TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Jeremiah 20:14–18. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
What is the meaning of this? Does there proceed out of the same mouth blessing and cursing? Could he that said so cheerfully (Jer 20:13), Sing unto the Lord, praise you the Lord, say so passionately (Jer 20:14), Cursed be the day wherein I was born? How shall we reconcile these? What we have in these verses the prophet records, I suppose, to his own shame, as he had recorded that in the foregoing verses to God's glory. It seems to be a relation of the ferment he had been in while he was in the stocks, out of which by faith and hope he had recovered himself, rather than a new temptation which he afterwards fell into, and it should come in like that of David (Psa 31:22), I said in my haste, I am cut off; this is also implied, Psa 77:7. When grace has got the victory it is good to remember the struggles of corruption, that we may be ashamed of ourselves and our own folly, may admire the goodness of God in not taking us at our word, and may be warned by it to double our guard upon our spirits another time. See here how strong the temptation was which the prophet, by divine assistance, got the victory over, and how far he yielded to it, that we may not despair if we through the weakness of the flesh be at any time thus tempted. Let us see here,
I.What the prophet's language was in this temptation.
1.He fastened a brand of infamy upon his birthday, as Job did in a heat (Job 3:1): "Cursed be the day wherein I was born. It was an ill day to me (Jer 20:14), because it was the beginning of sorrows, and an inlet to all this misery." It is a wish that he had never been born. Judas in hell has reason to wish so (Mat 26:24), but no man on earth has reason to wish so, because he knows not but he may yet become a vessel of mercy, much less has any good man reason to wish so. Whereas some keep their birthday, at the return of the year with gladness, he will look upon his birthday as a melancholy day, and will solemnize it with sorrow, and will have it looked upon as an ominous day.
2.He wished ill to the messenger that brought his father the news of his birth, Jer 20:15. It made his father very glad to hear that he had a child born (perhaps it was his first-born), especially that it was a man-child, for then, being of the family of the priests, he might live to have the honour of serving God's altar; and yet he is ready to curse the man that brought him the tidings, when perhaps the father to whom they were brought gave him a gratuity for it. Here Mr. Gataker well observes, "That parents are often much rejoiced at the birth of their children when, if they did but foresee what misery they are born to, they would rather lament over them than rejoice in them." He is very free and very fierce in the curses he pronounces upon the messenger of his birth (Jer 20:16): "Let him be at the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which the Lord utterly overthrew, and repented not, did not in the least mitigate of alleviate their misery. Let him hear the cry of the invading besieging enemy in the morning, as soon as he is stirring; then let him take the alarm, and by noon let him hear their shouting for victory. And thus let him live in constant terror." 3. He is angry that the fate of the Hebrews' children in Egypt was not his, that he was not slain from the womb, that his first breath was not his last, and that he was not strangled as soon as he came into the world, Jer 20:17. He wishes the messenger of his birth had been better employed and had been his murderer; nay, that his mother of whom he was born had been, to her great misery, always with child of him, and so the womb in which he was conceived would have served, without more ado, as a grave for him to be buried in. Job intimates a near alliance and resemblance between the womb and the grave, Job 1:21. Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither. 4. He thinks his present calamities sufficient to justify these passionate wishes (Jer 20:18): "Wherefore came I forth out of the womb, where I lay hid, was not seen, was not hated, where I lay safely and knew no evil, to see all this labour and sorrow, nay to have my days consumed with shame, to be continually vexed and abused, to have my life not only spent in trouble, but wasted and worn away by trouble?"
II.What use we may make of this.
It is not recorded for our imitation, and yet we may learn good lessons from it.
1.See the vanity of human life and the vexation of spirit that attends it. If there were not another life after this, we should be tempted many a time to wish that we have never known this; for our few days here are full of trouble.
2.See the folly and absurdity of sinful passion, how unreasonably it talks when it is suffered to ramble. What nonsense is it to curse a day - to curse a messenger for the sake of his message! What a brutish barbarous thing for a child to wish his own mother had never been delivered of him! See Isa 45:10. We can easily see the folly of it in others, and should take warning thence to suppress all such intemperate heats and passions in ourselves, to stifle them at first and not to suffer these evil spirits to speak. When the heart is hot, let the tongue be bridled, Psa 39:1, Psa 39:2.
3.See the weakness even of good men, who are but men at the best. See how much those who think they stand are concerned to take heed lest they fall, and to pray daily, Father in heaven, lead us not into temptation!
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
How much dissatisfaction do we see that even the brief stages of our lives bring on us! The boy longs to be a young man. The young man counts the years when he will be older. The mature man, ungrateful for the blessing of being in the prime of life, eagerly desires the honor associated with old age. Thus, to all there comes naturally a desire for change, simply because we become dissatisfied with what we are now. Therefore, even the very things that we have wished for become wearisome to us on their enjoyment, and what we have desired to obtain we reject on its attainment. Consequently, holy people have not without reason lamented their prolonged sojourning here: David lamented it, Jeremiah lamented it, Elijah lamented it. If we can believe wise people, even those in whom the divine Spirit spoke were hastening to better things.
(Verse 14 and following) Cursed be the day in which I was born, the day in which my mother bore me, let it not be blessed. Cursed be the man (or person) who brought the news to my father, saying, 'A male child is born to you,' and made him rejoice as if with joy. Let that man be like the cities that the Lord overthrew without regret; let him hear the cry in the morning and the wailing at noonday, because he did not kill me from the womb to be my mother's grave, and her womb forever pregnant. Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and sorrow, and that my days should be consumed in confusion? Those who consider that the souls were in heavenly things, and were precipitated from a better to a worse state, make use of this and similar testimonies, which indeed imply that it is better to dwell in heavenly things than in earthly things and to assume a body of humility: certain new things, or rather old, seeking arguments for their heresy. But we, on the other hand, reading that of the blessed Job: Cursed be the day wherein I was born; and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived (Job 3:3). And cursed is the man who announced to my father, saying, a boy is born to you, we fit this testimony, namely that it is better not to exist than to live in torments, according to what is written: Death is rest for a man, to whom God has closed his way (Sirach. XXII, 11). And again: Why is light given to the miserable, and life to those who are bitter of soul (Job. III, 20)? And in the Gospel we read a simple statement: It would have been better for him if he had not been born (Matthew XXVI, 24): not that there is anyone who has not been born; but that it is better not to exist than to be in a bad state. For it is one thing to not exist at all, another to exist but suffer without any respite, just as we prefer a peaceful death to a miserable life. Hence Amos refers to it as a day of darkness, a day of affliction (Amos, V). And Jacob, because he had lived in labor and distress, calls the days of his life few and evil (Gen. XLVII). And the Apostle Paul says: Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from the present evil world (Gal. I, 4). And again: Redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Ephes. V, 16). The Hebrews calculate the fifth month, when Jerusalem was captured and the Temple was destroyed, as the birth of Jeremiah, with certain and extraordinary arguments. But if they can prove this, I do not know how they can interpret the testimony of Job, unless perhaps they consider that day as a certain prefiguration and prophecy of the future destruction of the Temple. And I think that the similarity of the destroyed cities to Sodom and Gomorrah is mentioned, and every time is in mourning, so that there is a cry and a wailing in the morning and at midday. But what he brings forward: 'Whoever does not kill me in the womb, they think signifies God.' So that, he says, there would be eternal conception for me, which are all said hyperbolically. Finally, he explains the reasons why he prefers death to life, and indeed that not existing at all is better than existing badly, adding: 'Why did I come forth from the womb to see toil and sorrow, and that my days should be consumed in confusion?'
The apostle says, "God commends his charity toward us, because when as yet we were sinners, Christ died for us. Much more now that we are justified in his blood shall we be saved through him from the wrath." Of this wrath he says, "We were by nature children of wrath even as the rest." Of this wrath Jeremiah says, "Cursed be the day when I was born." Of this wrath holy Job says, "Let the day perish wherein I was born." Of this wrath the same Job says again, "Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries."
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Summary
Jeremiah 20:14 captures a raw and profound moment of despair from the prophet Jeremiah, often known as the "weeping prophet." Following intense persecution and deep emotional distress over his prophetic ministry, Jeremiah curses the day of his birth, expressing a fervent wish that he had never come into existence. This verse is a powerful outpouring of human anguish, revealing the immense personal cost of faithfully proclaiming God's truth in a resistant world and highlighting the prophet's deep identification with the suffering of his people.
Context
Literary Context
Jeremiah 20:14 is situated within a series of deeply personal laments and confessions by the prophet, often referred to as "Jeremiah's Confessions" (Jeremiah 11-20). This particular lament immediately follows Jeremiah's arrest, beating, and placement in the stocks by Pashhur, a chief priest and temple official, due to his unwelcome prophecies of judgment against Jerusalem and Judah, as detailed in Jeremiah 20:1-3. Despite his suffering, Jeremiah felt an irresistible divine compulsion to speak God's word, describing it as a "burning fire, shut up in my bones" that he could not hold back, as expressed in Jeremiah 20:9. His lament in verse 14, therefore, is not a rejection of God but an honest and agonizing outpouring of extreme human suffering, a deeply personal cry against the overwhelming burden of his divine calling, which brought him only ridicule, pain, and isolation. It stands in stark contrast to his earlier declaration of trust in God's vindication found in Jeremiah 20:11-13, showcasing the fluctuating emotional landscape of a prophet under duress.
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah prophesied during a tumultuous period in Judah's history, spanning the reigns of the last five kings before the Babylonian exile (late 7th to early 6th century BCE). This era was characterized by political instability, spiritual apostasy, and the looming threat of foreign invasion. Jeremiah's message of impending judgment and the call to repentance was largely rejected by the people, the false prophets, and the ruling elite, who preferred messages of peace and prosperity. In this cultural setting, a person's birth was generally seen as a blessing and a cause for celebration, often accompanied by rituals and expressions of joy. To curse one's birth, as Jeremiah does, was an extreme expression of despair, indicating a wish for non-existence—a sentiment deeply unsettling in a society that valued lineage and continuity. Such a lament would have been understood as a profound reversal of natural order and a desperate cry from the depths of suffering, echoing ancient Near Eastern laments and curses, though rarely directed at one's own beginning.
Key Themes
Jeremiah 20:14 profoundly contributes to several key themes within the book of Jeremiah and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it highlights the profound despair and anguish experienced by the prophet, vividly portraying the emotional toll of his prophetic burden. This raw honesty underscores the humanity of the prophet, demonstrating that even God's chosen servants are not immune to intense frustration, sorrow, and even thoughts of non-existence. Secondly, it emphasizes the burden and cost of prophetic ministry, especially when delivering unpopular messages of judgment, which consistently led to opposition and persecution for Jeremiah. This verse resonates with other biblical figures who experienced deep suffering, such as Job, who similarly cursed the day of his birth amidst his trials, as seen in Job 3:1-10. Finally, it speaks to the theme of lament as a legitimate expression of faith, demonstrating that authentic faith allows for the full spectrum of human emotion, even profound despair, to be brought before God.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root (H779) means "to execrate" or "bitterly curse." It implies a strong, fervent wish for something to be deprived of blessing, subjected to misfortune, or even brought to ruin. When applied to a day, as here, it signifies a desire for that day to be utterly devoid of any good, marked instead by the deepest negativity and divine disfavor. Jeremiah's use of this word for his own birth-day is an extreme expression of his desire to undo his very existence, reflecting an overwhelming sense of suffering and regret.
From an unused root meaning "to be hot," this word (H3117) refers to a day, whether literal (from sunrise to sunset) or figurative (a defined space of time). In this context, "the day wherein I was born" refers to the specific moment of his entry into the world. The repetition of "day" emphasizes the target of his curse—not just his life, but the very beginning of it, the moment that initiated his existence and, consequently, his suffering. It symbolizes the origin point of all his subsequent pain.
This primitive root (H1288) primarily means "to kneel," and by implication, "to bless God (as an act of adoration)" or "man (as a benefit)." Interestingly, it can also be used euphemistically to "curse" (God or the king, as treason). In Jeremiah 20:14, the negative construction "let not... be blessed" is a direct antithesis to "cursed." It reinforces the complete absence of any good or divine favor upon the day of his birth. It's not merely a wish for a neutral state, but for an active withholding of all that is good, highlighting the depth of his desire for the day to be marked by misfortune.
Verse Breakdown
"Cursed be the day wherein I was born:"
This opening clause is a direct and forceful imprecation. Jeremiah invokes a curse upon the specific calendar day of his birth, wishing for it to be deprived of all blessing and to be marked by misfortune. This is not a casual complaint but a deep, visceral cry of anguish, expressing a profound regret for his very existence. The intensity of this statement reveals the overwhelming burden of his prophetic calling and the severe persecution he endured, leading him to wish for non-being as an escape from his suffering.
"let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed."
This second clause functions as a parallel intensification of the first, employing negative parallelism. While the first clause actively curses, this one passively wishes for the absence of blessing. The reference to his "mother" adds a deeply personal and intimate dimension to his lament, acknowledging the physical act of his birth and extending the desire for its unblessed state. The combined effect of both clauses is a comprehensive rejection of his birth, a desperate plea for the reversal of his beginning, underscoring the depth of his emotional pain and the feeling that his life has brought him nothing but sorrow.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 20:14 is rich in literary devices that amplify the prophet's profound despair. The most prominent is Parallelism, specifically Negative Parallelism, where the second line ("let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed") reiterates the sentiment of the first ("Cursed be the day wherein I was born") but in an antithetical or negative form. This structure emphasizes the absolute nature of Jeremiah's wish for his birth-day to be utterly devoid of any good or blessing. Hyperbole is also evident, as cursing one's birth is an extreme exaggeration of distress, conveying an overwhelming sense of suffering that transcends normal expression. It's a rhetorical device employed to communicate the prophet's utter brokenness and the intensity of his anguish. Furthermore, the verse functions as a Lament or Dirge, a form of poetic expression common in the Psalms and prophetic literature, designed to give voice to deep sorrow, pain, and complaint before God. The "day" of his birth can also be seen as Symbolism, representing not just a specific date but the entire trajectory of his life, which he perceives as cursed due to the suffering his prophetic calling has entailed.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah's lament in 20:14 offers profound theological insights into the nature of human suffering, the cost of divine calling, and the legitimacy of honest lament before God. It reveals that even the most faithful servants of God can experience depths of despair that lead them to question their very existence. This verse assures believers that expressing raw, even seemingly unholy, emotions to God is not a sign of weak faith but an authentic engagement with the divine. God is big enough to handle our darkest thoughts and deepest anguish. Jeremiah's experience validates the reality that faithfulness does not guarantee an easy life; sometimes, it leads to profound hardship and isolation, yet God remains present in the midst of it. The prophet's cry echoes the universal human experience of pain and the longing for relief, demonstrating that suffering can be so intense that non-existence appears preferable.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah 20:14 provides a powerful and comforting validation for those experiencing profound despair or overwhelming challenges. It reminds us that it is not only permissible but, at times, necessary to voice our deepest anguish and darkest thoughts to God. The Bible does not shy away from the raw realities of human suffering, and Jeremiah's lament serves as a divine permission slip for us to bring our unvarnished emotions—frustration, sorrow, anger, and even thoughts of non-existence—before our Creator. This verse teaches us that faith does not eliminate pain or guarantee an easy life; indeed, faithfulness can sometimes lead to greater hardship and opposition. However, it also underscores that God understands our anguish and remains present even when we feel utterly broken and abandoned. Our honest cries, even those that seem to question His ways, are recorded in Scripture, demonstrating God's acceptance and empathy. This truth can be a profound source of comfort, reminding us that we are not alone in our feelings and that God meets us in our lowest valleys, offering solace and strength even when we cannot perceive it.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is it wrong for a prophet or a believer to curse the day of their birth or express such deep despair?
Jeremiah 20:14, along with similar laments from Job, as seen in Job 3:1-10, demonstrates that it is not necessarily "wrong" in the sense of being sinful to express profound despair, even to the point of cursing one's existence. These passages reveal the raw, unvarnished reality of human suffering and the freedom given to God's faithful servants to voice their deepest anguish directly to Him. While such expressions are extreme and reflect immense pain, they are presented within the context of a relationship with God, not as a rejection of Him. They highlight the prophet's humanity and the intensity of his burden, validating the experience of deep emotional distress for all believers. God's inclusion of these laments in Scripture indicates His understanding and acceptance of our authentic, even agonizing, cries.
Does Jeremiah's lament indicate a lack of faith or trust in God?
While Jeremiah's lament expresses extreme despair, it does not necessarily indicate a fundamental lack of faith or trust in God. Instead, it reveals the profound tension between his unwavering calling and the overwhelming suffering it brought. Immediately preceding this verse, Jeremiah affirms his trust in God's vindication, as shown in Jeremiah 20:11-13. His lament is an honest outpouring of human emotion under immense pressure, a wrestling with God in the crucible of pain, rather than a definitive renunciation of faith. Many Psalms of lament also demonstrate this dynamic, where deep anguish and questioning coexist with an underlying trust in God's ultimate faithfulness, such as Psalm 22. It shows that faith is not the absence of doubt or pain, but the willingness to bring all of one's experience, even the darkest parts, into God's presence.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeremiah's profound lament in 20:14, a cry for non-existence amidst overwhelming suffering, finds its ultimate echo and redemptive fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Jeremiah cursed the day of his birth, Jesus, though "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3), embraced His birth and life, knowing it led to the cross. His suffering was not merely the consequence of an unpopular message, but the very purpose of His incarnation—to bear the curse of humanity. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus expressed an anguish far deeper than Jeremiah's, praying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will" (Matthew 26:39). Here, we see profound human agony, yet coupled with perfect submission to the Father's will, a stark contrast to Jeremiah's wish for non-being. On the cross, Jesus became the ultimate "cursed one" for our sake, taking upon Himself the very curse that Jeremiah wished upon his birth-day, so that we might receive blessing. As Galatians 3:13 declares, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.'" Thus, Jeremiah's lament, while intensely human, foreshadows the divine suffering of the Lamb of God, who fully entered into human pain, conquered the curse, and transformed the deepest anguish into the source of eternal blessing and life for all who believe.