Jeremiah 20:12

12 And thou, Lord of hosts, the prover of a just man, which seest the reins and [the] heart, I beseech, see I thy vengeance of them; for I have showed my cause to thee. (And thou, Lord of hosts, the prover of the just, who seest the reins and the heart, I beseech thee, let me see thy vengeance upon them; for I have shown my cause to thee./And thou, Lord of hosts, the tester of the righteous, who seest the depths of the heart, I beseech thee, let me see thy vengeance upon them; for I have stated my case to thee.)

Jeremiah 20:12 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 20:12

But, O Lord, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins
and the heart
That tries the cause of the righteous, and vindicates them, rights their wrongs, and does them justice; being the omniscient God, the seer and searcher of the hearts and reins; who knows the uprightness of their hearts, as well as their ways, and the sincerity of their affections: or that tries the faith and patience of the righteous, their constancy and integrity; and upon trial finds that their affections are real, and their souls sincere; let me see thy vengeance on them;
his enemies and persecutors; he does not seek vengeance himself, but desires it of the Lord; he does not ask to see his vengeance, but the Lord's vengeance on them, what he thought was just and proper to inflict on them; he knew that vengeance belonged to the Lord, and therefore left it with him, and prayed for it from him. The Targum is,

``let me see the vengeance of thy judgments on them;''

for unto thee have I opened my cause;
or "revealed", or "made it manifest" ^F11; this he did in prayer, at this time, when he laid before the Lord his whole case, and appealed and applied to him for justice, who judgeth righteous persons, and judgeth righteously.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 (ybyr ta ytylg) "revelavi causam meam", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. So Schmidt.

Jeremiah 20:12 In-Context

10 For I heard despisings of many men, and dread in compass, (and they said,) Pursue ye, and pursue we him, of all men that were peaceable to me, and keeping my side; if in any manner he be deceived, and we have the mastery against him, and get vengeance of him. (For I heard the despising of many people, and fear was all around, and they said, Pursue ye, yea, let us pursue him, even from all those who were peaceable to me, and on my side; yea, they said, perhaps he can be deceived, and we shall have the mastery over him, and take vengeance upon him.)

11 Forsooth the Lord as a strong warrior is with me, therefore they that pursue me shall fall, and they shall be feeble; and they shall be shamed greatly (and they shall be greatly shamed), for they understood not (about) everlasting shame, that shall never be done away.

12 And thou, Lord of hosts, the prover of a just man, which seest the reins and [the] heart, I beseech, see I thy vengeance of them; for I have showed my cause to thee. (And thou, Lord of hosts, the prover of the just, who seest the reins and the heart, I beseech thee, let me see thy vengeance upon them; for I have shown my cause to thee./And thou, Lord of hosts, the tester of the righteous, who seest the depths of the heart, I beseech thee, let me see thy vengeance upon them; for I have stated my case to thee.)

13 Sing ye to the Lord, praise ye the Lord, for he delivered the soul of a poor man from the hand of evil men. (Sing ye to the Lord, praise ye the Lord, for he rescued the souls of the poor from the hands, or the power, of evil people.)

14 Cursed be the day wherein I was born, the day wherein my mother childed me be not blessed. (Cursed be the day when I was born, may the day when my mother gave birth to me be not blessed.)