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 20:18 is a raw, agonizing lament from the prophet, often called the "weeping prophet," expressing profound despair and regret over his very existence. In this poignant cry, he questions why he was ever born, only to endure relentless "labour and sorrow" and to have his entire life consumed by public "shame." This verse encapsulates the immense personal cost and deep emotional anguish Jeremiah experienced as a faithful messenger of God, overwhelmed by the burden of his prophetic call and the relentless opposition he faced.
Context
Literary Context
Jeremiah 20:18 serves as the climactic conclusion to one of Jeremiah's most intense personal laments, often termed his "confessions" (specifically Jeremiah 20:7-18). This deeply personal outpouring immediately follows a severe episode of public humiliation and physical abuse at the hands of Pashhur, a chief priest and temple official, who had Jeremiah beaten and placed in stocks for prophesying Jerusalem's impending destruction (Jeremiah 20:1-6). The preceding verses in this chapter reveal Jeremiah's internal turmoil: his profound sense of being "deceived" by God into a prophetic ministry that brought him only mockery and derision, yet his irresistible compulsion to speak God's word, which felt like "a burning fire shut up in my bones" (Jeremiah 20:7-9). His despair escalates from cursing his persecutors to an ultimate nadir in this verse, where he curses the day of his own birth, wishing for non-existence rather than the continuation of such a burdensome and painful life. This lament stands in stark contrast to his earlier declaration of trust in God's eventual vindication (Jeremiah 20:11-12).
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah's prophetic ministry unfolded 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). He was called to deliver unpopular messages of judgment, repentance, and impending destruction to a people largely steeped in idolatry, social injustice, and a false sense of security in their covenant with God. This era was characterized by political instability, the rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, and a widespread spiritual decline within Judah. Prophets in ancient Israel often faced opposition, but Jeremiah's experience was exceptionally harsh, enduring rejection not only from the populace and political leaders but also from priests, false prophets, and even his own family (Jeremiah 11:18-23). The "shame" he speaks of was not merely an internal feeling but profound public disgrace and ridicule, a particularly severe form of suffering in ancient Near Eastern collectivistic societies where honor and reputation were paramount. To be publicly shamed was to suffer a loss of social standing and personal dignity, a burden that consumed Jeremiah's daily existence.
Key Themes
Jeremiah 20:18 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes woven throughout the book of Jeremiah. Firstly, it underscores the theme of Profound Despair and Honest Lament, showcasing the prophet's raw, unfiltered honesty before God about his suffering. This deep personal anguish is a recurring motif in Jeremiah's "confessions," highlighting the biblical allowance for expressing even the most extreme emotional pain and questioning God's ways (Jeremiah 15:10-18). Secondly, the verse vividly illustrates The Cost of Prophetic Ministry, revealing the immense personal sacrifice, suffering, and isolation involved in delivering an unpopular divine message to a rebellious and hostile people. Jeremiah's life was not one of honor or comfort but of constant opposition, ridicule, and physical hardship, a heavy burden for God's faithful messenger (Jeremiah 1:17-19). Finally, the verse speaks to the theme of Shame and Rejection, where the prophet feels utterly disgraced and humiliated, not due to personal sin, but because of the widespread rejection of his message and the mockery he endured for being God's faithful servant. This pervasive sense of public dishonor, a constant companion to his prophetic work, consumed his daily life.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Signifying "toil, i.e., wearing effort; hence, worry, whether of body or mind." It encompasses grievance, iniquity, mischief, pain, and trouble. Jeremiah uses this word to describe the burdensome and painful effort of his life and ministry, characterized by constant struggle, affliction, and the weariness of delivering an unpopular message.
Meaning "affliction; grief, sorrow." This term denotes deep emotional pain, distress, and anguish. Paired with "labour," it emphasizes the dual nature of Jeremiah's suffering—both the physical and situational hardship of his ministry and the profound emotional anguish that accompanied it.
Meaning "shame (the feeling and the condition, as well as its cause)." It implies confusion, disgrace, or being put to shame. For Jeremiah, this was not merely an internal feeling but a public condition, a consequence of being mocked, ridiculed, and rejected for his prophetic message, leading to a life perceived as consumed by dishonor.
Verse Breakdown
"Wherefore came I forth out of the womb"
This opening clause is a rhetorical question, expressing a desperate and profound regret at his own birth. It implies a wish for non-existence, a cry against the very beginning of his life. This is the ultimate expression of despair, questioning divine providence in bringing him into a world of such suffering.
"to see labour and sorrow"
This phrase specifies the reason for his lamentable existence. "To see" (Hebrew, râʼâh', H7200) here means to experience or encounter. The "labour" (ʻâmâl', H5999) refers to the arduous toil, trouble, and hardship of his prophetic ministry and personal life, while "sorrow" (yâgôwn', H3015) denotes the deep grief, affliction, and emotional pain that accompanied it. Together, they paint a bleak picture of a life dominated by hardship and anguish.
"that my days should be consumed with shame?"
This final clause articulates the pervasive and consuming nature of his suffering. The word "consumed" (Hebrew, kâlâh', H3615) means to end, finish, or perish, suggesting that his entire life, every "day" (yôwm', H3117), was being utterly worn away and brought to an end by the constant public disgrace and humiliation ("shame," bôsheth', H1322) he endured as God's messenger. It indicates that shame was not an occasional event but the defining and destructive characteristic of his existence.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 20:18 employs several powerful literary devices to convey the prophet's intense despair. The most prominent is Rhetorical Question, "Wherefore came I forth out of the womb...?", which is not seeking an answer but rather expressing a deep, agonizing lament and a wish for non-existence. This question underscores the depth of his suffering and his sense of hopelessness. Hyperbole is also evident in the statement that his "days should be consumed with shame," suggesting an overwhelming and all-encompassing experience of disgrace that permeates every moment of his life, even if not literally every second. The pairing of "labour and sorrow" creates a Merism, a figure of speech in which two contrasting parts represent a whole, signifying the totality of his suffering, encompassing both physical toil and emotional anguish. Finally, the verse is a profound example of Lament, a common biblical genre that allows for raw, honest expression of pain and complaint to God, validating human suffering within a faith context.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah 20:18 profoundly illustrates the reality of suffering for the righteous and the emotional toll of faithful obedience, even for God's chosen messengers. Theologically, it affirms that genuine faith does not preclude deep despair or honest lament. Jeremiah's cry is not a rejection of God, but a desperate plea from within his relationship with God, demonstrating that God is big enough to handle our darkest emotions and most profound questions. This verse challenges any simplistic theology that equates faithfulness with an absence of pain, instead revealing the profound cost of discipleship and the emotional vulnerability inherent in serving a holy God in a fallen world. It highlights God's compassionate attentiveness to the cries of His suffering servants, even when those cries express a wish for non-existence, reminding us that our pain is seen and heard.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah 20:18 offers a profound validation for human despair and the right to express it honestly before God. In a world that often pressures individuals to present a façade of strength or perpetual positivity, Jeremiah's raw lament reminds us that even the most faithful servants of God can experience overwhelming feelings of sorrow, shame, and regret. This verse encourages us to bring our authentic selves, including our deepest pains and questions, before a compassionate God who hears and understands. It underscores that following God's call, especially in challenging and hostile environments, can involve significant personal cost and suffering, reminding us that true discipleship is not always comfortable or outwardly glorious. For those who feel burdened by their calling, misunderstood in their service, or consumed by circumstances beyond their control, Jeremiah's experience offers solidarity and a powerful reminder that their honest cries are heard by a God who is intimately acquainted with grief. Our struggles, when brought before God, can become pathways to deeper trust and reliance on His enduring presence and strength, even when answers are not immediately apparent.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Jeremiah's lament mean he lost his faith in God?
No, Jeremiah's lament in Jeremiah 20:18 does not indicate a loss of faith but rather a profound expression of human anguish and despair within the context of his faithful service to God. Biblical lament, as seen throughout the Psalms and prophetic books, is a legitimate and often faith-strengthening way of engaging with God in times of intense suffering. Jeremiah's willingness to voice such raw feelings to God demonstrates a deep, albeit struggling, relationship of trust. He continues to deliver God's word despite his pain, indicating that his faith, though tested, remained intact. His lament is a testament to the fact that faith does not exempt one from suffering, nor does it require a stoic silence in the face of it; instead, it provides a framework for honest engagement with God through the pain, as seen in his continued prophetic ministry after this confession, such as his prophecy to King Zedekiah in Jeremiah 21.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeremiah's profound lament in Jeremiah 20:18, expressing a wish for non-existence due to overwhelming "labour and sorrow" and "shame," finds its ultimate fulfillment and transformation in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Jeremiah suffered for delivering God's word to a rebellious people, Jesus, the very Word made flesh (John 1:14), willingly embraced suffering, labor, and sorrow, not as a prophet, but as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Jesus, too, was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3), enduring rejection, mockery, and profound shame—culminating in the public humiliation of the cross (Hebrews 12:2). Unlike Jeremiah, who wished he had never been born, Jesus "came forth out of the womb" for the express purpose of enduring this suffering, transforming the curse of shame into the blessing of salvation. His cry on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46), echoes Jeremiah's despair, yet it was a cry of vicarious suffering, bearing the shame and sorrow of humanity. Through His suffering and death, Jesus redeems our "labour and sorrow" and covers our "shame," offering eternal life and glory instead of consumption by despair (Romans 5:5). Thus, Jeremiah's lament, while deeply human, points forward to the divine suffering of Christ, who truly consumed shame so that we might be consumed with His glory.