much so that the traveller guesses from their presence that there must be herbage and water near; but now "their eyes fail." Rather the reference is to the great boas and python serpents which raise a large portion of their body up in a vertical column ten or twelve feet high, to survey the neighborhood above the surrounding bushes, while with open jaws they drink in the air. These giant serpents originated the widely spread notions which typified the deluge and all destructive agents under the form of a dragon or monster serpent; hence, the dragon temples always near water, in Asia, Africa, and Britain; for example, at Abury, in Wiltshire; a symbol of the ark is often associated with the dragon as the preserver from the waters [KITTO, Biblical Cyclopædia].