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 20:7–13. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Pashur's doom was to be a terror to himself; Jeremiah, even now, in this hour of temptation, is far from being so; and yet it cannot be denied but that he is here, through the infirmity of the flesh, strangely agitated within himself. Good men are but men at the best. God is not extreme to mark what they say and do amiss, and therefore we must not be so, but make the best of it. In these verses it appears that, upon occasion of the great indignation and injury that Pashur did to Jeremiah, there was a struggle in his breast between his graces and his corruptions. His discourse with himself and with his God, upon this occasion, was somewhat perplexed; let us try to methodize it.
I.Here is a sad representation of the wrong that was done him and the affronts that were put upon him; and this representation, no doubt, was according to truth, and deserves no blame, but was very justly and very fitly made to him that sent him, and no doubt would bear him out. He complains,
1.That he was ridiculed and laughed at; they made a jest of every thing he said and did; and this cannot but be a great grievance to an ingenuous mind (Jer 20:7, Jer 20:8): I am in derision; I am mocked. They played upon him, and made themselves and one another merry with him, as if he had been a fool, good for nothing but to make sport. Thus he was continually: I was in derision daily. Thus he was universally: Every one mocks me; the greatest so far forget their own gravity, and the meanest so far forget mine. Thus our Lord Jesus, on the cross, was reviled both by priests and people; and the revilings of each had their peculiar aggravation. And what was it that thus exposed him to contempt and scorn? It was nothing but his faithful and zealous discharge of the duty of his office, Jer 20:8. They could find nothing for which to deride him but his preaching; it was the word of the Lord that was made a reproach. That for which they should have honoured and respected him - that he was entrusted to deliver the word of the Lord to them was the very thing for which they reproached and reviled him. He never preached a sermon, but, though he kept as closely as possible to his instructions, they found something or other in it for which to banter and abuse him. Note, It is sad to think that, though divine revelation be one of the greatest blessings and honours that ever was bestowed upon the world, yet it has been turned very much to the reproach of the most zealous preachers and believers of it. Two things they derided him for: - (1.) The manner of his preaching: Since he spoke, he cried out. He had always been a lively affectionate preacher, and since he began to speak in God's name he always spoke as a man in earnest; he cried aloud and did not spare, spared neither himself nor those to whom he preached; and this was enough for those to laugh at who hated to be serious. It is common for those that are unaffected with and disaffected to, the things of God themselves, to ridicule those that are much affected with them. Lively preachers are the scorn of careless unbelieving hearers. (2.) The matter of his preaching: He cried violence and spoil. He reproved them for the violence and spoil which they were guilty of towards one another; and he prophesied of the violence and spoil which should be brought upon them as the punishment of that sin; for the former they ridiculed him as over-precise, for the latter as over-credulous; in both he was provoking to them, and therefore they resolved to run him down. This was bad enough, yet he complains further.
2.That he was plotted against and his ruin contrived; he was not only ridiculed as a weak man, but reproached and misrepresented as a bad man and dangerous to the government. This he laments as his grievance, Jer 20:10. Being laughed at, though it touches a man in point of honour, is yet a thing that may be easily laughed at again; for, as it has been well observed, it is no shame to be laughed at, but to deserve to be so. But there were those that acted a more spiteful part, and with more subtlety.
(1.)They spoke ill of him behind his back, when he had no opportunity of clearing himself, and were industrious to spread false reports concerning him: I heard, at second hand, the defaming of many, fear on every side (of many Magor-missabibs, so some read it), of many such men as Pashur was, and who may therefore expect his doom. Or this was the matter of their defamation; they represented Jeremiah as a man that instilled fears and jealousies on every side into the minds of the people, and so made them uneasy under the government, and disposed them to a rebellion. Or he perceived them to be so malicious against him that he could not but be afraid on every side; wherever he was he had reason to fear informers; so that they made him almost a Magor-missabib. These words are found in the original, verbatim, the same, Psa 31:13, I have heard the slander or defaming of many, fear on every side. Jeremiah, in his complaint, chooses to make use of the same words that David had made use of before him, that it might be a comfort to him to think that other good men had suffered similar abuses before him, and to teach us to make use of David's psalms with application to ourselves, as there is occasion. Whatever we have to say, we may thence take with us words. See how Jeremiah's enemies contrived the matter: Report, say they, and we will report it. They resolve to cast an odium upon him, and this is the method they take: "Let some very bad thing be said of him, which may render him obnoxious to the government, and, though it be ever so false, we will second it, and spread it, and add to it." (For the reproaches of good men lose nothing by the carriage.) "Do you that frame a story plausibly, or you that can pretend to some acquaintance with him, report it once, and we will all report it from you, in all companies, that we come into. Do you say it, and we will swear it; do you set it a going, and we will follow it." And thus both are equally guilty, those that raise and those that propagate the false report. The receiver is as bad as the thief.
(2.)They flattered him to his face, that they might get something from him on which to ground an accusation, as the spies that came to Christ feigning themselves to be just men, Luk 20:20; Luk 11:53, Luk 11:54. His familiars, that he conversed freely with and put a confidence in, watched for his halting, observed what he said, which they could by any strained innuendo put a bad construction upon, and carried it to his enemies. His case was very sad when those betrayed him whom he took to be his friends. They said among themselves, "If we accost him kindly, and insinuate ourselves into his acquaintance, per-adventure he will be enticed to own that he is in confederacy with the enemy and a pensioner to the king of Babylon, or we shall wheedle him to speak some treasonable words; and then we shall prevail against him, and take our revenge upon him for telling us of our faults and threatening us with the judgments of God." Note, Neither the innocence of the dove, no, nor the prudence of the serpent to help it, can secure men from unjust censure and false accusation.
II.Here is an account of the temptation he was in under this affliction; his feet were almost gone, as the psalmist's, Psa 73:2.
And this is that which is most to be dreaded in affliction, being driven by it to sin, Neh 6:13.
1.He was tempted to quarrel with God for making him a prophet. This he begins with (Jer 20:7): O Lord! thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived. This as we read it, sounds very harshly. God's servants have been always ready to own that he is a faithful Master and never cheated them; and therefore this is the language of Jeremiah's folly and corruption. If, when God called him to be a prophet and told him he would set him over the kingdoms (Jer 1:10) and make him a defenced city, he flattered himself with an expectation of having universal respect paid to him as a messenger from heaven, and living safe and easy, and afterwards it proved otherwise, he must not say that God had deceived him, but that he had deceived himself; for he knew how the prophets before him had been persecuted, and had no reason to expect better treatment. Nay, God had expressly told him that all the princes, priests, and people of the land would fight against him (Jer 1:18, Jer 1:19), which he had forgotten, else he would not have laid the blame on God thus. Christ thus told his disciples what opposition they should meet with, that they might not be offended, Joh 16:1, Joh 16:2. But the words may very well be read thus: Thou hast persuaded me, and I was persuaded; it is the same word that was used, Gen 9:27, margin, God shall persuade Japhet. And Pro 25:15, By much forbearance is a prince persuaded. And Hos 2:14, I will allure her. And this agrees best with what follows: "Thou wast stronger than I, didst over-persuade me with argument; nay, didst overpower me, by the influence of thy Spirit upon me, and thou hast prevailed." Jeremiah was very backward to undertake the prophetic office; he pleaded that he was under age and unfit for the service; but God over-ruled his pleas, and told him that he must go, Jer 1:6, Jer 1:7. "Now, Lord," says he, "since thou hast put this office upon me, why dost thou not stand by me in it? Had I thrust myself upon it, I might justly have been in derision; but why am I so when thou didst thrust me into it?" It was Jeremiah's infirmity to complain thus of God as putting a hardship upon him in calling him to be a prophet, which he would not have done had he considered the lasting honour thereby done him, sufficient to counterbalance the present contempt he was under. Note, As long as we see ourselves in the way of God and duty it is weakness and folly, when we meet with difficulties and discouragements in it, to wish we had never set out in it.
2.He was tempted to quit his work and give it over, partly because he himself met with so much hardship in it and partly because those to whom he was sent, instead of being edified and made better, were exasperated and made worse (Jer 20:9): "Then I said, Since by prophesying in the name of the Lord I gain nothing to him or myself but dishonour and disgrace, I will not make mention of him as my author for any thing I say, nor speak any more in his name; since my enemies do all they can to silence me, I will even silence myself, and speak no more, for I may as well speak to the stones as to them." Note, It is a strong temptation to poor ministers to resolve that they will preach no more when they see their preaching slighted and wholly ineffectual. But let people dread putting their ministers into this temptation. Let not their labour be in vain with us, lest we provoke them to say that they will take no more pains with us, and provoke God to say, They shall take no more. Yet let not ministers hearken to this temptation, but go on in their duty, notwithstanding their discouragements, for this is the more thankworthy; and, though Israel be not gathered, yet they shall be glorious.
III.Here is an account of his faithful adherence to his work and cheerful dependence on his God notwithstanding.
1.He found the grace of God mighty in him to keep him to this business, notwithstanding the temptation he was in to throw it up: "I said, in my haste, I will speak no more in his name; what I have in my heart to deliver I will stifle and suppress. But I soon found it was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, which glowed inwardly, and must have vent; it was impossible to smother it; I was like a man in a burning fever, uneasy and in a continual agitation; while I kept silence from good my heart was hot within me, it was pain and grief to me, and I must speak, that I might be refreshed;" Psa 29:2, Psa 29:3; Job 32:20. While I kept silence, my bones waxed old, Psa 32:3. See the power of the spirit of prophecy in those that were actuated by it; and thus will a holy zeal for God even eat men up, and make them forget themselves. I believed, therefore have I spoken. Jeremiah was soon weary with forbearing to preach, and could not contain himself; nothing puts faithful ministers to pain so much as being silenced, nor to terror so much as silencing themselves. Their convictions will soon triumph over temptations of that kind; for woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel, whatever it cost me, Co1 9:16. And it is really a mercy to have the word of God thus mighty in us to overpower our corruptions.
2.He was assured of God's presence with him, which would be sufficient to baffle all the attempts of his enemies against him (Jer 20:11): "They say, We shall prevail against him; the day will undoubtedly be our own. But I am sure that they shall not prevail, they shall not prosper. I can safely set them all at defiance, for the Lord is with me, is on my side, to take my part against them (Rom 8:31), to protect me from all their malicious designs upon me. He is with me to support me and bear me up under the burden which now presses me down. He is with me to make the word I preach answer the end he designs, though not the end I desire. He is with me as a mighty terrible one, to strike a terror upon them, and so to overcome them." Note, Even that in God which is terrible is really comfortable to his servants that trust in him, for it shall be turned against those that seek to terrify his people. God's being a mighty God bespeaks him a terrible God to all those that take up arms against him or any one that, like Jeremiah, was commissioned by him. How terrible will the wrath of God be to those that think to daunt all about them and will themselves be daunted by nothing! The most formidable enemies that act against us appear despicable when we see the Lord for us as a mighty terrible one, Neh 4:14. Jeremiah speaks now with a good assurance: "If the Lord be with me, my persecutors shall stumble, so that, when they pursue me, they shall not overtake me (Psa 27:2), and then they shall be greatly ashamed of their impotent malice and fruitless attempts. Nay, their everlasting confusion and infamy shall never be forgotten; they shall not forget it themselves, but it shall be to them a constant and lasting vexation, whenever they think of it; others shall not forget it, but it shall leave upon them an indelible reproach."
3.He appeals to God against them as a righteous Judge, and prays judgment upon his cause, Jer 20:12. He looks upon God as the God that tries the righteous, takes cognizance of them, and of every cause that they are interested in. He does not judge in favour of them with partiality, but tries them, and finding that they have right on their side, and that their persecutors wrong them and are injurious to them, he gives sentence for them. He that tries the righteous tries the unrighteous too, and he is very well qualified to do both; for he sees the reins and the heart, he certainly knows men's thoughts and affections, their aims and intentions, and therefore can pass an unerring judgment on their words and actions. Now this is the God,
(1.)To whom the prophet here refers himself, and in whose court he lodges his appeal: Unto thee have I opened my cause. Not but that God perfectly knew his cause, and all the merits of it, without his opening; but the cause we commit to God we must spread before him. He knows it, but he will know it from us, and allows us to be particular in the opening of it, not to affect him, but to affect ourselves. Note, It will be an ease to our spirits, when we are oppressed and burdened, to open our cause to God and pour out our complaints before him.
(2.)By whom he expects to be righted; "Let me see thy vengeance on them, such vengeance as thou thinkest fit to take for their conviction and my vindication, the vengeance thou usest to take on persecutors." Note, Whatever injuries are done us, we must not study to avenge ourselves, but must leave it to that God to do it to whom vengeance belongs, and who hath said, I will repay.
4.He greatly rejoices and praises God, in a full confidence that God would appear for his deliverance, Jer 20:13. So full is he of the comfort of God's presence with him, the divine protection he is under, and the divine promise he has to depend upon, that in a transport of joy he stirs up himself and others to give God the glory of it: Sing unto the Lord, praise you the Lord. Here appears a great change with him since he began this discourse; the clouds are blown over, his complaints all silenced and turned into thanksgivings. He has now an entire confidence in that God whom (Jer 20:7) he was distrusting; he stirs up himself to praise that name which (Jer 20:9) he was resolving no more to make mention of. It was the lively exercise of faith that made this happy change, that turned his sighs into songs and his tremblings into triumphs. It is proper to express our hope in God by our praising him, and our praising God by our singing to him. That which is the matter of the praise is, He hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of the evil-doers; he means especially himself, his own poor soul. "He hath delivered me formerly when I was in distress, and now of late out of the hand of Pashur, and he will continue to deliver me, Co2 1:10. He will deliver my soul from the sin that I am in danger of falling into when I am thus persecuted. He hath delivered me from the hand of evil-doers, so that they have not gained their point, nor had their will." Note, Those that are faithful in well-doing need not fear those that are spiteful in evil-doing, for they have a God to trust to who has well-doers under the hand of his protection and evil-doers under the hand of his restraint.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
6 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.
Perhaps then, as a father wishes to deceive a son in his own interest while he is still a boy, since he cannot be helped any other way unless the boy is deceived, as a healer makes it his business to deceive the patient who cannot be cured unless he receives words of deceit, so it is also for the God of the universe, since what is prescribed has to help the human race. Let the healer say to the patient, “It is necessary that you have surgery, you must be cauterized, but you must suffer severely,” and that patient would not continue. But sometimes he says another thing, and he hides that surgery, the cutting knife, under the sponge, and again he conceals, as I shall call it, under the honey, the nature of the bitter and annoying drug, wanting not to mislead but to heal the one who is cured. With such remedies the whole divine Scripture is filled, and some of what is concealed is pleasant, but some of what is concealed is bitter. If you see a father who threatens as if he hates the son, and who says to the son frightful things and who does not show affection but who conceals love for the son, one knows that he wants to deceive the child. For it is not fitting for the son to be assured of the love of the father, the goodwill of his devotion. For he will be set free and will not be disciplined. That is why he hides the sweetness of the affection and exhibits the bitterness of deceit.By analogy to the father and the healer, such is something of what God does. There are certain bitter things with which he cures the most righteous and wise. For it is necessary to punish every sinner for his sins. “Do not be misled, God is not mocked,” “neither the immoral nor the adulterer nor homosexual nor thief nor drunkard nor reviler nor robber will inherit the kingdom of God.” If this was understood and viewed carefully by those who cannot see the surgical knife beneath the sponge, by those who are unable to understand the bitter medicine beneath the honey, a person would become faint-hearted. For who among us has not been conscious of himself drinking without purpose and getting drunk? Who among us is pure from theft and from the desire to take what is necessary, not as one ought? But see what the Word says, “Do not be misled, for these persons will not inherit the kingdom of God.” It is necessary that the mystery in this passage be concealed, so that most people may not become faint-hearted lest when learning the facts they may expect the final departure not as a rest but as a punishment.… For I know that if I leave, it is necessary that my “wood” be burned in me, and I have reviler wood, and I have the wood of drunkenness, the wood of theft and many other woods built up in my building. You know that all of these things escape the notice of many of those who have believed, and it is good it escapes the notice. And each of us thinks, since he has not been an idolater, since he has not been immoral—would that we were pure in such areas—that after he has been set free from this life, he will be saved. We do not see that “all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive either good or evil according to what he has done in the body.”
How then does the prophet say, “You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived”? Can God deceive? I am at a loss how I can accommodate the word. For if through God and his Word I do see something in it, what will be said requires suitable accommodation.…It suffices to express a single useful example for what has been presented. When guiding children, we speak to children; and we do not speak to them as we do to mature people, but we speak to them as children who need training, and we deceive children when we frighten children in order that it may halt the lack of education in youth. And we frighten children when we speak through words of deceit on account of what is basic to their infancy, in order that through the deceit we may cause them to be afraid and to resort to teachers both to declare and to do what is applicable for the progress of children.
We are all children to God, and we need the discipline of children. Because of this, God, since he cares about us, deceives us, even if we do not perceive the deceit beforehand, lest as those who have gone beyond the infant we may no longer be trained through deceit but through acts. In one way the child is led into fear, in another way into progressing in age and crossing beyond the age of childhood.
We must understand that the deceit of God is of another kind from our deceit with which we deceive.… God does not tyrannize but rules, and when he rules, he does not coerce but encourages, and he wishes that those under him yield themselves willingly to his direction so that the good of someone may not be according to compulsion but according to his free will.… In sum, God seeks a way, in a manner of speaking, whereby one would want to do with free will what God wishes. The tradition then also was saying to me something like this: He wants to send Jeremiah who prophesies to all of the nations and before all of the nations to the people, but since the prophecies have had something quite gloomy—for they imparted punishments with which each according to his deserts will be punished—and he knew the choice of the prophet, who does not want to prophesy to the people Israel what is bad, for this reason he arranged to say, “Take this cup, and make all the nations to whom I commissioned you drink.” God then ordered Jeremiah to take the cup, but when he urged him in taking the cup of unmixed wine, he says, “And I commission you to all of the nations with this cup of unmixed wine.” But after Jeremiah heard that he was sent to all of the nations as one who supplied them a cup of anger, a cup of punishments, since he did not guess that also Israel was about to drink from the cup of punishment, since he was deceived, he took the cup from which all of the nations drink. After he took the cup, he heard, “And cause Jerusalem to drink first.” Since then it seemed to be one way and happened to him in another, for this reason he then said, “You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived.”
So since the healer sometimes keeps hidden the surgical knife under the tender and soft sponge, and also the father conceals the affection through the appearance of threat, and the deceits—some of which take away the tumors and varicose veins and whatever else weakens the condition of the body … something then such as this is what the prophet has understood that God does in mystery, and he says, when he sees in what ways he was deceived for good reason by God, “You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived.” It brought him to so great a grace that he prayed and said to God, “Deceive me, if this is beneficial.” For the deceit from God is one thing, the deceit from the Serpent another. See what the woman says to God, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate,” and the deceit from the serpent caused Adam and his woman to leave the paradise of God. But the deceit that happened to the prophet, who said, “You have deceived me, and I was deceived,” brought him to a very great grace of prophecy, by increasing in him power, by bringing him maturity and by being able to serve the will of the word of God without fearing people.Thus, when we also consider these things, for the present and for the future, let us also pray to be deceived by God, and let not the serpent deceive us.
(Verse 7, 8.) You have deceived me, Lord, and I have been deceived (or you have beguiled me, Lord, and I have been beguiled). You were stronger than me and prevailed (or you obtained and were able to). I have become a mockery all day long, everyone mocks me; because now I speak, crying out injustice and devastation (or because with bitter words I will laugh at transgression and call upon misery). The Prophet says he was deceived by the Lord, because from the beginning hearing: I have appointed you as a Prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:5). And again: Behold, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build up, and to plant (Jeremiah, 1:10), thinking that he would say nothing against the people of Judah, but rather against the various nations around. Therefore, he gladly accepted the prophecy; and it happened contrary, that while predicting the captivity of Jerusalem, he endured persecutions and hardships. And he accomplished it. I have become a laughingstock all day long, everyone mocks me, because they think that he has been lying about everything and that all the things he predicted would happen were lies. And the Prophet immediately thought that what the Lord had threatened would come true, and the people thought that it would not come any more because it had not come immediately. And I cry out about the destruction of Babylon and the wickedness of the enemies through which my people will be oppressed. But if we follow the Seventy in what they said, that with bitter words I will laugh at their prevarication and call upon their misery, this is the meaning: I know that present sorrow will be exchanged for future joy, according to what is written: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:5); and therefore I willingly endure misery, wickedness, and affliction, so that I may desire and invoke them, and compensate for the brevity of the injustice with the eternity of happiness.
The prophet says that he was deceived by the Lord because, when he heard the Lord say in the beginning, “I gave you as a prophet to the nations,” and, again, “Behold, I establish you today over nations and over kingdoms, that you may uproot and destroy and overthrow and dissolve and build and plant,” he believed that none of this was spoken against the people of Judea, but only against the various nations surrounding them, thus leading him to accept his prophetic mission willingly. To the contrary, however, as it turns out, he found himself preaching to a captive Jerusalem that suffered persecution and imprisonment. He also adds, “I have become an object of derision all the day; everyone mocks me,” because they all judged him to be a liar and everything that he had prophesied to them to be a lie. For, as the prophet thought that the future that the Lord predicted was to be realized immediately, the people also expected nothing further to be coming that did not arrive at once. And he continues, in effect, “I announce destruction at the hands of Babylon and the iniquity of the army through which my people are to be oppressed.” Yet, if we follow the Septuagint, which reads, “I will laugh with my bitter message, I will invoke falsehood and misery,” this is the meaning: “I know that the present sorrow is to be exchanged for future joy, according to what is written, ‘Blessed are those who weep now, for they will laugh.’ ” For this reason, I willingly endure misery and iniquity and affliction now, so that I can invoke and even desire them and the brevity of their injury in exchange for eternal happiness.
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Summary
Jeremiah 20:7 captures one of the prophet's most raw and agonizing "confessions," a profound outpouring of anguish to the LORD. In this verse, Jeremiah expresses a deep sense of having been powerfully persuaded or "deceived" by God into a prophetic ministry that has brought him nothing but relentless public ridicule and suffering. He acknowledges God's overwhelming power and irresistible call, admitting his inability to resist the divine compulsion, even as he laments the daily derision and mockery he endures for faithfully delivering God's unpopular message to a rebellious people.
Context
Literary Context
Jeremiah 20:7 is a pivotal verse within a series of deeply personal laments and complaints from the prophet, often referred to as Jeremiah's "confessions" (Jeremiah 11-20). This particular lament immediately follows a severe incident where Jeremiah was beaten and placed in the stocks by Pashhur, a chief priest and temple official, as punishment for prophesying Judah's impending judgment and exile to Babylon. The preceding verses detail this physical abuse and public humiliation, serving as the immediate trigger for Jeremiah's desperate cry to God, revealing the intense emotional and spiritual toll of his prophetic calling. This verse encapsulates the prophet's internal struggle, caught between the irresistible divine mandate and the crushing reality of human rejection and suffering, highlighting the unique burden of a prophet called to speak unwelcome truth. The passage Jeremiah 20:1-6 directly sets the stage for this lament.
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah prophesied during a tumultuous period in Judah's history, spanning the reigns of several kings from Josiah to Zedekiah (late 7th to early 6th centuries BCE). This era was marked by widespread idolatry, social injustice, and a superficial religiosity that masked deep spiritual corruption. The people, including religious and political leaders, largely rejected Jeremiah's warnings of impending Babylonian invasion and exile, preferring the comforting lies of false prophets who promised peace and prosperity, as seen in passages like Jeremiah 14:13-16. In this context, Jeremiah's message of judgment, repentance, and inevitable destruction was profoundly unpopular and often perceived as unpatriotic or even treasonous. His public derision was a common form of social punishment and ostracism for those who challenged the prevailing norms or delivered unwelcome news, reflecting the deep animosity and resistance he faced from a society unwilling to confront its sins.
Key Themes
Jeremiah 20:7 powerfully articulates several core themes present throughout the book of Jeremiah and prophetic literature in general. Firstly, it underscores the Prophetic Anguish and Complaint, showcasing the immense personal suffering and emotional honesty of a true prophet who feels overwhelmed by his divine commission. Jeremiah's lament validates the human experience of feeling "let down" or burdened by God's call. Secondly, the verse highlights Divine Sovereignty and Irresistible Call, as Jeremiah acknowledges God's superior strength and prevailing will, indicating that his prophetic ministry was not a choice but an inescapable divine compulsion, as God had declared at his very call in Jeremiah 1:7. This theme emphasizes God's absolute authority over His chosen servants. Lastly, it vividly portrays The Cost of Obedience, demonstrating the severe social and personal consequences of faithfully delivering God's unpopular truth. Jeremiah's "daily derision" is a stark reminder that true faithfulness often invites scorn and opposition from a world resistant to divine revelation, a theme echoed in the New Testament regarding the persecution of those who live righteously, such as in 2 Timothy 3:12.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word (H6601) is crucial for understanding Jeremiah's complaint. While it can mean "to trick" or "to mislead" in some contexts, its primary sense is "to open," "to be spacious," and by extension, "to persuade," "to entice," or "to allure." Jeremiah is not accusing the LORD (H3068, Yᵉhôvâh, the self-Existent or Eternal God) of malicious trickery in the sense of a lie, but rather of having powerfully persuaded or enticed him into a prophetic role that proved far more painful and burdensome than he could have anticipated. He felt drawn in by a divine call that, once embraced, became an inescapable and costly burden, leading to a profound sense of being "taken in" by God's irresistible will.
The word for "stronger" (H2388, châzaq) means "to fasten upon," "to seize," "to be strong," "to conquer," or "to prevail." It denotes an overwhelming, irresistible power. The word for "prevailed" (H3201, yâkôl) means "to be able," "to attain," or "to overcome." Together, these terms underscore Jeremiah's profound recognition of God's absolute sovereignty and the irresistible nature of His divine call. Jeremiah could not resist the compulsion to prophesy, even though it led to his personal ruin and suffering. God's strength utterly surpassed his own will or ability to refuse the divine mandate.
"Derision" (H7814, sᵉchôwq) refers to laughter in scorn or defiance, indicating public ridicule and contempt. "Mocketh" (H3932, lâʻag) means "to deride," "to laugh to scorn," or "to speak unintelligibly" (as if imitating a foreigner, implying contemptuous mimicry). These words vividly portray the constant, public humiliation and scorn Jeremiah faced. His prophetic message, far from being respected, made him an object of daily (H3117, yôwm) sport and mockery in the eyes of his own people.
Verse Breakdown
"O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived"
Jeremiah opens with a direct, raw accusation against God. The use of "deceived" (from pâthâh) indicates that Jeremiah felt enticed or powerfully persuaded into a prophetic ministry whose true cost and suffering were not fully apparent at the outset. He felt drawn in by God's powerful call, only to find himself in a situation of immense personal pain and public humiliation, leading him to feel as if he had been lured into a trap of suffering.
"thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed"
Despite his complaint, Jeremiah immediately acknowledges God's overwhelming power and irresistible will. He recognizes that he was utterly powerless to resist the divine call to prophesy. God's strength and purpose were greater than his own desires, fears, or attempts to escape the burden of the prophetic office. This clause highlights the divine compulsion that drove Jeremiah, even when it led to profound personal suffering.
"I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me"
This final clause describes the agonizing reality of Jeremiah's daily life. His prophetic ministry, far from bringing him honor, had made him an object of constant public scorn, laughter, and mockery. The phrase "every one mocketh me" emphasizes the pervasive and relentless nature of this humiliation, indicating that he faced universal contempt from his society for speaking God's unwelcome truth.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 20:7 is rich in literary devices that amplify the prophet's profound anguish. The most prominent is Lament, as the verse functions as a direct, impassioned cry of distress and complaint to God, characteristic of the "confessions" of Jeremiah and many Psalms. This lament is intensified by Hyperbole, particularly in "every one mocketh me," which, while perhaps not literally true for every single person, effectively conveys the overwhelming and pervasive nature of the prophet's social rejection and isolation. There is also an element of Paradox or Irony in Jeremiah's accusation of being "deceived" by a God who is simultaneously "stronger" and "prevailed." This highlights the tension between Jeremiah's human experience of suffering and his theological understanding of God's sovereign power. The verse also employs a form of Personification where God's call is depicted as an irresistible force that "deceived" and "prevailed" over Jeremiah, almost as if it were a wrestling opponent from whom escape is impossible.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah 20:7 offers profound theological insights into the nature of divine calling, human suffering, and God's sovereignty. It reveals that faithfulness to God's truth can lead to immense personal cost and public scorn, challenging the notion that divine service always brings ease or popular acclaim. Jeremiah's raw honesty validates the experience of believers who feel overwhelmed or even "let down" by the difficulties of their walk with God, demonstrating that such struggles do not negate faith or God's faithfulness. His acknowledgment of God's irresistible power, even amidst his pain, underscores the ultimate sovereignty of God, whose purposes will prevail regardless of human resistance or the prophet's personal agony. This tension between divine compulsion and human suffering is central to understanding the prophetic vocation and the cost of discipleship in a fallen world.
This lament connects to other biblical passages that speak to the suffering of God's faithful servants:
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah 20:7 is a deeply resonant passage for believers today, particularly those who find themselves in difficult ministries or facing opposition for their faith. It provides a powerful validation for the experience of spiritual struggle, reminding us that even the most devoted servants of God can feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and deeply wounded by the challenges of obedience. Jeremiah's lament gives us permission to be honest with God about our pain and confusion, without it being a sign of weak faith. His ultimate submission to God's prevailing will, despite his anguish, encourages us to trust in God's sovereignty even when His path leads through suffering and ridicule. This verse calls us to persevere in speaking God's truth, even when it is unpopular or brings personal cost, knowing that our suffering for righteousness' sake is not in vain but part of a larger divine purpose. It challenges us to examine our own expectations of Christian service: do we anticipate ease and popularity, or are we prepared for the derision that often accompanies faithful witness in a fallen world? The prophet's experience reminds us that true faithfulness is often forged in the crucible of adversity.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Did God literally "deceive" Jeremiah in a malicious way?
No, the Hebrew word pâthâh (H6601), translated as "deceived," carries a nuanced meaning here. While it can imply trickery, its primary sense is "to persuade," "to entice," or "to allure." Jeremiah is not accusing God of malicious deception or lying, but rather of having powerfully persuaded or drawn him into a prophetic ministry whose immense personal cost and suffering he could not have fully foreseen or resisted. He felt enticed into a calling that proved far more burdensome and painful than he could have imagined, leading to a profound sense of being "taken in" by God's irresistible call, even if it wasn't a deliberate trick. It's an expression of raw human anguish and frustration, not a theological statement questioning God's integrity.
Why did Jeremiah continue to prophesy if it brought him so much suffering?
Jeremiah himself provides the answer in the very next verse. He explains in Jeremiah 20:9 that when he tried to stop speaking in the LORD's name, God's word became like a "burning fire shut up in my bones," making him weary of holding it in. This highlights the irresistible nature of God's call and the divine compulsion that drove him. Despite the profound personal cost and public derision, Jeremiah could not escape his prophetic burden. His suffering was immense, but the internal pressure of God's word was even greater, compelling him to continue.
How does this verse relate to the character of God, who is always truthful?
This verse, when properly understood, does not contradict God's character as truthful. Jeremiah's lament is a deeply personal, emotional outcry from a prophet in extreme distress, not a theological treatise. It reflects his human perception and feeling of being overwhelmed by a calling that brought him unexpected pain. God is indeed faithful and true, as affirmed in Psalm 33:4, where it states, "For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does." The "deception" Jeremiah refers to is not a divine lie, but the profound human experience of being powerfully drawn into a divine purpose that far exceeds one's capacity or expectation for suffering. God's call is often accompanied by a cost, and Jeremiah's honesty reveals the depth of that cost, yet without impugning God's integrity.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeremiah's wrenching lament in Jeremiah 20:7 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah, often called the "weeping prophet," foreshadows the ultimate suffering Servant who would be "despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain" as prophesied in Isaiah 53:3. Like Jeremiah, Jesus was "enticed" or drawn into His divine mission by the Father's will, a mission whose full cost was revealed in His agony in Gethsemane, where He cried out, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will" (Matthew 26:39). This demonstrates the same tension between human will and divine compulsion that Jeremiah experienced, but with a perfect, obedient submission. Jesus, too, was "stronger" than any human opposition and "prevailed" in fulfilling His Father's will, even unto death. He was mocked, derided, and scorned daily by His own people, from the religious leaders to the crowds who cried "Crucify him!" as recorded in Luke 23:21. His public humiliation on the cross, where He was exposed to the derision of all, perfectly embodies Jeremiah's cry of being "in derision daily, every one mocketh me." Yet, unlike Jeremiah, Jesus' suffering was not merely for the sake of delivering a message, but as the ultimate atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, truly the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Thus, Jeremiah's lament becomes a poignant prophetic shadow of the greater suffering and ultimate triumph of Christ, who endured the cross, despising its shame, for the joy set before Him, as we read in Hebrews 12:2.