Jeremías 20

1 Cuando el sacerdote Pasur, hijo de Imer, que era el oficial principal en la casa del SEÑOR, oyó a Jeremías profetizar estas cosas,

2 hizo azotar al profeta Jeremías y lo puso en el cepo que estaba en la puerta superior de Benjamín, la cual conducía a la casa del SEÑOR.

3 Y al día siguiente, cuando Pasur soltó a Jeremías del cepo, Jeremías le dijo: No es Pasur el nombre con que el SEÑOR ahora te llama, sino Magor-misabib .

4 Porque así dice el SEÑOR: "He aquí, te voy a convertir en terror para ti mismo y para todos tus amigos; ellos caerán por la espada de tus enemigos, y tus ojos lo verán. Entregaré a todo Judá en manos del rey de Babilonia, y él los llevará como desterrados a Babilonia y los matará a espada.

5 "También entregaré toda la riqueza de esta ciudad, todos sus productos y cosas de gran valor, y todos los tesoros de los reyes de Judá, en manos de sus enemigos, que los saquearán, los tomarán y se los llevarán a Babilonia.

6 "Y tú, Pasur, con todos los moradores de tu casa, irás al cautiverio y entrarás en Babilonia; allí morirás y allí serás enterrado, tú y todos tus amigos a quienes has profetizado falsamente."

7 Me persuadiste, oh SEÑOR, y quedé persuadido; fuiste más fuerte que yo y prevaleciste. He sido el hazmerreír cada día; todos se burlan de mí.

8 Porque cada vez que hablo, grito; proclamo: ¡Violencia, destrucción! Pues la palabra del SEÑOR ha venido a ser para mí oprobio y escarnio cada día.

9 Pero si digo: No le recordaré ni hablaré más en su nombre, esto se convierte dentro de mí como fuego ardiente encerrado en mis huesos; hago esfuerzos por contenerlo, y no puedo.

10 Porque he oído las murmuraciones de muchos: ¡Terror por todas partes! ¡Denunciadle, denunciémosle! Todos mis amigos de confianza, esperando mi caída, dicen: Tal vez será persuadido, prevaleceremos contra él y tomaremos de él nuestra venganza.

11 Pero el SEÑOR está conmigo como campeón temible; por tanto, mis perseguidores tropezarán y no prevalecerán. Quedarán muy avergonzados, pues no han triunfado, tendrán afrenta perpetua que nunca será olvidada.

12 Oh SEÑOR de los ejércitos, que pruebas al justo, que ves las entrañas y el corazón, vea yo tu venganza sobre ellos, pues a ti he encomendado mi causa.

13 Cantad al SEÑOR, alabad al SEÑOR, porque ha librado el alma del pobre de manos de los malvados.

14 Maldito el día en que nací; el día en que me dio a luz mi madre no sea bendito.

15 Maldito el hombre que dio la noticia a mi padre, diciendo: ¡Te ha nacido un hijo varón!, haciéndolo muy feliz.

16 Sea ese hombre como las ciudades que el SEÑOR destruyó sin piedad ; oiga gritos de mañana y alaridos al mediodía,

17 porque no me mató en el vientre para que mi madre hubiera sido mi sepultura, y su vientre embarazado para siempre.

18 ¿Por qué salí del vientre para ver pena y aflicción, y que acaben en verguenza mis días?

Jeremías 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. I.e., terror por todas partes
• [b]. Lit., sin que le pesara

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.