Jeremiah20

Pashur, a chief governor, smote Jeremiah and put him in stocks for his prophecies. Upon release, Jeremiah prophesied that Pashur and his household would die in Babylonian captivity, renaming him "Magor-missabib." Overwhelmed by persecution and mockery, Jeremiah lamented his birth, yet acknowledged the irresistible call of God's word within him.

Pashur Punishes Jeremiah

1
Now when the cohen Pash'chur son of Immer, chief official in the house of ADONAI, heard Yirmeyahu prophesying these things, ​
2
he had him flogged and put him in the stocks at the Upper Binyamin Gate of the house of ADONAI. ​
3
The following morning, when Pash'chur led Yirmeyahu out of the stocks, Yirmeyahu said to him, "ADONAI no longer calls you Pash'chur but Magor-Missaviv [terror on every side]. ​
4
For this is what ADONAI says: 'I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They will fall by the sword of their enemies, while you watch. I will hand over all of Y'hudah to the king of Bavel, and he will carry them off captive to Bavel and put them to the sword. ​
5
Moreover, I will hand over everything stored in this city, all its valuables, all its wealth, indeed all the treasures of the kings of Y'hudah, to their enemies, who will plunder them, take them and carry them to Bavel.
6
And you, Pash'chur, along with your entire household, will go into captivity; you will go to Bavel, where you will die and be buried - you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied lies.'" ​

Jeremiah's Lament: Deceived and Mocked

7
You fooled me, ADONAI; I have been your dupe. You overpowered me, and you have prevailed. All day long I'm a laughingstock; everyone makes fun of me. ​
8
Whenever I speak, I have to cry out; I shout, "Violence!" and "Destruction!" Thus the word of ADONAI becomes for me the cause of reproach and derision all day! ​
9
But if I say, "I won't think about him, I won't speak in his name any more," then it seems as though a fire is burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I wear myself out trying to hold it in, but I just can't do it. ​
10
I have heard many whispering their plot: "'Terror in every direction'? Denounce him! Let's denounce him!" Even all my close friends are watching for me to make a false step - "Maybe he can be tricked, then we'll get the better of him, then we'll take our revenge on him." ​
11
But ADONAI is with me like a dreaded warrior; so my persecutors will stumble, defeated, greatly ashamed because of their failure; their lasting disgrace will not be forgotten. ​
12
ADONAI-Tzva'ot, you who test the righteous and see people's hearts and thoughts, let me see you take vengeance on them, for I have committed my cause to you. ​
13
Sing to ADONAI! Praise ADONAI! For he rescues those in need from the clutches of evildoers. ​

Jeremiah Curses the Day of His Birth

14
A curse on the day I was born! The day my mother gave birth to me - let it not be blessed! ​
15
A curse on the man who brought the news to my father, "A son has been born to you!" - thus making him very happy.
16
Let that man be like the cities ADONAI overthrew without mercy! Let him hear cries of alarm in the morning and the sound of battle at noon, ​
17
because God did not put me to death in the womb and let my mother become my grave, her womb forever filled with me.
18
Why did I have to emerge from the womb, just to see toil and sorrow, and end my days in shame? ​

Study Notes for Jeremiah 20

Verse 1

Pashur was a chief temple official (priest) responsible for security and order within the Temple complex, representing the official religious establishment that opposed Jeremiah’s message of impending doom.

Verse 2

To be placed in stocks, especially near a major thoroughfare like the Gate of Benjamin, was an act of public humiliation designed to silence and discredit the prophet.

Verse 3

Jeremiah renames the official, a prophetic act symbolizing a change in destiny. 'Magormissabib' means 'Terror on Every Side,' the exact fate Pashur will soon experience (cf. v. 10).

Verse 4

This prophecy confirms that Pashur will personally witness the destruction of his friends and the captivity of Judah before facing his own judgment.

Verse 6

Pashur is condemned to die in Babylon, emphasizing that those who suppress the prophetic word and speak lies will not escape the judgment meant for the nation.

Verse 7

This is the fifth of Jeremiah’s 'Confessions.' The prophet feels overwhelmed, using the strong term *pātâ* ('deceived' or 'seduced') to express his feeling that God's irresistible call led him into a ministry that only brought him suffering and mockery.

Verse 8

Jeremiah clarifies that the core of his message—prophesying 'Violence and Spoil' (the invasion)—is exactly what makes him a daily object of reproach among his own people.

Verse 9

This is a classic description of the irresistible nature of God’s calling. Though Jeremiah tries to quit his ministry due to pain, the divine word acts as a consuming, internal fire (*ēsh*) that he cannot hold back.

Verse 10

The phrase 'fear on every side' (*magor missabib*) is repeated (cf. v. 3), highlighting the constant psychological terror Jeremiah faces. His closest 'familiars' (friends or neighbors) are actively plotting his downfall.

Verse 11

Despite the threats, Jeremiah shifts immediately to an affirmation of faith, viewing God as a 'mighty terrible one' (a terrifying warrior) who fights on his behalf against his persecutors.

Verse 12

Jeremiah appeals to God as the one who tests the righteous and sees the deepest intentions of humanity ('reins and the heart'), asking for God to execute the promised justice against his enemies.

Verse 13

This sudden doxological outburst of praise interrupts the lament, showing the prophet’s confidence that, even in the midst of his suffering, God will ultimately deliver him.

Verse 14

The lament takes a drastic, highly personal turn. Moving beyond complaining about his ministry, Jeremiah expresses extreme despair by cursing the day of his birth, echoing the intense suffering found in the Book of Job (Job 3:3).

Verse 16

The cursed messenger is wished the fate of the cities of the Plain (Sodom and Gomorrah), symbolizing utter, irreversible destruction.

Verse 18

This rhetorical question summarizes the prophet’s despair: his life has been consumed by the unwelcome burden of the prophetic office, resulting only in 'labor and sorrow' and 'shame.'

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options