Jérémie 20

1 Alors Pashur, fils d'Immer, sacrificateur et surintendant dans la maison de l'Éternel, entendit Jérémie qui prophétisait ces choses.

2 Et Pashur frappa le prophète Jérémie, et le mit dans la prison qui était à la porte supérieure de Benjamin, dans la maison de l'Éternel.

3 Mais, le lendemain, Pashur fit sortir Jérémie de la prison. Et Jérémie lui dit: L'Éternel ne t'a pas appelé Pashur (en sécurité tout autour), mais Magor-Missabib (frayeur de tous côtés! )

4 Car ainsi a dit l'Éternel: Voici, je te livrerai à la frayeur, toi et tous tes amis; ils tomberont par l'épée de leurs ennemis, et tes yeux le verront. Je livrerai aussi tout Juda entre les mains du roi de Babylone. Il les transportera à Babylone, et les frappera de l'épée.

5 Et je livrerai toutes les richesses de cette ville, et tout son travail, et tout ce qu'elle a de précieux, je livrerai tous les trésors des rois de Juda aux mains de leurs ennemis, qui les pilleront, les enlèveront et les emporteront à Babylone.

6 Et toi, Pashur, et tous ceux qui demeurent dans ta maison, vous irez en captivité. Tu iras à Babylone, et là tu mourras; là tu seras enseveli, toi et tous tes amis, auxquels tu as prophétisé le mensonge.

7 O Éternel! tu m'as persuadé, et je me suis laissé persuader; tu m'as saisi, et tu as prévalu. Je suis un objet de raillerie chaque jour; chacun se moque de moi.

8 Car depuis que je parle, je jette des cris; je crie violence et oppression. Et la parole de l'Éternel s'est tournée pour moi en opprobre et en moquerie tout le jour.

9 Et quand je dis: je ne ferai plus mention de lui, et je ne parlerai plus en son nom, il y a dans mon cœur comme un feu ardent renfermé dans mes os; je m'efforce de le contenir, mais je ne le puis.

10 Car j'ai entendu les propos de plusieurs: "Frayeur de toutes parts! Dénoncez-le, disent-ils, et nous le dénoncerons! " Tous ceux qui étaient en paix avec moi, épient pour voir si je ne broncherai point. Peut-être, disent-ils, se laissera-t-il surprendre; alors nous aurons le dessus, et nous nous vengerons de lui.

11 Mais l'Éternel est avec moi, comme un héros puissant et redoutable; c'est pourquoi mes persécuteurs tomberont et n'auront pas le dessus. Pour n'avoir point sagement agi, ils rougiront d'une honte éternelle, qui ne s'oubliera jamais.

12 Éternel des armées, qui sondes le juste, qui pénètres les reins et le cœur, je verrai ta vengeance s'exercer contre eux; car je t'ai découvert ma cause.

13 Chantez à l'Éternel, louez l'Éternel! Car il a délivré l'âme du pauvre de la main des méchants.

14 Maudit soit le jour où je naquis! Que le jour où ma mère m'enfanta ne soit point béni!

15 Maudit soit l'homme qui porta cette nouvelle à mon père: un enfant mâle t'est né, et qui le combla de joie!

16 Que cet homme soit comme les villes que l'Éternel a détruites, sans s'en repentir! Qu'il entende la clameur au matin, le cri de guerre au temps de midi!

17 Que ne m'a-t-on fait mourir dans le sein de ma mère? Que n'a-t-elle été mon tombeau? Et pourquoi sa grossesse n'a-t-elle été sans terme?

18 Pourquoi suis-je né pour ne voir que tourment et qu'ennui, et pour consumer mes jours dans la honte?

Jérémie 20 Commentary

Chapter 20

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)

Verses 1-6 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.

Verses 7-13 The prophet complains of the insult and injury he experienced. But ver. ( 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.

Verses 14-18 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.

Chapter Summary

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.