Jeremiah 20:11

11 But the Lord is with me like a strong warrior, so those who are chasing me will trip and fall; they will not defeat me. They will be ashamed because they have failed, and their shame will never be forgotten.

Jeremiah 20:11 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 20:11

But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one
The Targum is,

``the Word of the Lord is for my help.''

"Mighty" to support, uphold, defend, and deliver him; and "terrible" to his enemies. The prophet looks back to the promise the Lord had made him, of his gracious and powerful presence, ( Jeremiah 1:18 Jeremiah 1:19 ) ; which he now takes comfort from; and it would have been well if he had kept this always in view, and had continued in the same actings of faith and temper of mind: but this lasted not long, as some following verses show; therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and shall not prevail;
though they should very hotly and furiously pursue him, yet they should stumble and fall by the way, and not be able to overtake him, and execute their designs upon him; the Lord, who was with him, and on his side, would throw some things in their way, at which they should stumble, and which should hinder them from proceeding; they shall be greatly ashamed, for they shall not prosper;
when they see their schemes are disappointed, and they do not succeed, they shall be filled with shame and confusion: or, "because they do not deal prudently" ^F7, as the word is rendered, ( Isaiah 52:13 ) ; they do not act a wise, but a foolish part, and therefore shame will be the consequence of it; [their] everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten;
neither by themselves nor others; the memory of it will always continue, to their everlasting grief and reproach. A very learned man connects these words with the former, thus, "they shall be greatly ashamed, for they shall not prosper, with an everlasting shame never to be forgotten" ^F8, very rightly; so another learned interpreter ^F9.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 (wlykvh al yk) "quia non prudenter egerunt", Montanus, Piscator; "prudenter agunt", Calvin.
F8 "Erubescent valde, quia non prosperabuntur, ignominia aeterna non obliviscenda", De Dieu.
F9 "Pudefient, quod non profecerint, ignominia perpetuitatis (quae) non tradetur oblivioni", Schmidt.

Jeremiah 20:11 In-Context

9 Sometimes I say to myself, "I will forget about the Lord. I will not speak anymore in his name." But then his message becomes like a burning fire inside me, deep within my bones. I get tired of trying to hold it inside of me, and finally, I cannot hold it in.

10 I hear many people whispering about me: "Terror on every side! Tell on him! Let's tell the rulers about him." My friends are all just waiting for me to make some mistake. They are saying, "Maybe we can trick him so we can defeat him and pay him back."

11 But the Lord is with me like a strong warrior, so those who are chasing me will trip and fall; they will not defeat me. They will be ashamed because they have failed, and their shame will never be forgotten.

12 Lord All-Powerful, you test good people; you look deeply into the heart and mind of a person. I have told you my arguments against these people, so let me see you give them the punishment they deserve.

13 Sing to the Lord! He saves the life of the poor from the power of the wicked.