Jeremiah20
New King James Version
1Now Pashhur the son of Immer, the priest who was also chief governor in the house of the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.
2Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord.
3And it happened on the next day that Pashhur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord has not called your name Pashhur, but Magor-Missabib.
4For thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes shall see it. I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon and slay them with the sword.
5Moreover I will deliver all the wealth of this city, all its produce, and all its precious things; all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give into the hand of their enemies, who will plunder them, seize them, and carry them to Babylon.
6And you, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house, shall go into captivity. You shall go to Babylon, and there you shall die, and be buried there, you and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied lies.’ ”
7O Lord, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; Everyone mocks me.
8For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, “Violence and plunder!” Because the word of the Lord was made to me A reproach and a derision daily.
9Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.
10For I heard many mocking: “Fear on every side!” “Report,” they say, “and we will report it!” All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, “Perhaps he can be induced; Then we will prevail against him, And we will take our revenge on him.”
11But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.
12But, O Lord of hosts, You who test the righteous, And see the mind and heart, Let me see Your vengeance on them; For I have pleaded my cause before You.
13Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For He has delivered the life of the poor From the hand of evildoers.
14Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me!
15Let the man be cursed Who brought news to my father, saying, “A male child has been born to you!” Making him very glad.
16And let that man be like the cities Which the Lord overthrew, and did not relent; Let him hear the cry in the morning And the shouting at noon,
17Because he did not kill me from the womb, That my mother might have been my grave, And her womb always enlarged with me.
18Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and sorrow, That my days should be consumed with shame?
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Jeremiah 20.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The doom of Pashur, who ill-treated the prophet. (1-6). Jeremiah complains of hard usage. (7-13). He regrets his ever having been born. (14-18).
vv1-6
Pashur smote Jeremiah, and put him in the stocks. Jeremiah was silent till God put a word into his mouth. To confirm this, Pashur has a name given him, "Fear on every side." It speaks a man not only in distress, but in despair; not only in danger, but in fear on every side. The wicked are in great fear where no fear is, for God can make the most daring sinner a terror to himself. And those who will not hear of their faults from God's prophets, shall be made to hear them from their consciences. Miserable is the man thus made a terror to himself. His friends shall fail him. God lets him live miserably, that he may be a monument of Divine justice.
vv7-13
The prophet complains of the insult and injury he experienced. But 7 may be read, Thou hast persuaded me, and I was persuaded. Thou wast stronger than I; and didst overpower me by the influence of thy Spirit upon me. So long as we see ourselves in the way of God, and of duty, it is weakness and folly, when we meet with difficulties and discouragements, to wish we had never set out in it. The prophet found the grace of God mighty in him to keep him to his business, notwithstanding the temptation he was in to throw it up. Whatever injuries are done to us, we must leave them to that God to whom vengeance belongs, and who has said, I will repay. So full was he of the comfort of God's presence, the Divine protection he was under, and the Divine promise he had to depend upon, that he stirred up himself and others to give God the glory. Let the people of God open their cause before Him, and he will enable them to see deliverance.
vv14-18
When grace has the victory, it is good to be ashamed of our folly, to admire the goodness of God, and be warned to guard our spirits another time. See how strong the temptation was, over which the prophet got the victory by Divine assistance! He is angry that his first breath was not his last. While we remember that these wishes are not recorded for us to utter the like, we may learn good lessons from them. See how much those who think they stand, ought to take heed lest they fall, and to pray daily, Lead us not into temptation. How frail, changeable, and sinful is man! How foolish and unnatural are the thoughts and wishes of our hearts, when we yield to discontent! Let us consider Him who endured the contradiction of sinners against himself, lest we should be at any time weary and faint in our minds under our lesser trials.
Key Words
פַּשְׁחוּר: Pashchur, the name of four Israelites
כֹּהֵן: literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אִמֵּר: Immer, the name of five Israelites
פָּקִיד: a superintendent (civil, military or religious)
נָגִיד: a commander (as occupying the front), civil, military or religious; generally (abstractly, plural), honorable themes
בַּיִת: a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
יִרְמְיָה: Jirmejah, the name of eight or nine Israelites
נָבָא: to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse)
Cross References
Jeremiah 20Jeremiah uses the exact phrase 'fear on every side' (Magor-missabib) found in David's Psalm.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Matches the motif of a burning fire shut up in the heart when attempting silence.
Supported by JFB
Jeremiah's intense curse of his birth day strongly echoes Job's passionate lament and self-loathing.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallels the divine necessity and inward compulsion to preach despite personal difficulty.
Supported by JFB
The betrayal of 'familiars' ('men of my peace') typifies Christ's betrayal by His close associates.
Supported by JFB
Repeats Jeremiah's appeal to God who trieth the heart and reins, committing his cause.
Supported by John Calvin
A striking historical parallel where a prominent official physically smites a true prophet of God.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Jeremiah frequently repeats this signature phrase 'terror on every side' throughout his warnings.
Supported by JFB
Jeremiah wrestles with the terms of God's original call and promise of deliverance.
Supported by JFB
Refers to the complete, unrepenting overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah as a standard of judgment.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Identifies Pashur's priestly lineage as belonging to the sixteenth course, the house of Immer.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Mentions the specific temple prison/stocks designed to punish and humiliate prophetic messengers.
Supported by JFB
Isaiah's prophecy to Hezekiah is fulfilled in the spoiling of the temple treasures to Babylon.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The people conspire to accuse Jeremiah by weaponizing his words and reporting him.
Supported by JFB
Provides a direct parallel where a false prophet receives a specific death sentence for lies.
Supported by Matthew Henry