Jeremiah 20:4-14

4 "For thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I am going to make you a 1terror to yourself and to all your friends; and while 2your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will 3give over all Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away as 4exiles to Babylon and will slay them with the sword.
5 'I will also give over all the 5wealth 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 6hand of their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away and bring them to Babylon.
6 'And you, 7Pashhur, 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 8friends to whom you have 9falsely prophesied.' "

Jeremiah's Complaint

7 O LORD, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have 10overcome me and prevailed. I have become a 11laughingstock all day long; Everyone 12mocks me.
8 For each time I speak, I cry aloud; I 13proclaim violence and destruction, Because for me the 14word of the LORD has resulted In reproach and derision all day long.
9 But if I say, "I will not 15remember Him Or speak anymore in His name," Then in 16my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And 17I cannot endure it.
10 For 18I have heard the whispering of many, "19Terror on every side! 20Denounce him; yes, let us denounce him!" All my 21trusted friends *, Watching for my fall, say: "Perhaps he will be deceived, so that we may 22prevail against him And take our revenge on him."
11 But the 23LORD is with me like a dread champion; Therefore * my 24persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed, With an 25everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.
12 Yet, O LORD of hosts, You who 26test the righteous, Who see the mind and the heart; Let me 27see Your vengeance on them; For 28to You I have set forth my cause.
13 29Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD! For He has 30delivered the soul of the needy one From the hand of evildoers.
14 Cursed be the 31day when I was born; Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me!

Jeremiah 20:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 20

This chapter gives an account of the usage that Jeremiah met with from many for his prophecies, and the effect it had upon him. He was smitten and put in the stocks by Pashur the priest, who released him the next day, Jer 20:1-3; upon which he prophesies again of the delivery of the city of Jerusalem, with all its riches, and of the whole land, to the Chaldeans; and particularly that Pashur should be a terror to himself and all his friends; and that both he and they should be carried captive into Babylon, and die, and be buried there, Jer 20:4-6; and then he complains of his being mocked at by the people for the word of the Lord; which he therefore determined to make no more mention of, but was obliged to it; and of the defamations of him, and snares that were laid for him, Jer 20:7-10; under which he is supported with the consideration of the Lord's being with him, and that his enemies should not prevail, but be confounded; and appeals to him, and calls for vengeance from him on them; and, in the view of deliverance, not only praises the Lord himself, but calls upon others to join with him in it, Jer 20:11-13; and yet, after all, the chapter is concluded with his cursing the day of his birth, and the man that brought his father the news of it, Jer 20:14-18.

Cross References 31

  • 1. Job 18:11-21; Jeremiah 6:25; Jeremiah 46:5; Ezekiel 26:21
  • 2. Jeremiah 29:21; Jeremiah 39:6, 7
  • 3. Jeremiah 21:4-10; Jeremiah 25:9
  • 4. Jeremiah 13:10; Jeremiah 52:27
  • 5. Jeremiah 15:13; Jeremiah 17:3
  • 6. 2 Kings 20:17, 18; 2 Chronicles 36:10; Jeremiah 27:21, 22
  • 7. Jeremiah 20:1
  • 8. Jeremiah 20:4; Jeremiah 29:21
  • 9. Jeremiah 14:14, 15; Lamentations 2:14
  • 10. Ezekiel 3:14
  • 11. Job 12:4; Lamentations 3:14
  • 12. Psalms 22:7; Jeremiah 38:19
  • 13. Jeremiah 6:7
  • 14. 2 Chronicles 36:16; Jeremiah 6:10
  • 15. 1 Kings 19:3, 4; Jonah 1:2, 3
  • 16. Job 32:18-20; Psalms 39:3; Jeremiah 4:19; Jeremiah 23:9; Ezekiel 3:14; Acts 4:20
  • 17. Job 32:18-20
  • 18. Psalms 31:13
  • 19. Jeremiah 6:25
  • 20. Nehemiah 6:6-13; Isaiah 29:21; Jeremiah 18:18
  • 21. Psalms 41:9
  • 22. 1 Kings 19:2
  • 23. Jeremiah 1:8; Jeremiah 15:20; Romans 8:31
  • 24. Deuteronomy 32:35, 36; Jeremiah 15:15, 20; Jeremiah 17:18
  • 25. Jeremiah 23:40
  • 26. Psalms 7:9; Psalms 11:5; Psalms 17:3; Psalms 139:23; Jeremiah 11:20; Jeremiah 17:10
  • 27. Psalms 54:7; Psalms 59:10; Jeremiah 11:20
  • 28. Psalms 62:8
  • 29. Jeremiah 31:7
  • 30. Psalms 34:6; Psalms 69:33; Jeremiah 15:21
  • 31. Job 3:3-6; Jeremiah 15:10

Footnotes 5

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