Jeremiah 20

9. his word was--or literally, "there was in my heart, as it were, a burning fire," that is, the divine afflatus or impulse to speak was as . . . ( Job 32:18 Job 32:19 , Psalms 39:3 ).
weary with forbearing, and I could not--"I labored to contain myself, but I could not" ( Acts 18:5 ; compare Jeremiah 23:9 , 1 Corinthians 9:16 1 Corinthians 9:17 ).

10. For--not referring to the words immediately preceding, but to "I will not make mention of Him." The "defaming" or detraction of the enemy on every side (see Psalms 31:13 ) tempted him to think of prophesying no more.
Report . . . we will report--The words of his adversaries one to the other; give any information against him (true or false) which will give color for accusing him; and "we will report it," namely, to the Sanhedrim, in order to crush him.
familiars--literally, "men of my peace"; those who pretended to be on peaceable terms with me ( Psalms 41:9 ). Jeremiah is a type of Messiah, referred to in that Psalm. (See Jeremiah 38:22 , Job 19:19 , Psalms 55:13 Psalms 55:14 , Luke 11:53 Luke 11:54 ).
watched for my halting--( Psalms 35:15 , Margin, "halting"; Psalms 38:17 , 71:10 , Margin). GESENIUS not so well translates, according to Arabic idiom, "those guarding my side" (that is, my most intimate friends always at my side), in apposition to "familiars," and the subject of "say" (instead of "saying). The Hebrew means properly "side," then "halting," as the halt bend on one side.
enticed--to commit some sin.

11. not prevail--as they hoped to do ( Jeremiah 20:10 , Jeremiah 15:20 ).
prosper--in their plot.

12. triest the righteous--in latent contrast to the hasty judgments of men ( Jeremiah 11:20 , 17:10 ).
opened--that is, committed (compare 2 Kings 19:14 , Psalms 35:1 ).

13. delivered . . . soul--This deliverance took place when Zedekiah succeeded Jeconiah.

14-18. The contrast between the spirit of this passage and the preceding thanksgiving is to be explained thus: to show how great was the deliverance ( Jeremiah 20:13 ), he subjoins a picture of what his wounded spirit had been previous to his deliverance; I had said in the time of my imprisonment, "Cursed be the day"; my feeling was that of Job ( Job 3:3 Job 3:10 Job 3:11 , whose words Jeremiah therefore copies). Though Jeremiah's zeal had been stirred up, not so much for self as for God's honor trampled on by the rejection of the prophet's words, yet it was intemperate when he made his birth a subject for cursing, which was really a ground for thanksgiving.

15. A man child--The birth of a son is in the East a special subject of joy; whereas that of a daughter is often not so.

16. the cities--Sodom and Gomorrah.
cry . . . morning . . . noontide--that is, Let him be kept in alarm the whole day (not merely at night when terrors ordinarily prevail, but in daytime when it is something extraordinary) with terrifying war shouts, as those in a besieged city ( Jeremiah 18:22 ).

17. he--"that man" ( Jeremiah 20:15 Jeremiah 20:16 ).
from the womb--that is, at that time while I was still in the womb.