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
Four Centuries of Reception
10 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.
And so far as the literal truth is concerned, it is useful to recount what things Jeremiah suffered among the people, with respect to which he said, "And I said, I will not speak, nor will I call on the name of the Lord." And again, elsewhere, "I was continually being mocked." And how great sufferings he endured from the then king of Israel are written in his prophecy. And it is also written that some of the people often came to stone Moses to death. His homeland was not the stones of any place but was instead the people who followed him, among whom also he was dishonored.
That people then were sick. There were all kinds of diseases among those who had the name of the people of God. God sent to them the prophets as healers. One of the healers was Jeremiah. He reproved the sinners, since he wanted those who do evil to return. Yet, though needing to hear what was said, they accused the prophet, and they accused before judges similar to themselves. And always the prophet was judged by those who, with respect to his prophecy, had been cured but were not cured because of their own disobedience. It is due to them that he says, "And I said, 'I will no longer speak nor name the name of the Lord.' But it happened as a burning fire flaming in my bones, and I am weakened on all sides, and I cannot bear it." He said, seeing himself as one who always is judged, abused, accused and falsely testified against, "Woe is me, mother. What kind of man did you bear me?" He was not speaking as a man who judges but as one who is judged, and not as one who disputes but one who is disputed over all of the earth. Since those who are sick do not hear him when he advises for their good and well being, he says, "I have not helped."
For so shall we remain partakers of Christ if we hold fast to the end the Spirit given at the beginning. For he said, “do not quench,” not because the Spirit is placed in the power of people and is able to suffer anything from them, but because bad and unthankful people manifestly wish to quench it, since they, like the impure, persecute the Spirit with unholy deeds.… Now they, being without understanding, and deceitful and lovers of sin, walk still as in darkness, not having that “light that lights every one who comes in the world.” Now a fire such as this laid hold of Jeremiah the prophet, when the word was in him as a fire and he said, “I leave every place and am not able to endure it.” And our Lord Jesus Christ, being good and a lover of humankind, came that he might cast this on earth, and he said, “And would that it were already kindled!”
Indeed, Christ, loving Moses, appeared to him in fire. And Jeremiah, having in himself the gift of divine love, said: "And there was a fire inflaming in my bones: and I was dissolved on every side, and I cannot bear it." Therefore, good charity having the wings of a burning fire, which flies through the chests and hearts of the saints, and consumes whatever is material and earthly: it tests whatever is sincere, and improves whatever it touches with its fire. This fire the Lord Jesus sent upon the earth, and faith shone forth, devotion was kindled, charity was illuminated, justice shone brightly.
I think, too, we cannot leave out of sight that fire when we read that the Lord Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire, as John said in his Gospel. Rightly was the sacrifice consumed, for it was for sin. But that fire was a type of the Holy Spirit, who was to come down after the Lord’s ascension and forgive the sins of all, and who like fire inflames the mind and faithful heart. For this reason, Jeremiah, after receiving the Spirit, says, “It became in my heart as a burning fire flaming in my bones, and I am vile and cannot bear it.”
But even now He discloses them partly and in a figure to those whom He deems worthy, and at the same time sheds forth from the Spirit and from His own countenance floods of resplendent light, so that he who is illuminated thereby may say, "But it was as a fire blazing in my bones and I am melted on all sides, and cannot stay." And David says, "Let my sentence come forth from Thy presence!"
Jeremiah, having borne many temptations, gave in on these, and when he was rebuked, said, “I will not prophesy, neither will I name the name of the Lord.” And David, too, in many places complains of rebuke. Isaiah also, after many things, admonishes concerning this, saying, “Do not fear the reproach of people, neither be overcome by their reviling.” And again, Christ also to his disciples: “When they shall speak all manner of evil against you falsely, rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven.”
(Verse 9, 10.) Because the word of the Lord has become a reproach to me, and a mockery all day long. And I said: I will not mention him (or I will not call the Lord by name), nor speak any more in his name. But there was as it were a burning fire in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I was weary (or dissolved) in enduring it, and could not bear it. For I heard the reproach of many, and terror on every side (or as they gathered together everywhere), persecute him, and we will persecute him. As I was proclaiming and saying that the Babylonian army was already coming and that all would be plundered by the hostile sword, the word of the Lord came to me as a reproach and mockery, as they considered the delay of the prophecy to be a lie. Therefore, I made up my mind not to speak any longer to the people of God with words, nor to mention His name. But when I was overcome with shame, though timidly and foolishly, it became like a burning fire in my heart, shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it any longer. For the divine word conceived in the mind, not spoken by the mouth, burns in the heart. Therefore, Paul also says: If I preach the Gospel, there is no glory for me. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, a stewardship is entrusted to me. And when he was in Athens and saw the city given to idolatry, he was stirred up in his spirit and greatly distressed. And shortly after in the same volume we read: 'And when Silas and Timothy were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.' (Acts 18). But even today, many of the Doctors in the Church endure similar things, hearing the condemnation of many that are gathered together against them, saying: 'Persecute them, and let us pursue them.'
Jeremiah says here, in effect: “As I am crying out and saying that the Babylonian army is coming and that the sword of the enemy will plunder us all, the word of the Lord is turned against me as a derision and a reproach, since they believe that the tardiness of a prophecy’s fulfillment is tantamount to a lie. For this reason, I’ve decided within myself that I will no longer speak the word of God to the people of God, nor will I name his name. I am overcome with shame and embarrassment, however, at making this foolish resolution, as what feels like a burning fire is ablaze in my heart and enclosed in my bones, and I am altogether undone and therefore unable to bear it.” For a divine word conceived in the soul, which is not then uttered through the mouth, burns in the chest. This is why Paul said, “If I evangelize, no glory redounds to me, for the need to preach the gospel is incumbent on me. Indeed, woe to me if I fail to preach! If I do so willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, an office is entrusted to me.” Moreover, seeing in Athens a city devoted to idolatry, Paul was incited by the Spirit and became impassioned with his whole mind. Hence, later in the same book we read, “When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was devoting himself to the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah.” But a great many teachers in the church even today sustain against themselves similar invective from a number of congregations, hearing their audience say, “Oppose them! Let us oppose them!”
For they do not make their journey upon the royal highway as other men, but these giants select for themselves short-cuts, whereby gloriously they journey swiftly to the Heavenly mansions. For this hope so inflames them, as with fire, that they cannot rest from their incessant and headlong course on account of their joy. There comes to pass in them what was spoken by the blessed [Jeremiah], “I said, ‘I shall not remember Him nor speak His name.’ And there was in my heart as it were a flaming fire and it entered into my bones.” Such is the recollection of God in the hearts of people who are drunk with hope on his promises.
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Summary
Jeremiah 20:9 captures a profound moment of internal conflict for the prophet Jeremiah, revealing his deep human weariness and despair in the face of relentless persecution, juxtaposed with the overwhelming, divine compulsion of God's word within him. After enduring public humiliation and physical abuse for his prophetic declarations, Jeremiah expresses a desperate desire to abandon his calling and cease speaking in the Lord's name. Yet, he finds himself utterly unable to suppress the divine message, describing it as an intense, uncontainable "burning fire shut up in my bones," illustrating the irresistible power of God's truth to compel its messenger despite personal suffering and the desire for silence.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is a central component of Jeremiah's "Confessions," a series of deeply personal laments (found in passages like Jeremiah 11:18-23 and Jeremiah 12:1-6, Jeremiah 15:10-21, Jeremiah 17:14-18, Jeremiah 18:18-23, and Jeremiah 20:7-18) where the prophet pours out his soul to God, grappling with the immense psychological and spiritual toll of his prophetic office. Specifically, Jeremiah 20:9 follows a harrowing incident detailed in Jeremiah 20:1-6, where Pashhur, the chief governor of the temple, had Jeremiah beaten and put in stocks after he prophesied judgment. This public humiliation and physical abuse pushed Jeremiah to a breaking point, leading to his initial lament in Jeremiah 20:7-8, where he accuses God of deceiving him and laments becoming an object of mockery. Verse 9 then presents his attempted resolution to quit, and the divine counter-force that powerfully prevents him from doing so.
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah prophesied during a tumultuous period of intense political and spiritual decline in Judah, spanning the reigns of the last five kings before the Babylonian exile (approximately 627-586 BC). His ministry was characterized by foretelling impending judgment from Babylon due to Judah's widespread idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. This message was profoundly unpopular, clashing sharply with the false prophets who promised peace and prosperity. The people, their leaders, and even the priests consistently rejected Jeremiah's words, often resorting to threats, imprisonment, and physical violence, as exemplified by Pashhur's actions. In a shame-honor culture, the public ridicule and physical abuse Jeremiah endured were deeply humiliating, making his desire to cease prophesying understandable. His personal suffering was not merely an isolated event but a stark reflection of the nation's stubborn resistance to divine truth, setting the stage for the eventual destruction of Jerusalem and its sacred temple.
Key Themes
Jeremiah 20:9 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes evident throughout the book of Jeremiah and broader prophetic literature. It vividly illustrates the loneliness and suffering of the prophet called to deliver an unpopular message, a recurring motif throughout Jeremiah's ministry, as seen in his lament in Jeremiah 15:10. It also highlights the irresistible nature of God's word (the dabar Yahweh), demonstrating that divine truth is not merely an intellectual concept but a living, active force that compels its messenger, echoing the sentiment in Amos 3:8 where Amos asks, "The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?" Furthermore, the verse underscores the profound tension between human weakness and divine power, portraying Jeremiah's human desire to escape suffering versus the divine imperative to speak. This intense internal conflict reveals the authenticity of Jeremiah's calling, distinguishing him from self-appointed prophets, and emphasizes that true prophecy is rooted in divine compulsion rather than human ambition or convenience.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
A primitive root meaning "to arrange," but figuratively used for "to speak." It encompasses a wide range of verbal actions, from commanding and declaring to communing and teaching. In this context, Jeremiah's vow "nor speak any more in his name" signifies a complete cessation of his prophetic utterance, a refusal to articulate God's message. The word implies a deliberate, intentional act of communication, which Jeremiah attempts to withhold, highlighting the profound struggle between his will and God's.
A primitive root meaning "to kindle, i.e. consume (by fire or by eating)." It describes something intensely hot, actively combusting, or fiercely consuming. When applied to God's word, as here, it conveys a sense of powerful, uncontrollable energy that cannot be contained. It's not a smoldering ember but a vibrant, active flame that demands release, suggesting both the purifying intensity of divine truth and the destructive power of judgment that Jeremiah was compelled to deliver.
A primitive root meaning "to inclose; by analogy, to hold back." It can also imply to "detain," "restrain," or "imprison." This word vividly portrays the internal pressure Jeremiah felt. The word of God, like a prisoner, was confined within him, causing immense distress and a desperate need for release. This highlights the paradox: Jeremiah attempts to shut up God's word by refusing to speak, but it is the word itself that is "shut up" within him, causing unbearable internal pressure that ultimately breaks his resolve.
Verse Breakdown
"Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name."
This clause reveals Jeremiah's desperate resolution, born out of profound despair and exhaustion. Having faced relentless persecution, ridicule, and physical abuse, he vows to abandon his prophetic calling. To "not make mention of him" and "not speak any more in his name" signifies a complete cessation of his public ministry and an attempt to disengage from the divine mandate that has brought him so much suffering. It is a moment of profound human weakness, a desire for relief from an unbearable burden, and a desperate attempt to regain personal peace.
"But [his word] was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones,"
This is the pivotal turning point, introducing the divine counter-force to Jeremiah's human resolve. The "word" (Hebrew: dabar) of God is personified as an internal, irresistible power. The metaphor of "a burning fire" conveys its intense, consuming, and uncontainable nature, suggesting a divine energy that cannot be extinguished. This fire is not merely in his mind or emotions but "shut up in my bones," suggesting a deep, visceral, and physical sensation. It implies that the divine message has permeated his very being, becoming an intrinsic part of his physical and spiritual constitution, causing him agony when suppressed.
"and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not [stay]."
This final clause describes the inevitable outcome of the internal struggle. "Weary with forbearing" (or "holding it in") indicates the extreme exhaustion and pain caused by attempting to suppress the divine word. The effort to contain this internal fire was more agonizing than the external persecution he faced. "And I could not stay" (or "could not hold it in") signifies the ultimate failure of his human will to resist the divine compulsion. The word of God was too powerful to be silenced, forcing its way out despite Jeremiah's desire for quietude and peace, demonstrating the supremacy of God's call over human frailty.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 20:9 is rich in literary devices that amplify its profound message. The most prominent is Metaphor, specifically the powerful image of God's word as "a burning fire shut up in my bones." This metaphor effectively conveys the word's intense, consuming, and uncontainable nature, suggesting both its divine origin and its irresistible force. The fire is not merely an intellectual concept but a visceral, physical sensation, implying that the divine message has permeated Jeremiah's very being. The phrase "shut up in my bones" also employs Synecdoche, where "bones" represent the entirety of Jeremiah's physical and spiritual self, emphasizing that the word had become an intrinsic, inescapable part of him. Furthermore, the passage utilizes Hyperbole in Jeremiah's declaration, "I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." While he genuinely felt exhausted, the language exaggerates his inability to suppress the word, underscoring the overwhelming nature of the divine compulsion. This hyperbolic expression highlights the immense tension between human frailty and divine imperative, making the prophet's struggle deeply relatable.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah 20:9 stands as a profound testament to the living and active nature of God's word and the divine imperative of prophetic calling. It reveals that true prophecy is not a matter of human choice or convenience but a sovereign imposition by God, a burden that, once internalized, becomes impossible to suppress. This internal fire signifies the word's inherent power—its capacity to convict, to purify, and to compel, even when its message is met with hostility and suffering. The prophet's struggle underscores the immense cost of faithfulness and the divine strength that enables perseverance despite overwhelming opposition. It teaches us that God's truth, when truly embraced and deeply rooted, becomes an uncontainable force within the believer, demanding expression and shaping one's very being, ultimately empowering them to fulfill their divine purpose.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah 20:9 offers a raw, honest portrayal of the struggles inherent in serving God, particularly when that service involves delivering unpopular truths or facing significant opposition. It reminds us that even the most devoted servants of God experience moments of profound despair, weariness, and a desperate desire to quit. Jeremiah's lament gives us permission to acknowledge our human frailty and the emotional toll of faithfulness. However, it also provides a powerful counter-narrative: the irresistible, compelling power of God's word. For believers today, this verse challenges us to consider the depth of our internalization of God's truth. Is His word merely an intellectual concept, or has it become a "burning fire shut up in our bones," a living force that compels us to speak, to act, and to live in accordance with His will, even when it is difficult or costly? It encourages us to lean into the divine strength that enables perseverance, recognizing that true spiritual vitality often emerges from the crucible of internal struggle and external pressure, ultimately empowering us to be faithful witnesses to His truth in a world that often resists it.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "fire shut up in my bones" mean metaphorically?
The metaphor of "fire shut up in my bones" in Jeremiah 20:9 is a powerful description of the overwhelming, internal compulsion Jeremiah felt to proclaim God's word. The "fire" represents the intense, consuming, and uncontainable nature of God's message, akin to the purifying and powerful presence of God Himself (as seen in Hebrews 12:29). Being "shut up in my bones" signifies that this divine message had permeated Jeremiah's very core—his physical, emotional, and spiritual being. It was not merely an intellectual conviction but a visceral, agonizing pressure that caused him immense distress when he tried to suppress it. It means the word was so deeply ingrained and active within him that it became an unbearable burden to withhold, forcing him to speak despite his personal desire to quit.
Why did Jeremiah want to stop prophesying, and what prevented him?
Jeremiah wanted to stop prophesying because his ministry brought him immense suffering, ridicule, and persecution. He faced constant opposition, public humiliation (as described in Jeremiah 20:1-2), and the emotional toll of delivering a message of impending judgment that was consistently rejected by his own people. He felt isolated and weary, leading him to lament that he was "a derision daily; every one mocketh me" (Jeremiah 20:7). What prevented him from quitting was the overwhelming, internal power of God's word. As he states in Jeremiah 20:9, the word was "as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." This divine compulsion was stronger than his human desire for relief, demonstrating that his prophetic calling was not a choice he could simply abandon, but a divine imperative that permeated his very being.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeremiah's agonizing struggle with the irresistible Word of God finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Living Word. While Jeremiah was a prophet compelled by the Spirit to speak God's message, Jesus is the Word made flesh, the perfect embodiment of God's truth and revelation (John 1:14). Unlike Jeremiah, who wrestled with the burden of a message, Jesus perfectly aligned His will with the Father's, declaring, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work" (John 4:34). Yet, even Christ experienced profound human weariness and agony in fulfilling His mission, particularly in Gethsemane, where He prayed for the cup of suffering to pass, but ultimately submitted to the Father's perfect will (Luke 22:42). The "fire" that burned in Jeremiah's bones foreshadows the consuming passion of Christ for God's glory and the salvation of humanity, a passion so intense that it led Him to the cross. Furthermore, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, the "fire" of God's word now empowers believers, making us witnesses to Christ. Just as Jeremiah could not contain the word, so too are believers, empowered by the Spirit, compelled to proclaim the good news of Jesus, finding that His truth, once internalized, cannot be silenced, but becomes a powerful, transformative force in their lives and through their witness to a lost world (Acts 1:8).