Jeremiah Chapter 20 — Persecution and Prayer
Jeremiah is imprisoned by Pashhur the priest, prophesies judgment on Judah, and expresses profound personal despair over his difficult mission.
1Now Pashhur, the son of Immer the priest, who was chief officer in the LORD’s house, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.
2Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in the LORD’s house.
3On the next day, Pashhur released Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, “The LORD has not called your name Pashhur, but Magormissabib.*“Magormissabib” means “surrounded by terror”
4For the LORD says, ‘Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They will fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes will see it. I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them captive to Babylon, and will kill them with the sword.
5Moreover I will give all the riches of this city, and all its gains, and all its precious things, yes, I will give all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their enemies. They will make them captives, take them, and carry them to Babylon.
6You, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house will go into captivity. You will come to Babylon, and there you will die, and there you will be buried, you, and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely.’ ”
7LORD, you have persuaded me, and I was persuaded.
8For as often as I speak, I cry out;
9If I say that I will not make mention of him,
10For I have heard the defaming of many:
11But the LORD is with me as an awesome mighty one.
12But the LORD of Armies, who tests the righteous,
13Sing to the LORD!
14Cursed is the day in which I was born.
15Cursed is the man who brought news to my father, saying,
16Let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew,
17because he didn’t kill me from the womb.
18Why did I come out of the womb to see labor and sorrow,
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Jeremiah 20:9
“If I say that I will not make mention of him, and I will not speak any more in his name, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I can't contain.”
This verse vividly describes the internal compulsion and power of God's word within the prophet.
Jeremiah 20:11
“But the LORD is with me as an awesome mighty one. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and they will not prevail.”
It demonstrates Jeremiah's confidence in God's protection despite his physical suffering.
Chapter Summary
In Jeremiah 20, the prophet is physically assaulted and placed in stocks by Pashhur, a chief officer in the Temple, for his prophecies. Upon his release, Jeremiah renames Pashhur 'Magormissabib,' meaning 'terror on every side,' and predicts that Pashhur and all of Judah will be carried away to Babylon. Following this public confrontation, the text shifts to a private lament. Jeremiah expresses his inner conflict, feeling compelled by God to speak despite the mockery and persecution he faces. He describes the word of God as a fire shut up in his bones that he cannot contain. Although he acknowledges God’s presence as a mighty protector, the chapter ends with a dark expression of grief, as Jeremiah curses the day of his birth and questions why he was ever born to see such sorrow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pashhur was the son of Immer and the chief officer in the Lord's house. He arrested, struck, and imprisoned Jeremiah in stocks because of the prophet's words.
The name means 'terror on every side.' Jeremiah used this name for Pashhur to signify that he and those around him would face divine judgment and destruction from enemies.
Jeremiah expresses deep despair due to the constant mockery, physical abuse, and heavy burden of his ministry. He questions why he was born to see such labor and sorrow.
Study Note
The transition in this chapter from public prophecy to private lament highlights the psychological and spiritual burden carried by the biblical prophets.
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