Jeremiah 20:17

17 he that killed not me from the womb, hear cry early, and yelling in the time of midday; that my mother were [made] a sepulchre to me, and her womb were an everlasting conceiving. [that me (he) slew not from the privy womb; that made were to me my mother a sepulchre, and her privy womb conceiving everlasting. (that he did not kill me in the womb; so that my mother was made a tomb for me, and within her womb I was an everlasting conception.)] (because the Lord did not kill me in the womb, so that my mother was made my tomb, and I was an everlasting, or never born, conception, within her womb.)

Jeremiah 20:17 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 20:17

Because he slew me not from the womb
As soon as he came out of it; that is, as soon as he was born; either because God slew him not so soon, as Kimchi; or the angel of death, as Jarchi: or rather the man that carried the tidings of his birth to his father, who is all along spoken of in the two former verses; he curses him for not doing that, which, had he done, would have been exceeding criminal in him indeed; for not committing murder, even for not murdering an innocent babe; or that my mother might have been my grave;
he wishes he had died in her womb, and had never been brought forth; and so that had been his grave, where he should have been at ease and safety: and her womb [to be] always great [with me];
or, "her womb an everlasting conception" ^F13; his wish was, that she had been always conceiving, or ever big with child of him, but never bring forth; which was a more cruel and unnatural wish than the former concerning the man, the carrier of the tidings of his birth; since this was wishing a perpetual, painful, and intolerable evil to his own mother.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 (Mlwe trh hmxrw) "et ejus uterus, conceptus perpetuus", Munster; "et vulva ejus, conceptio perpetua", Pagninus, "et vulva ejus praegnans perpetuo", Vatablus.

Jeremiah 20:17 In-Context

15 Cursed be the man, that told to my father, and said, A knave child is born to thee, and made him glad as with joy. (Cursed be the man, who told my father, and said, A boy child is born to thee, and made him happy with joy.)

16 That man be as the cities be, which the Lord destroyed, and it repented not him; [Be that man as be the cities, that the Lord turned upside-down, and it repented him not; hear he (the) cry early, and yelling in midday time,] (May that man be like the cities, which the Lord destroyed, and he did not repent for doing that; let him hear the cries of alarm in the morning, and the yelling at midday,)

17 he that killed not me from the womb, hear cry early, and yelling in the time of midday; that my mother were [made] a sepulchre to me, and her womb were an everlasting conceiving. [that me (he) slew not from the privy womb; that made were to me my mother a sepulchre, and her privy womb conceiving everlasting. (that he did not kill me in the womb; so that my mother was made a tomb for me, and within her womb I was an everlasting conception.)] (because the Lord did not kill me in the womb, so that my mother was made my tomb, and I was an everlasting, or never born, conception, within her womb.)

18 Why went I out of the womb, that I should see travail and sorrow, and that my days shall be wasted in shame? (O why was I born, so that I could see struggle, or trouble, and sorrow, and that my days would be wasted in shame?)