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
2 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?'
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Summary
Jeremiah 20:17 encapsulates the prophet's profound anguish and existential despair, expressing a fervent wish for non-existence—specifically, that he had died at birth or remained perpetually within his mother's womb. This intense lament arises from the relentless persecution and suffering he endured as God's divinely appointed messenger, highlighting the immense personal cost of his prophetic calling amidst a hostile environment in Judah. It stands as a raw, honest outcry that underscores the depth of human pain, even for those divinely commissioned, and forms a poignant part of his "confessions" to God.
Context
Literary Context
Jeremiah 20:17 serves as the climactic expression of a deeply personal and agonizing lament (Jeremiah 20:7-18), often referred to as one of Jeremiah's "confessions." This section immediately follows the prophet's public humiliation and imprisonment by Pashhur, the chief officer of the temple (Jeremiah 20:1-6). Having just pronounced a severe judgment against Pashhur and Jerusalem, Jeremiah turns inward, expressing a profound sense of betrayal by God, whom he feels has "deceived" him and compelled him into a role that brings only ridicule and suffering. The preceding verses detail his internal struggle, his vow not to speak in the Lord's name again, and his inability to keep that vow due to a "burning fire" within him. Verse 17, along with the subsequent verse 18, represents the absolute nadir of his despair, a wish for his very birth to have been negated, bringing this intensely emotional confession to a dramatic close.
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah prophesied during one of the most tumultuous periods in Judah's history, spanning the reigns of the last five kings before the Babylonian exile (c. 627-586 BC). This era was marked by profound political instability, pervasive spiritual apostasy, and the looming threat of foreign invasion. Jeremiah's consistent message of impending judgment and his urgent call to repentance was deeply unpopular, often clashing with the prevailing false prophecies of peace and prosperity. Culturally, prophets were expected to deliver messages from God, but Jeremiah's unwavering pronouncements of doom made him an outcast, ridiculed and persecuted by priests, false prophets, and the general populace. His suffering was not merely personal but a stark reflection of the nation's spiritual decline and the dire consequences of rejecting God's word. The intensity of his lament reflects the profound isolation, physical hardship, and emotional torment he experienced in a society that vehemently opposed his divinely appointed task.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the Book of Jeremiah. Firstly, it vividly exemplifies the burden and cost of true prophecy, demonstrating that being God's messenger often entails immense personal suffering and opposition, as seen throughout Jeremiah's ministry (e.g., his lament over his birth in Jeremiah 15:10). Secondly, it highlights the theme of lament and honest prayer, revealing that even a great prophet can express raw, unfiltered despair to God, questioning divine purposes and even his own existence. This contrasts sharply with simplistic notions of unshakeable faith, demonstrating the Bible's realistic portrayal of human emotion and struggle. Finally, it subtly points to the sovereignty of God even amidst human suffering; despite Jeremiah's desperate wish, God's plan for him, established before his birth (as declared in Jeremiah 1:5), remained unfulfilled, indicating a divine purpose that transcends human desire and pain.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
A primitive root meaning "to die" (literally or figuratively) or, causatively, "to kill." In this context, Jeremiah wishes that the one who brought him into existence (implicitly, God or fate) had instead caused his death, specifically from the womb. This expresses a desire for non-existence or an immediate end to life before it truly began, thereby preventing the subsequent suffering and sorrow.
Referring to the physical organ of gestation. This word is crucial to the verse's imagery, representing the place of origin and the very beginning of life. Jeremiah's wish to have been "slain from the womb" or for his "womb" to have been his "grave" signifies a desire to have his very beginning be his end, a complete reversal of life's natural course.
Meaning a "sepulchre," "burying place," or "grave." The shocking juxtaposition of "mother" and "grave," and "womb" and "grave," creates a powerful, disturbing metaphor. Jeremiah wishes his mother's womb, the source of his life, had instead functioned as his tomb, perpetually holding him in a state of non-being, thus sparing him the profound pain and conflict of his earthly existence.
Verse Breakdown
"Because he slew me not from the womb;"
This clause expresses Jeremiah's bitter regret that he was allowed to be born and live. The "he" is often interpreted as the one who oversees life and death, implicitly God, or even the messenger who brought news of his birth. Jeremiah wishes that this "he" had intervened to prevent his birth or cause his death while still in the womb, thereby sparing him the immense suffering he now endures as a prophet.
"or that my mother might have been my grave,"
This is a profoundly powerful and morbid metaphor. Jeremiah wishes that his mother's womb, the very source of his life, had instead functioned as his tomb. This imagery signifies a desire for his birth to have been a perpetual burial, preventing his entry into a life filled with such overwhelming sorrow, conflict, and opposition.
"and her womb [to be] always great [with me]."
This final clause intensifies the previous wish, adding a dimension of perpetual non-emergence. "Always great" (Hebrew: ʻôwlâm hâreh) suggests a perpetual state of pregnancy, a never-ending gestation that would have prevented his birth and subsequent suffering. It is a wish for eternal non-emergence, a permanent state of being hidden from the world and its pain, a longing for an unending concealment that would spare him the agony of his prophetic ministry.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 20:17 is replete with potent literary devices that amplify the prophet's profound despair and existential agony. The most striking is Hyperbole, an extreme exaggeration used for dramatic emphasis. Jeremiah's wish for non-existence, specifically to have been "slain from the womb" or for his mother's womb to be his "grave," is an over-the-top expression of pain, not a literal desire for matricide but a desperate, visceral cry for release from suffering. This hyperbole is powerfully intertwined with a chilling Metaphor, where the mother's "womb" is equated with a "grave." This shocking juxtaposition of life's origin with death's finality underscores the depth of Jeremiah's agony, transforming the sacred place of life into a desired place of perpetual burial. The phrase "always great [with me]" further employs Irony, as the natural joy and anticipation associated with a mother being "great with child" is twisted into a morbid wish for an eternal, unfulfilled pregnancy, preventing the birth of sorrow and suffering. Overall, the verse functions as a profound Lament, a genre common in biblical literature (e.g., Psalms, Job), allowing the speaker to express raw, honest anguish directly to God, even questioning divine providence and the very purpose of their existence.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah's lament in verse 17 is a stark reminder that faithfulness to God does not exempt one from profound suffering; indeed, it can often intensify it. The prophet's cry for non-existence echoes the deepest human despair, a feeling of being so overwhelmed by life's burdens that one wishes they had never been born. Theologically, this passage affirms the Bible's radical honesty about the human condition, demonstrating that even God's chosen servants wrestle with existential anguish and profound questioning. It challenges simplistic notions of faith, revealing that true piety can coexist with deep lament and questioning. Yet, the very inclusion of such a raw confession within the inspired text testifies to God's willingness to hear and validate human pain, even when it expresses a desire to escape His sovereign plan. Jeremiah's suffering, particularly for the sake of delivering God's unpopular message, foreshadows the ultimate suffering of the Messiah, who would also experience profound anguish for the sake of God's people and their redemption.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah's desperate cry in verse 17 offers a profound invitation for believers to bring their whole selves, including their darkest moments of despair and most difficult questions, before God. The Bible does not sanitize faith; rather, it portrays the raw reality of human suffering, even for those called by God into significant ministry. In a world that often pressures us to present a facade of unwavering strength and constant joy, Jeremiah's vulnerability grants us "permission to lament." It reminds us that expressing profound anguish, even questioning our very existence or the purpose of our suffering, is not a sign of spiritual weakness but an honest engagement with the realities of a fallen world and a sovereign God. For those who feel overwhelmed, betrayed, or burdened by their circumstances—perhaps even by their calling or ministry—Jeremiah's words validate their feelings. This passage encourages us to pour out our hearts to God, trusting that He hears and understands, even when our words are born of the deepest pain and despair. It also serves as a sobering reminder that obedience to God's will may lead not to ease and comfort, but to profound difficulty and opposition, yet God remains present through it all, upholding His purpose.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Jeremiah's wish for non-existence indicate a lack of faith?
Not necessarily. While Jeremiah's words express extreme despair and a wish to escape his suffering, they are uttered within the context of a direct address to God. This act of lament, common throughout Scripture (e.g., in many Psalms, or Job's complaints in Job 3), is itself an act of faith. It demonstrates that Jeremiah still turns to God, even in his darkest hour, rather than abandoning Him. His honesty reveals the depth of his pain, but also his continued engagement with the divine, trusting that God is the one who can hear and potentially alleviate his suffering. It underscores that faith is not the absence of doubt or despair, but the willingness to bring those very struggles before God, believing He is capable of hearing and responding.
How does Jeremiah's suffering compare to other biblical figures?
Jeremiah's suffering is often paralleled with that of Job, who also cursed the day of his birth in Job 3:1-3, wishing he had died at birth or never been conceived. Both figures experience immense, undeserved pain and express profound existential anguish. However, Jeremiah's suffering is unique in its specific connection to his prophetic calling—he suffers precisely because he is faithful to God's unpopular message. This sets him apart from many other prophets who faced opposition but perhaps not the same depth of personal, emotional, and physical torment for such an extended period. His experience is a powerful testament to the cost of being God's voice in a rebellious world, foreshadowing the ultimate suffering of the Messiah.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeremiah's profound lament in Jeremiah 20:17 finds its ultimate resolution and counterpoint in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Jeremiah wished he had never been born to escape suffering, Jesus willingly embraced his birth and mission, knowing it would lead to unimaginable pain and death. The prophet's cry for his mother's womb to be his "grave" is a desperate flight from suffering; Christ, by contrast, willingly entered the womb to become human, fully embracing the human condition, including its profound capacity for suffering and death. His life was not a lament for non-existence, but a purposeful journey toward the cross, where he would bear the ultimate burden of sin and suffering, not for his own sake, but for humanity's redemption. Unlike Jeremiah, who felt "deceived" and overwhelmed by his calling, Jesus steadfastly set his face towards Jerusalem (Luke 9:51), fully obedient to the Father's will, even to the point of crying out in agony in Gethsemane, "not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). Christ's resurrection then utterly reverses the lament of non-existence; through him, death is swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54), and eternal life is offered to all who believe. Thus, where Jeremiah expressed a desire for life to be undone, Christ, through his sacrificial life and triumphant resurrection, offers life in its fullest and most abundant form (John 10:10), transforming despair into hope and death into everlasting life.