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.
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Pashur Punishes Jeremiah

1
Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. ​
2
Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD. ​
3
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib. ​
4
For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword. ​
5
Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.
6
And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies. ​

Jeremiah's Lament: Deceived and Mocked

7
O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. ​
8
For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. ​
9
Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. ​
10
For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him. ​
11
But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. ​
12
But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause. ​
13
Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers. ​

Jeremiah Curses the Day of His Birth

14
Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. ​
15
Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.
16
And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; ​
17
Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.
18
Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour 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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