Jeremiah 20:11
But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible
one
The Targum is,
``the Word of the Lord is for my help.''
"Mighty" to support, uphold, defend, and deliver him; and
"terrible" to his enemies. The prophet looks back to the promise
the Lord had made him, of his gracious and powerful presence, (
Jeremiah 1:18
Jeremiah 1:19
) ; which he now takes comfort from; and it would have been well if
he had kept this always in view, and had continued in the same
actings of faith and temper of mind: but this lasted not long, as
some following verses show;
therefore my persecutors shall
stumble, and shall not prevail;
though they should very hotly and furiously pursue him, yet they
should stumble and fall by the way, and not be able to overtake
him, and execute their designs upon him; the Lord, who was with
him, and on his side, would throw some things in their way, at
which they should stumble, and which should hinder them from
proceeding;
they shall be greatly ashamed, for they shall not
prosper;
when they see their schemes are disappointed, and they do not
succeed, they shall be filled with shame and confusion: or,
"because they do not deal prudently"
F7, as the word is rendered,
(
Isaiah
52:13 ) ; they do not act a wise, but a foolish part, and
therefore shame will be the consequence of it;
[their]
everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten;
neither by themselves nor others; the memory of it will always
continue, to their everlasting grief and reproach. A very learned
man connects these words with the former, thus, "they shall be
greatly ashamed, for they shall not prosper, with an everlasting
shame never to be forgotten"
F8, very rightly; so another
learned interpreter
F9.