Jeremian 20 Commentary

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"Jeremiah on the Ruins of Jerusalem"
(Horace Vernet, 1844)

'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD,
'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
-- Jeremiah 29:11
(Play beautiful related song by Marty Goetz and Misha)

Click chart to enlarge

Click chart to enlarge
Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission
Jeremiah Chart from Charles Swindoll

JEREMIAH: "PROPHET TO THE NATIONS" Sin - "I Will Punish" (Jer 9:25) Hope - "I Will Restore" (Jer 30:17) Judah & Jerusalem
Prophet Called Jer 1:1-1:19	Prophecies to Judah Jer 2:1-45:5				Prophecies to the Gentiles Jer 46:1-51:64	Prophet's Appendix Jer 52:1-52:34
Prophet's Commission Jer 1:1-19	Judah Condemned Jer 2:1-25:38	Jeremiah's Conflicts Jer 26:1-29:32	Jerusalem's Future Jer 30:1-33:26	Jerusalem's Fall Jer 34:1-45:5	Nations Condemned Jer 46:1-51:64	Historic Conclusion Jer 52:1-52:34
Before The Fall Of Jerusalem Jer 1:1-38:28				The Fall Jer 39:1-18	After The Fall
Call	Ministry					Retrospect
Nation of Judah					Surrounding Nations	Future of Babylon
627-582 BC Ministered 40+ Years!

Map of Israel at Time of Jeremiah
Source: ESV Global Study Bible

Source: ESV Global Study Bible

Jeremiah 20:1 When Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things,

NET Now Pashhur son of Immer heard Jeremiah prophesy these things. He was the priest who was chief of security in the LORD's temple.

NLT  Now Pashhur son of Immer, the priest in charge of the Temple of the LORD, heard what Jeremiah was prophesying.

• Immer: 1Ch 24:14 Ezr 2:37,38 Ne 7:40,41 
• chief: 2Ki 25:18 2Ch 35:8 Ac 4:1 5:24 

When Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things,

NET NOTE - Heb “chief overseer/officer.” The translation follows the suggestion of P. C. Craigie, P. H. Kelley, J. F. Drinkard, Jeremiah 1–25 (WBC), 267, based on the parallel passage in 29:26–27 where this official appears to have been in charge of maintaining order in the temple. Judging from a comparison of this passage with Jer 29:26–27 and that passage in turn with 2 Kgs 25:18, Pashhur held an office second in rank only to the high priest. He was in charge of keeping order in the temple and took offense at what he heard Jeremiah saying.

Jeremiah 20:2 Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks that were at the upper Benjamin Gate, which was by the house of the LORD.

NET   When he heard Jeremiah's prophecy, he had the prophet flogged. Then he put him in the stocks which were at the Upper Gate of Benjamin in the LORD's temple.

NLT   So he arrested Jeremiah the prophet and had him whipped and put in stocks at the Benjamin Gate of the LORD's Temple.

• smote: Jer 1:19 19:14,15 26:8 29:26 36:26 37:15,16 38:6 1Ki 22:27 2Ch 16:10 24:21 Am 7:10-13 Mt 5:10-12 21:35 23:34-37 Ac 4:3 Ac 5:18,40 7:52 16:22-24 Heb 11:36,37 Rev 2:10 17:6 
• in the high: Jer 37:13 38:7 Zec 14:10 

Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks that were at the upper Benjamin Gate, which was by the house of the LORD.

Feinberg: The “stocks,” where the prophet was confined, were intended not only for restraint but also for torture. The stocks, which were used for false prophets (cf. 2 Chron 16:10), held the feet, hands, and neck so that the body was almost doubled up (cf. 29:26). The Hebrew word for “stocks” means “causing distortion.” Jeremiah was put in the stocks at the Upper Benjamin Gate – the northern gate of the upper temple court. It was one of the most conspicuous places in the city

Harrison on stocks - “The stocks (MT mahpeket, from a root ‘to distort’) were a form of scaffold in which prisoners were detained in a crooked or confined position which produced cramped muscles.”

Kidner on stocks - The Hebrew word is formed from the verb to twist, implying that this ‘twist-frame’ clamped the victim in a position that would become increasingly distressing.

G Campbell Morgan -  “The expression ‘smote Jeremiah’ is a technical one, and in all likelihood means that the official scourging of ‘forty stripes save one’ was administered.” 

Bob Utley -  Although YHWH promised to protect Jeremiah (cf. Jer. 1:18-19), it did not mean he would not emotionally and physically suffer! This is helpful insight to NT believers. WHY DO CHRISTIANS SUFFER? "stocks" This word (BDB 246) refers to wooden bars with holes in them for the hands, feet, and neck. These holes were spread widely apart to increase pain and discomfort. The pain was both physical and mental! In 2 Chr. 16:10 a false prophet was put in them (or it). Jeremiah was being treated as a "false prophet." This is what bothered him so badly! The JPSOA translates this word as "cell" and sees it as a small room of confinement. The LXX also has "dungeon," but "stocks" in a footnote.

Pashhur, a high official of the temple, arrested Jeremiah for disturbing the peace and had him imprisoned. The "high gate of Benjamin" is probably the "upper gate" (Ezek. 9:2) built by Jotham, leading from the court of the temple up to the city. Here the prophet was exposed to the ridicule and abuse of the people.

. 20:2  beaten. I.e., with forty lashes across the feet (cf. Deut. 25:3; 2 Cor. 11:24). The stocks secured the feet, hands, and neck, bending the body almost double (cf. 2 Chron. 16:10; Jer. 29:26). This exposed Jeremiah to public ridicule. 

TSK - the stocks: {Hammahpecheth,} from {haphach,} "to overturn, subvert, distort," generally denotes an overthrow, (De 29:22.  Isa 1:7; 10:19,) and seems to signify here a sort of stocks, by which the limbs were distorted into uneasy postures.  So the Chaldee, {keephtha} and Jerome, {nervus,} which he explains in his comment as "a kind of wooden fetter, into which the feet were thrust, {vinculi lignei genus, cui pedes inseruntur.} Some learned men understand it as merely signifying a place of confinement, or house of correction; but the word is never used for any of the prisons into which the prophet was afterwards cast; and the punishment seems to have been public and ignominious.

NET NOTE stocks - The meaning of this word is uncertain. It occurs only here, in 29:26 where it is followed by a parallel word that occurs only there and is generally translated “collar,” and in 2 Chr 16:10 where it is preceded by the word “house of.” It is most often translated “stocks” and explained as an instrument of confinement for keeping prisoners in a crooked position (from its relation to a root meaning “to turn.” See BDB 246 s.v. מַהְפֶּכֶת and KBL 500 s.v. מַהְפֶּכֶת for definition and discussion.) For a full discussion including the interpretation of the ancient versions see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 1:542–43. Benjamin Gate - A comparison of Ezek 8:3 and Ezek 9:2 in their contexts will show that this probably refers to the northern gate to the inner court of the temple. It is called Upper because it was on higher ground above the gate in the outer court. It is qualified by “in the LORD’s temple” to distinguish it from the Benjamin Gate in the city wall (cf. Jer 37:13; 38:7). Like the Benjamin Gate in the city wall it faced north toward the territory of the tribe of Benjamin.

Jeremiah 20:3 On the next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “Pashhur is not the name the LORD has called you, but rather Magor-missabib.

NET  But the next day Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks. When he did, Jeremiah said to him, "The LORD's name for you is not 'Pashhur' but 'Terror is Everywhere.'

NLT  The next day, when Pashhur finally released him, Jeremiah said, "Pashhur, the LORD has changed your name. From now on you are to be called 'The Man Who Lives in Terror.'

• Pashur: Ac 4:5-7 16:30,35-39 
• hath: Jer 7:32 19:2,6 Ge 17:5,15 32:28 Isa 8:3 Ho 1:4-9 
• Magormissabib: this is, Fear round about, Jer 20:10 6:25 46:5 29:29 Ps 31:13 La 2:22 

On the next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “Pashhur is not the name the LORD has called you, but rather Magor-missabib.

Magor-missabib means "terror on every side"; i.e., Pashhur change of name became a symbol of what would happen when the Babylonians came (vv. 4-6). 

Guzik - The meaning of the name Pashhur is sometimes given as freedom, sometimes as ease or peacefulness. The name Magor-Missabib means terror on every side. There was a startling contrast between the two names.

MacArthur: Pashhur – The meaning is either “ease” or “deliverance is round about,” both in contrast to the new name God assigns him in v. 3. He was one of several men so named (cf. 21:1; 38:1). He was one of the original “governors of the sanctuary” (cf. 1 Ch 24:14).

Thompson: Pashhur will not be a temple overseer who metes out punishment to others, but one who will himself suffer the divine judgment when terror surrounds him and the nation.

NET NOTE - Magor-missabib. This name is translated rather than transliterated to aid the reader in understanding this name and connect it clearly with the explanation that follows in the next verse. For a rather complete discussion on the significance of this name and an attempt to explain it as a pun on the name “Pashhur” see J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah (NICOT), 455, n. 35. The name Pashhur is essentially a curse pronounced by Jeremiah invoking the LORD’s authority. The same phrase occurs in Jer 6:25; 46:5; 49:29 which are all in the context of war. In ancient Israelite culture the change in name denoted a change in status or destiny. See, for example, the shift from Jacob (“He grabs the heel” and “Cheater” or “Deceiver,” Gen 25:26; 27:36) to Israel (“He perseveres with God,” Gen 32:28

Jeremiah 20:4 “For thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am going to make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will give over all Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away as exiles to Babylon and will slay them with the sword.

NET  For the LORD says, 'I will make both you and your friends terrified of what will happen to you. You will see all of them die by the swords of their enemies. I will hand all the people of Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will carry some of them away into exile in Babylon and he will kill others of them with the sword.

NLT  For this is what the LORD says: 'I will send terror upon you and all your friends, and you will watch as they are slaughtered by the swords of the enemy. I will hand the people of Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will take them captive to Babylon or run them through with the sword.

• I will make: De 28:65-67 Job 18:11-21 20:23-26 Ps 73:19 Eze 26:17-21 Mt 27:4,5 
• thine: Jer 29:21 39:6,7 De 28:32-34 1Sa 2:33 2Ki 25:7 
• I will give: Jer 19:15 21:4-10 25:9 32:27-31 

JEREMIAH WILL NOT
MODERATE HIS MESSAGE

For thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am going to make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends - NET - "I will make both you and your friends terrified of what will happen to you."

And while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies.

So I will give over all Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away as exiles to Babylon and will slay them with the sword - Jeremiah does not budge on his difficult message. 

Jeremiah 20:5 ‘I will also give over all the wealth of this city, all its produce and all its costly things; even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give over to the hand of their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away and bring them to Babylon.

NET  I will hand over all the wealth of this city to their enemies. I will hand over to them all the fruits of the labor of the people of this city and all their prized possessions, as well as all the treasures of the kings of Judah. Their enemies will seize it all as plunder and carry it off to Babylon.

NLT  And I will let your enemies plunder Jerusalem. All the famed treasures of the city-- the precious jewels and gold and silver of your kings-- will be carried off to Babylon.

• I will deliver: Jer 3:24 4:20 12:12 15:13 24:8-10 27:19-22 32:3-5 39:2,8 52:7-23 2Ki 20:17,18 24:12-16 25:13-17 2Ch 36:10,17-19 La 1:7,10 La 4:12 Eze 22:25 Da 1:2 

I will also give over all the wealth of this city, all its produce and all its costly things; even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give over to the hand of their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away and bring them to Babylon

Thompson: The extent of the booty that would be taken is indicated by the use of for different words – wealth, possessions, valuables, and teasures; and the effect is further heightened by the use of the three verbs “loot”, “take”, and “carry off to”. There could be no mistaking the severity of the calamity.

Jeremiah 20:6 ‘And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into captivity; and you will enter Babylon, and there you will die and there you will be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have falsely prophesied.’”

NET  You, Pashhur, and all your household will go into exile in Babylon. You will die there and you will be buried there. The same thing will happen to all your friends to whom you have prophesied lies.'"

NLT  As for you, Pashhur, you and all your household will go as captives to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you prophesied that everything would be all right.'"

• Pashur: Jer 28:15-17 29:21,22,32 Ac 13:8-11 
• thy friends: Jer 20:4 5:31 6:13-15 8:10,11 14:14,15 23:14-17,25,26,32 Isa 9:15 La 2:14 Eze 13:4-16,22,23 22:28 Mic 2:11 Zec 13:3 2Pe 2:1-3 
• thou hast: Lev 26:17 De 28:25 

And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into captivity; and you will enter Babylon, and there you will die and there you will be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have falsely prophesied.

Bob Utley -  "you have falsely prophesied" Exactly how this priestly temple official "prophesied" (Niphal PERFECT) is uncertain. But he, not Jeremiah, would bear the curse of Deut. 13:1-5 for it! The false prophecy was related to the stability of the temple and Jerusalem (possibly quoting Isaiah's message to Hezekiah, i.e. Isaiah 36-39). It was a message of hope and faith, but at this point in time, it was not YHWH's message (cf. Jer. 14:14-16)!

NET NOTE - As a member of the priesthood and the protector of order in the temple, Pashhur was undoubtedly one of those who promulgated the deceptive belief that the LORD’s presence in the temple was a guarantee of Judah’s safety (cf. Jer 7:4, 8). Judging from the fact that two other men held the same office after the leading men in the city were carried into exile in 597 B.C. (see Jer 29:25–26 and compare Jer 29:1–2 for the date and 2 Kgs 24:12–16 for the facts), this prophecy was probably fulfilled in 597. For a similar kind of oracle of judgment see Amos 7:10–17.

Jeremiah 20:7 O LORD, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; Everyone mocks me.  

NET   LORD, you coerced me into being a prophet, and I allowed you to do it. You overcame my resistance and prevailed over me. Now I have become a constant laughingstock. Everyone ridicules me.

NLT  O LORD, you misled me, and I allowed myself to be misled. You are stronger than I am, and you overpowered me. Now I am mocked every day; everyone laughs at me.

• deceived: or, enticed, Jer 1:6-8,18,19 15:18 17:16 Ex 5:22,23 Nu 11:11-15 
• thou art: Jer 20:9 Eze 3:14 Mic 3:8 1Co 9:6 
• I am: Jer 15:10 29:26 2Ki 2:23 Ps 22:6,7 35:15,16 69:9-12 La 3:14 Ho 9:7 Lu 16:14 22:63,64 23:11,35,36 Ac 17:18,32 1Co 4:9-13 Heb 11:36 

O LORD, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; Everyone mocks me

Paul Apple - You would think that faithfulness to God in a difficult ministry setting would fortify God’s servant with special confidence and a sense of God’s favor and presence. But such is not always the case. Sometimes the messenger of God can succumb to deeply conflicting emotions that cause him to question the value of his calling. Is it really worth it to continue serving God when all I see around me are stubborn, unrepentant hearts and fierce opposition and treachery from even my closest friends? Did God sucker me into this Christian calling and sell me a bill of goods?

Wiersbe: This is the last of Jeremiah’s recorded laments; it’s a human blending of grief and joy, prayer and despair, praise and perplexity. When you call to mind the sensitive nature of this man, you aren’t surprised that he’s on the mountaintop one minute and in the deepest valley the next. Jeremiah, however, lived above his moods and did the will of God regardless of how he felt. In this honest expression of his deepest emotions, the prophet dealt with three important concerns: God’s call (vv 7-9), his daily peril (vv. 10- 13), and his inner despair (vv. 14-15).

Christine Cuendet: An Exegetical Paper on 20:7-18 Jeremiah’s lament is a painful complaint to God from a heart that is on fire for God’s holiness. Jeremiah pours forth his sorrow to God, grieving even the day he was born, for he knows the truth of the prophetic words he is speaking, yet there is not a single responsive soul in Judah that will heed his warning. Even his close friends plot revenge against him, and so he laments of life, both loving and hating the position he now finds himself in. Still, God’s promises are true and Jeremiah speaks and acts with no shadow of a doubt that God can and will fulfill his plans from the grandest scale of punishment for Judah’s rebellion to the most minute detail of Jeremiah’s own life. God has promised and he will bring it to fulfillment.

NET NOTE - deceived The translation is admittedly interpretive but so is every other translation that tries to capture the nuance of the verb rendered here “coerced.” Here the Hebrew text reads: “You [–]ed me and I let myself be [–]ed. You overpowered me and prevailed.” The value one assigns to [–] is in every case interpretive based on what one thinks the context is referring to. The word is rendered “deceived” or “tricked” by several English versions (see, e.g., KJV, NASB, TEV, ICV) as though God had misled him. It is rendered “enticed” by some (see, e.g., NRSV, NJPS) as though God had tempted him with false hopes. Some go so far as to accuse Jeremiah of accusing God of metaphorically “raping” him. It is true that the word is used of “seducing” a virgin in Exod 22:15 and that it is used in several places to refer to “deceiving” someone with false words (Prov 24:28; Ps 78:36). It is also true that it is used of “coaxing” someone to reveal something he does not want to (Judg 14:15; 16:5) and of “enticing” someone to do something on the basis of false hopes (1 Kgs 22:20–22; Prov 1:10). However, it does not always have negative connotations or associations. In Hos 2:14 (2:16 HT) God “charms” or “woos” Israel, his estranged ‘wife,’ into the wilderness where he hopes to win her back to himself. What Jeremiah is alluding to here is crucial for translating and interpreting the word. There is no indication in this passage that Jeremiah is accusing God of misleading him or raising false hopes; God informed him at the outset that he would encounter opposition (1:17–19). Rather, he is alluding to his call to be a prophet, a call which he initially resisted but was persuaded to undertake because of God’s persistence (Jer 1:7–10). The best single word to translate ‘…’ with is thus “persuaded” or “coerced.” The translation spells out the allusion explicitly so the reader is not left wondering about what is being alluded to when Jeremiah speaks of being “coerced.” The translation “I let you do it” is a way of rendering the Niphal of the same verb which must be tolerative rather than passive since the normal passive for the Piel would be the Pual (See IBHS 389–90 §23.4g for discussion and examples.). The translation “you overcame my resistance” is based on allusion to the same context (1:7–10) and the parallel use of חָזַק (khazaq) as a transitive verb with a direct object in 1 Kgs 16:22.

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Bob Utley -  This is another complaint/lament. Even those called by God experience doubt and fear! Jeremiah feels that YHWH has

1. deceived him ‒ BDB 834, KB 984, Piel PERFECT and Niphal IMPERFECT with waw (this is an intensified form of a strong VERB often used of seduction; it refers to his call in chapter 1)
2. overcome him ‒ BDB 304, KB 302, Qal PERFECT
3. prevailed against him ‒ BDB 407, KB 410, Qal IMPERFECT with waw

The results of his prophecies of judgment not occurring (cf. Jer. 20:7-8) are that

1. he has become a laughingstock all day long (cf. Jer. 48:26,39; Lam. 3:14)
2. everyone mocks him (cf. Lam. 3:14)
3. he is reproached
4. he is derided

This would open him up to the charge of not being a true prophet. The punishment for false prophecy wa death (cf. Deut. 13).

Jeremiah 20:8 For each time I speak, I cry aloud; I proclaim violence and destruction, Because for me the word of the LORD has resulted In reproach and derision all day long.  

NET  For whenever I prophesy, I must cry out, "Violence and destruction are coming!" This message from the LORD has made me an object of continual insults and derision.

NLT When I speak, the words burst out. "Violence and destruction!" I shout. So these messages from the LORD have made me a household joke.

• I cried: Jer 4:19-22 5:1,6,15-17 6:6,7 7:9 13:13,14 15:1-4,13,14 17:27 Jer 18:16,17 19:7-11 28:8 
• the word: Jer 20:7 6:10 2Ch 36:16 La 3:61-63 Lu 11:45 Heb 11:26 13:13 1Pe 4:14 

For each time I speak, I cry aloud; I proclaim violence and destruction, Because for me the word of the LORD has resulted In reproach and derision all day long

Mackay: Jeremiah expressed strong reservations about his suitability and capacity (1:6), but the Lord persuaded him, that is, “overcame his initial reluctance”. Looking back, Jeremiah is saying that if he had known what he now knew about what being the Lord’s prophet entailed, he would have protested more strongly, he might even have said “No”. It was one thing to have been warned – which he was; it was another to grasp the full extent of the experiences those warnings conveyed.

NET NOTE - The words “Violence and destruction …” are a synopsis of his messages of judgment. Jeremiah is lamenting that his ministry up to this point has been one of judgment and has brought him nothing but ridicule because the LORD has not carried out his threats. He appears in the eyes of the people to be a false prophet.

Jeremiah 20:9 But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it.  

NET  Sometimes I think, "I will make no mention of his message. I will not speak as his messenger any more." But then his message becomes like a fire locked up inside of me, burning in my heart and soul. I grow weary of trying to hold it in; I cannot contain it.

NLT  But if I say I'll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It's like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can't do it!

• I will: 1Ki 19:3,4 Joh 1:2,3 4:2,3 Lu 9:62 Ac 15:37,38 
• was in: Jer 6:11 Job 32:18-20 Ps 39:3 Eze 3:14 Ac 4:20 17:16 18:5 1Co 9:16,17 2Co 5:13-15 

But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” - NET -"I will make no mention of his message. I will not speak as his messenger any more."

Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it.

Longman: : It is harder for him not to speak than to speak, a classic case of being “between a rock and a hard place.” [1 Cor. 9:16]

Ryken: This is another familiar text from Jeremiah that is usually taken out of context. It is often used as an inspirational verse for preachers. And so it is. The Word of God is like an unquenchable, uncontainable fire in the bones of the gospel minister. . . When Jeremiah spoke about the fire in his bones, however, he was not speaking about the pleasures of ministry. He was not testifying to the delights of preaching in the Holy Spirit. He was not saying that his heart was aflame with the gospel. Rather, his heart burned with judgment. The fiery word in his bones was law rather than grace. He was not eager to preach but reluctant, for he knew that judgment would pour out as soon as he opened his mouth. Jeremiah would have given anything to have a mute ministry, but the Word of God would not allow him to remain silent. The fire in his bones inevitably blazed forth from his lips.

Bob Utley -  Jeremiah tries to express both the pain and joy of being YHWH's spokesperson. Remember this is highly figurative poetry.he tries to forget YHWH. he tries not to speak His words anymore. But he cannot! They are like a burning fire shut up in his bones. He cannot hold them back. He must speak (cf. Amos 3:8). Many of us who feel called to preach/teach/share know these thoughts and feelings.

NET NOTE - Heb “speak in his name.” This idiom occurs in passages where someone functions as the messenger under the authority of another. See Exod 5:23; Deut 18:19, 29:20; Jer 14:14. The antecedent in the first line is quite commonly misidentified as being “him,” i.e., the LORD. Comparison, however, with the rest of the context, especially the consequential clause “then it becomes” (וְהָיָה, véhayah), and Jer 23:36 shows that it is “the word of the LORD.” in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Heb “It is in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones.” In addition to standing as part for the whole, the “bones” for the person (e.g., Ps 35:10), the bones were associated with fear (e.g., Job 4:14) and with pain (e.g., Job 33:19, Ps 102:3 [102:4 HT]) and joy or sorrow (e.g., Ps 51:8 [51:10 HT]). As has been mentioned several times, the heart was connected with intellectual and volitional concerns.

The Word of God simply cannot be quenched for one who truly loves God and understands what God's Word has done for him and what it means for the world. Even though man is the object of reproach and derision because of it (Jeremiah 19:8), he must proclaim it to others in whatever way he can.

The discouraged prophet tries to suspend his prophetic activity, but to no avail. His sense of duty to obey God overcomes his discouragement. God's word was so burned within his breast that he found it impossible to remain silent. Anyone with a compassion for people, coupled with a realization of the two eternal options, will face this identical inner necessity to speak.

Jeremiah 20:10 For I have heard the whispering of many, “Terror on every side! Denounce him; yes, let us denounce him!” All my trusted friends, Watching for my fall, say: “Perhaps he will be deceived, so that we may prevail against him And take our revenge on him.”  

NET  I hear many whispering words of intrigue against me. Those who would cause me terror are everywhere! They are saying, "Come on, let's publicly denounce him!" All my so-called friends are just watching for something that would lead to my downfall. They say, "Perhaps he can be enticed into slipping up, so we can prevail over him and get our revenge on him.

NLT   I have heard the many rumors about me. They call me "The Man Who Lives in Terror." They threaten, "If you say anything, we will report it." Even my old friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip. "He will trap himself," they say, "and then we will get our revenge on him."

• I heard: Ps 31:13 57:4 64:2-4 Mt 26:59,60 
• fear: Jer 20:3 
• Report: Jer 18:18 Ne 6:6-13 Pr 10:18 Isa 29:21 Eze 22:9 Lu 20:20 Ac 6:11-15 24:1-9,13 
• All my familiars: Heb. Every man of my peace, Job 19:19 Ps 41:9 55:13,14 Lu 11:53,54 12:52,53 
• we shall: 1Ki 19:2 21:20 22:8,27 Mk 6:19-28 Ac 5:33 7:54 23:12-15 

For I have heard the whispering of many, “Terror on every side! Denounce him; yes, let us denounce him!”

Richard Niell Donovan Now it appears that the people have decided to taunt Jeremiah by calling him by the indictment that he had used for Pashhur—”a terror to yourself, and to all your friends.” When people see Jeremiah, they say, “Watch out! Here comes old Terror on every side.” It is difficult to be the butt of such mocking—and even more difficult to counter it. Jeremiah is angry with Yahweh, because Jeremiah has said the words that Yahweh put in his mouth, but those words have come back to haunt him.

All my trusted friends, Watching for my fall, say: “Perhaps he will be deceived, so that we may prevail against him  NET = "All my so-called friends are just watching for something that would lead to my downfall." NLT = "Even my old friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip. "He will trap himself," they say"

And take our revenge on him.”  

Constable: The prophet knew that the people were complaining that all he ever talked about was coming terror. He had become a "Magomassibib" (terror on every side) of sorts himself (cf. Jeremiah 20:3), and the people may well have applied this nickname to him. They felt someone should denounce him for speaking so pessimistically and harshly about their nation. Even his trusted friends had turned against him and were hoping that he would make some mistake so they could discredit him for his words. The Lord Jesus Christ suffered similar opposition (cf. Mark 3:2; Mark 14:58; Luke 6:7; Luke 14:1; Luke 20:20

NET NOTE - Terror on every side! The phrase translated “Those who would cause me terror are everywhere” has already occurred in Jer 6:25 in the context of the terror caused by the enemy from the north and in Jer 20:3 in reference to the curse pronounced on Pashhur who would experience it first hand. Some have seen the phrase here not as Jeremiah’s ejaculation of terror but of his assailant’s taunts of his message or even their taunting nickname for him. But comparison of this passage with the first two lines of Ps 31:13 which are word for word the same as these two will show that it refers to the terror inspired by the plots of his enemies to do away with him. It is also clear from the context of that passage and the following context here that the “whispering of many” (the literal translation of “many whispering words of intrigue against me) refers to intrigues to take vengeance on him and do away with him. 

NET NOTE -  Heb “Denounce and let us denounce him.” him What is probably involved here are the attempts to portray Jeremiah as a traitor (Jer 26:10) and a false prophet (see his conflict with Hananiah in Jer 28). Metaphorically they were watching for some slip-up that would lead to his downfall. Compare the use in Pss 35:15 and 38:17 (38:18 HT).

NET NOTE - Jeremiah is lamenting that it was God’s call to speak his word which he could not (and still cannot) resist that has led ironically to his predicament, which is a source of terror to him.

Jeremiah 20:11 But the LORD is with me like a dread champion; Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed, With an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.  

NET  Jeremiah 20:11 But the LORD is with me to help me like an awe-inspiring warrior. Therefore those who persecute me will fail and will not prevail over me. They will be thoroughly disgraced because they did not succeed. Their disgrace will never be forgotten.

NLT  Jeremiah 20:11 But the LORD stands beside me like a great warrior. Before him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat me. They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated. Their dishonor will never be forgotten.

• the Lord: Jer 1:8,19 15:20 Isa 41:10,14 Ro 8:31 2Ti 4:17 
• a mighty: Ps 47:2 65:5 66:5 
• my: Jer 17:18 De 32:35,36 Ps 27:1,2  Joh 18:4-6 
• and they: Jer 1:19 15:20 
• everlasting: Jer 23:40 Ps 6:10 35:26 40:14 Isa 45:16 Da 12:2 

Related Passages: 

Jeremiah 1:8 “Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD. 

Jeremiah 1:19 “They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.

But the LORD is with me like a dread champion;

Parunak: The Lord is compared with “a terrible warrior.” He is often called a “warrior,” but this is the only time he is described as “terrible,” an adjective that otherwise is reserved for the wicked and the foreign nations. The point is that he can pay back in kind whatever Jer’s enemies dish out to him.

Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed, With an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.  

Mackay: When the Lord acts to vindicate the word he has sent through Jeremiah, then he will remember what the prophet’s persecutors had done and he will permanently show them up for what they are. They will experience “disgrace of perpetuity” which would last throughout their lives and beyond.

The prophet remembers at last the gracious promises of God on the day of his call, when God announced to him that though enemies would attack on every front, they would not ultimately overcome him (Jer 1:8, 19; 15:20). Once again he commits himself to the Lord (v. 12) and voices his trust in the God of the covenant (v. 13).

NET NOTE - This line has some interesting ties with Jer 15:20–21 where Jeremiah is assured by God that he is indeed with him as he promised him when he called him (1:8, 19) and will deliver him from the clutches of wicked and violent people. The word translated here “awe-inspiring” is the same as the word “violent people” there. Jeremiah is confident that his “awe-inspiring” warrior will overcome “violent people.” The statement of confidence here is, by the way, a common element in the psalms of petition in the Psalter. The common elements of that type of psalm are all here: invocation (v. 7), lament (vv. 7–10), confession of trust/confidence in being heard (v. 11), petition (v. 12), thanksgiving or praise (v. 13). For some examples of this type of psalm see Pss 3, 7, 26.

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Bob Utley -  Verse 11 describes YHWH as "a dreaded champion" (i.e. the divine warrior, BDB 150 and the ADJECTIVE, BDB 792, cf. Jer. 1:8,19; 15:20; Isa. 59:16-20). Notice what happens to those who oppose him.

1. they will stumble (BDB 505, KB 502, Niphal IMPERFECT)
2. they will not prevail (BDB 407, KB 410, Qal IMPERFECT, NEGATED)
3. they will be utterly ashamed (BDB 101, KB 116, Qal PERFECT; see SPECIAL TOPIC: SHAME)
4. they will not succeed (BDB 968, KB 1328, Hiphil PERFECT, NEGATED)
5. they will have an everlasting disgrace (BDB 484, CONSTRUCT BDB 761; see SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam and aiōnios)
6. they will not be forgotten in their shame (BDB 1013, KB 1489, Niphal IMPERFECT, NEGATED)

Jeremiah 20:12 Yet, O LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous, Who see the mind and the heart; Let me see Your vengeance on them; For to You I have set forth my cause.  

NET O LORD who rules over all, you test and prove the righteous. You see into people's hearts and minds. Pay them back for what they have done because I trust you to vindicate my cause.

NLT  O LORD of Heaven's Armies, you test those who are righteous, and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets. Let me see your vengeance against them, for I have committed my cause to you.

• that: Jer 17:10 Ps 7:9 11:5 17:3 26:2,3 139:23 Rev 2:23 
• let me: Jer 11:20 12:8 17:18 18:19-23 2Ch 24:22 Ps 54:7 59:10 109:6-20 Rev 6:10 18:20 19:2,3 
• for: 1Sa 1:15 Ps 62:8 86:4 Isa 37:14 38:14 1Pe 2:23 4:19 

Yet, O LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous, Who see the mind and the heart; Let me see Your vengeance on them; For to You I have set forth my cause.  

WHO SEEST THE MIND & THE HEART: GOD TESTS/SEARCHES HEARTS: 1Sa16:7; 1 Ki 8:39 1 Chr28:9; Ps7:9; Ps44:21, 139:23,24; Pr17:3; Je 11:20; 20:12; Je17:10 Ro8:27 Rev 2:23 // Pr27:21 // GODLY ASK FOR TESTING: Ps 26:2 Ps 139:23,24 Job 31:6 

NET NOTE - This verse is almost an exact duplication of the petition in one of Jeremiah’s earlier prayers and complaints. See Jer 11:20 and notes there for explanation of the Hebrew psychology underlying the use of “kidneys and heart” here. For the thoughts expressed here see Ps 17.

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Bob Utley -  Jeremiah describes YHWH.

1. You test the righteous (Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE)
2. You examine the mind (i.e. kidneys; Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE) GOD TESTS HIS PEOPLE
3. You examine the heart (
4. You let me see Your vengeance (Qal IMPERFECT used in a COHORTATIVE sense)
5. You let me present my cause to You (cf. Jer. 11:20; Piel PERFECT). This is similar to Job's request.

Jeremiah 20:13 Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD! For He has delivered the soul of the needy one From the hand of evildoers.  

NET   Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD! For he rescues the oppressed from the clutches of evildoers.

NLT   Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD! For though I was poor and needy, he rescued me from my oppressors.

• for: Ps 34:6 35:9-11 69:33 72:4 109:30,31 Isa 25:4 Jas 2:5,6 

Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD! For He has delivered the soul of the needy one From the hand of evildoers

Adam Clarke: He was so completely delivered from all fear, that although he remained in the same circumstances, yet he exults in the Divine protection, and does not fear the face of any adversary.

Bob Utley -  This adulation is because YHWH has delivered the soul of the needy one from the hand of evil doers. What a wild swing of emotions is expressed in these verses. From complete discouragement in YHWH in Jer. 20:7 to joyous praise in Jer. 20:13. This wild swing continues in the next poem (Jer. 20:14-18). Jeremiah was a highly emotional person.

Jeremiah 20:14 Cursed be the day when I was born; Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me!  

NET  Cursed be the day I was born! May that day not be blessed when my mother gave birth to me.

NLT  Yet I curse the day I was born! May no one celebrate the day of my birth.

• Jer 15:10 Job 3:3-16 

Cursed be the day when I was born; Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me!  

NET NOTE - From the heights of exaltation, Jeremiah returns to the depths of despair. For similar mood swings in the psalms of lament compare Ps 102. Verses 14–18 are similar in tone and mood to Job 3:1–10. They are very forceful rhetorical ways of Job and Jeremiah expressing the wish that they had never been born.

Philip Ryken - God gives us permission to take our sufferings directly to him. This is what godly people have done throughout history. It is what Job did on the ash heap when he lamented the loss of his family (Job 3). It is what Elijah did under the broom tree when he wanted the Lord to take his life (1 Kings 19:4). It is what David did in the cave when he fled from Saul (Psalm 57). It is what Jonah did in the belly of the great fish, when he ran away from God (Jonah 2). It is even what Jesus Christ did on the cross when he was crucified to atone for his people’s sins: “My God, my God, Why have you forsake me?” (Matthew 27:46) Take your sufferings to that secret place where you meet God in prayer. That is where you must take them. Where else can you unburden your heart so freely? Who else will comfort you so tenderly? There is no need to hide your troubles. Take them to the Lord in prayer, the way Jeremiah did.

Jeremiah 20:15 Cursed be the man who brought the news To my father, saying, “A baby boy has been born to you!” And made him very happy.  

NET Cursed be the man who made my father very glad when he brought him the news that a baby boy had been born to him!

NLT  I curse the messenger who told my father, "Good news-- you have a son!"

• A man: Jer 1:5 Ge 21:5,6 Lu 1:14 

Cursed be the man who brought the news To my father, saying, “A baby boy has been born to you!” And made him very happy.  

NET NOTE - The birth of a child was an occasion of great joy. This was especially true if the child was a boy because it meant the continuance of the family line and the right of retention of the family property. See Ruth 4:10, 13–17.

Jeremiah 20:16 But let that man be like the cities Which the LORD overthrew without relenting, And let him hear an outcry in the morning And a shout of alarm at noon;  

NET  May that man be like the cities that the LORD destroyed without showing any mercy. May he hear a cry of distress in the morning and a battle cry at noon.

NLT Let him be destroyed like the cities of old that the LORD overthrew without mercy. Terrify him all day long with battle shouts,

• as: Ge 19:24,25 De 29:23 Ho 11:8 Am 4:11 Zep 2:9 Lu 17:29 2Pe 2:6 Jude 1:7 
• repented: Jer 18:8 26:13 Jon 3:4,9,10 4:2 
• let him: Jer 4:19 18:22 48:3,4 Eze 21:22 Ho 10:14 Am 1:14 2:2 Zep 1:16 

But let that man be like the cities Which the LORD overthrew without relenting, And let him hear an outcry in the morning And a shout of alarm at noon;  

Bob Utley - The first two lines refer to YHWH's destruction of the cities of the plain in Gen. 19:24-28, which became a proverb for divine judgment (cf. Isa. 1:9,10; 13:19; Jer. 23:14; 49:18; Matt. 10:15; 11:24).

NET NOTE - The cities alluded to are Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the Jordan plain which had become proverbial for their wickedness and for the destruction that the LORD brought on them because of it. See Isa 1:9–10; 13:19; Jer 23:14; 49:18.

Jeremiah 20:17 Because he did not kill me before birth, So that my mother would have been my grave, And her womb ever pregnant.  

NET  For he did not kill me before I came from the womb, making my pregnant mother's womb my grave forever.

NLT  because he did not kill me at birth. Oh, that I had died in my mother's womb, that her body had been my grave!

• he slew: Job 3:10,11,16 10:18,19 Ec 6:3 

Related Passage: 

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 

Because he did not kill me before birth, So that my mother would have been my grave, And her womb ever pregnant.  

Jeremiah wished he had died in his mother's womb. Strikingly, however, that's where God had called him (Jer 1:5). 

Constable: Jeremiah bewailed the fact that he ever came out of his mother’s womb, since his life had been so full of trouble, sorrow, and shame. Jeremiah 20:17-18 are another indication that human life exists in a mother’s womb before birth. Jeremiah existed as a person in his mother’s womb

Jeremiah 20:18 Why did I ever come forth from the womb To look on trouble and sorrow, So that my days have been spent in shame?

NET  Why did I ever come forth from my mother's womb? All I experience is trouble and grief, and I spend my days in shame.

NLT  Why was I ever born? My entire life has been filled with trouble, sorrow, and shame.

• came: Job 3:20 14:1,13 La 3:1 
• to see: Jer 8:18 Ge 3:16-19 Ps 90:10 La 1:12  Joh 16:20 Heb 10:36 
• with: Ps 69:19 Isa 1:6 51:7 Ac 5:41 1Co 4:9-13 2Ti 1:12 Heb 11:36 Heb 12:2 13:13 1Pe 4:14-16 

Why did I ever come forth from the womb To look on trouble and sorrow, So that my days have been spent in shame?

Wiersbe: “Why came I forth out of the womb?” is an easy question to answer: because God had a special purpose for your life and designed you to fulfill it (Jer. 1:4-5; Ps. 139:13-16). God makes not mistakes when He calls His servants, and we should take care not to question His wisdom. All of us have had times of discouragement when we’ve felt like quitting, but that’s when we must look beyond our feelings and circumstances and see the greatness and wisdom of God. As V. Raymond Edman, former president of Wheaton College (Ill.), often said to the students, “It’s always too soon to quit.”

Ryken: We must recognize the confusing, almost schizophrenic nature of the Christian life. We are at one and the same time saints and sinners. Although our sins are forgiven, we continue to sin. One minute we praise, and the next we curse; one moment we rejoice in Go’s plan, and the very next we resist his will. . . Jeremiah knew the trouble of persecution, the sorrow of watching his people reject God’s Word, and the shame of public humiliation. All this suffering placed a giant question mark over his existence. Though he was strong in his faith, there were times when he had more questions than answers. On this occasion he questioned his creation, his salvation, and his vocation. . . Jeremiah raced his troubles back to the womb. But he did not go back far enough! God could trace his promises back before the womb. He’d had a purpose for Jeremiah’s life since before the beginning of time. The prophet needed to be reminded that from all eternity, the Lord had set him apart for salvation and ministry.

Mackay: The anguished cries of Jeremiah (and of Job before him) uttered in the face of the perplexities of life are not to be condemned as unworthy. Tension, stress and frustration are part of the inevitable consequences of living in this warped and sinful world. Situations have to be faced that pose problems of severe agony, intensified in the experience of the righteous sufferer by the fact that the face of God is often hidden at such times.

Kidner: What these curses convey, therefore, is a state of mind, not a prosaic plea. The heightened language is not there to be analysed: it is there to bowl us over. Together with other tortured cries from him and his fellow sufferers, these raw wounds in Scripture remain lest we forget the sharpness of the age-long struggle, or the frailty of the finest overcomers.

Bob Utley -  Obviously, vv. 14-18 are a word play from Jeremiah's call to prophetic office, recorded in Jer. 1:4-10, esp. v. 5.