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

Now Pashhur, the son of Immer the priest, who was chief officer in the LORD’s house, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.

Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in the LORD’s house.

On the next day, Pashhur released Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, the LORD has not called your name Pashhur, but Magormissabib.

For thus says the LORD, Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself, and to all your friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes shall see it; and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall kill them with the sword.

Moreover I will give all the riches of this city, and all its gains, and all the precious things of it, yes, all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies; and they shall make them captives, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.

You, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house shall go into captivity; and you shall come to Babylon, and there you shall die, and there you shall be buried, you, and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely.

Jeremiah's Lament: Deceived and Mocked

LORD, you have persuaded me, and I was persuaded; you are stronger than I, and have prevailed: I am become a laughing-stock all the day, every one mocks me.

For as often as I speak, I cry out; I cry, Violence and destruction! because the LORD’s word is made a reproach to me, and a derision, all the day.

If I say, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I can’t.

For I have heard the defaming of many, terror on every side. Denounce, and we will denounce him, say all my familiar friends, those who watch for my fall; perhaps he will be persuaded, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

But the LORD is with me as an awesome mighty one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail; they shall be utterly disappointed, because they have not dealt wisely, even with an everlasting dishonor which shall never be forgotten.

But, the LORD of Hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance on them; for to you have I revealed my cause.

Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD; for he has delivered the soul of the needy from the hand of evildoers.

Jeremiah Curses the Day of His Birth

Cursed is the day in which I was born: don’t let the day in which my mother bore me be blessed.

Cursed is the man who brought news to my father, saying, A boy is born to you; making him very glad.

Let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and didn’t repent: and let him hear a cry in the morning, and shouting at noontime;

because he didn’t kill me from the womb; and so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb always great.

Why did I come out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with 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.'

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Jeremiah20

Pashur Punishes Jeremiah

Jeremiah's Lament: Deceived and Mocked

Jeremiah Curses the Day of His Birth

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