The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah
Jeremiah 20
Chapter XX · Vol. III, pp. 1255–1256
1 Pashur, smiting Jeremiah, receiveth a new name, and a fearful doom. 7 Jeremiah complaineth of contempt, 10 of treachery, 14 and of his birth.
1 Now Pashur,a the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.
2 Then Pashur bsmote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks1 that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.
b 1 Ki.22.24. ch.1.19; 11.21; 26.8; 29.26; 36.26; 37.12-15; 38.6. Mat.23.34,37; 21.35.
1 This word occurs ch.29.26 and 2 Ch.16.10, and in both it is rendered a prison.—C.
3 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not ccalled thy name Pashur, but Magor-missabib.2
4 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee da terror to thyself, and to all thy friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and ethine eyes shall behold it: and gI will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.
5 Moreover, I hwill deliver all the 3strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.
6 Andi thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house, shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, jto whom thou hast prophesied lies.
i ver.2; ch.28.16; 29.21,22,32; 11.22. 2 Th.1.6,7.
j ch.14.13-15; 28.15; 29.21; 23.9; 4.10; 8.10,11; 6.13-15. Mi.2.11. Is.30.10,11. 2 Pe.2.1.
7 O LORD, thou hast 4deceived me,5 and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I,6 and hast prevailed: kI am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.
4 Or, enticed, ch.1.6-8,18,19, with 15.10,18; 18.18-20; ver.8-18.
5 'Thou hast persuaded me.'—Ainsworth, Gesenius, &c. 'Thou didst allure me.'—Boothroyd.
6 Stronger than I. God's promise of assistance prevailed over the prophet's sense of insufficiency and fears; and God's command overcame all the reluctance he felt at undertaking an office that he knew would expose him to obloquy and persecution, ch.1.5-10; 15.19-21.—C.
8 For since I spake, I cried out, lI cried violence and spoil; because7 the word of the LORD nwas made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.8
l ch.iv.-xix.; 28.8; 6.7, or ch.11.19; 15.15; 18.18. Hab.1.1-4. Ps.38.19,20.
7 Or, therefore.
8 'For whensoever I speak, if I cry out (against) violence, or proclaim (the speedy coming of national) destruction, the word of Jehovah is turned against me, in reproach and disgrace continually.'—Nearly as Boothroyd.
9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name: but ohis word was in mine heart9 as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
o Ps.39.3. ch.6.11. 1 Ki.19.10. Job 32.18,19. Ac.4.20; 18.5; 17.16. 1 Co.9.16,17.
9 Then I said (speaking as a man, see Ro.3.5. 1 Co.9.8), &c. But his word was in mine heart (feeling as a believer; walking by faith, not by sight, 1 Co.9.16,17. 2 Co.4.13; 5.7).—C.
10 For pI heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. qReport, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars1 watchedr for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed,2 and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
q Pr.10.18. ch.18.18. Eze.22.9. Ne.6.6-12. Ac.24.5.
1 Heb. every man of my peace.
r Job 19.19. Ps.41.9; 55.13,14. ch.15.18,19. Mat.22.18,35.
2 He will be enticed to say something that our ingenuity may turn into a criminal charge against him. See how our Lord was so watched, enticed, and persecuted, Mat.22.15. Lu.11.53,54.—C.
11 But sthe LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one; therefore tmy persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not uprevail; they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their veverlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.
12 But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, xlet me see thy vengeance on them: yfor unto thee have I opened my cause.
x ch.11.20; 12.3; 17.18; 18.19-23. Ps.109.1-20; 59.10. 2 Ki.19.14.
13 Singz unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD; for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evil-doers.
14 Curseda be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.3
* The book of Jeremiah is to a large extent fragmentary. A great number of detached pieces are put together which have no logical connection with each other. This is one of them. Ver. 14-18 form a striking contrast to what immediately precedes. We cannot see anything to call forth such a strong expression of the bitterness of his soul. In sentiment and structure the passage bears a strong resemblance to Job 3. 3-12. It is a singular fact, and it tends to throw some light upon these remarkable words, that such expressions of feeling are common in the East to this day. One hears them frequently, but they are never understood literally. They are poetical, and intended to express in language of high imagery the intense feelings of sorrow and bitterness which wring the heart.—P.
a Job 3.1,3-16. ch.15.10.
3 See note * in first column.
15 Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, bA man-child is born unto thee; making him very glad.
16 And let that man be cas the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not; and let him hear dthe cry4 in the morning, and the shouting at noon-tide,5
Notes
Ver. 7-10. Contrary to my own inclination thou hast persuaded me to undertake this office, and hast disappointed me of the comforts which I expected in it. By thy powerful arguments and authority thou didst overrule me in it; yet have I met with nothing but derision and persecution. For since I began to deliver thy messages, I have prophesied of nothing but miseries to befal my people; and on that account all my messages have been made matter of derision and reproach to me; I therefore resolved to prophesy no more: but I found myself inwardly tormented with challenges of conscience and frowns from God, till I again delivered his messages. Though with fear I knew that I was everywhere calumniated as seditious, false, and dangerous to the state, and mine enemies were ready to spread the most malignant aspersions, in order to procure my disgrace or death; and even my relations and intimates did all they could to insnare me.
Ver. 3. Pashur—an extender of liberty. Magor-missabib— terror upon every side. There can be little doubt that Pashur was one of those degenerate priests who had turned from the Lord to Baal, and took such offence at Jeremiah for his faithful denunciation of idolatry, as the Pharisees conceived against our Lord for his faithful rebukes of their hypocrisy. Nor is it improbable, from considering the import of his self-assumed name, that Pashur and his associates may have covertly introduced idolatry under the specious plea of an extension of universal liberty. C.
Ver. 10. The defaming. Such misrepresentations of the prophet's words as the false witnesses afterwards gave of the words of our Lord, Mat. 26. 60, 61, and such erroneous interpretation as the high-priest pronounced when he and his fellow-judges voted him guilty, Mat. 26. 63-66. C.
Ver. 12. This prayer, for such it is, and not a prediction, and every other of a similar kind, can be fully vindicated, not merely on the ground of the prophet's inspiration, but by the internal fact that the prophet does not say 'my,' but 'thy vengeance'—a vengeance, a vindication and enforcement of justice, which, however severe, must be in strict conformity with the principles and exercise of that 'mercy which endureth for ever,' Ps. 136. 1, &c. C.
Ver. 14. Cursed be the day wherein I was born. Brown Patterson, whose notes to the work of his venerable relative are generally most judicious, has here referred to the reasonableness of 'taking into account' the 'poetical and rhetorical embellishment' of the passage, during the interpretation of it, and enters a caveat against its being 'used as a model for our own feelings in reference to our birth,' &c. And in this admission and caveat there are undoubtedly many who would concur. But surely such interpreters must forget (1) that 'Thus saith the Lord,' ver. 4, &c., speaking by his inspired prophet! and, if inspired for one part, surely inspired for all. And if not for all, where does inspiration end and man begin? (2) They must forget, that even though there is much that is called 'poetical and rhetorical embellishment,' it is the embellishment of the Spirit of God, and requires no drawback for its interpretation. (3) They must forget that 'these things were written for our ensamples,' our 'models;' and that the only caveat necessary is, that we take care rightly to understand 'the mind of the Spirit'—'the mind of Christ'—speaking by the prophet, and imitate, not in our own spirit, but in God's. C.
Reflections.—How heartily the wicked, especially among the clergy, hate the faithful ministers of Christ! They who boldly remonstrate against the wickedness of an abandoned generation must scarcely expect the common formalities of justice. But God can soon make those who would frighten his prophets a terror to themselves. And they who attempt to stop their mouth do but hasten their own doom. It is never safe for ministers to promise themselves much comfort on earth. Neither the wisdom of the serpent, nor the harmlessness of the dove, will be able to preserve them from reproach and derision. Nay, ridicule and contempt are the common weapons of the ungodly against the preachers of truth. And it is no small pain to a faithful soul to hear God's messages treated with levity and contempt. To faint in the Lord's way, or to wish that we had never entered into it, because we meet with difficulties, is extremely weak and foolish. But it is an ease for burdened souls to pour out their complaints before the Lord: even that which is terrible in him turns out to their comfort. And when they avenge not themselves, but commit their cause to him, he will compass them about with songs of expected, and afterwards enjoyed, deliverance. But, alas! how inconstant are the frames of the best on earth. Now they mount up to heaven in excellency; but soon descend to the depths of weakness and guilt. Alas! what vanity and vexation of spirit fill up human life! But absurd is sinful passion when allowed to ramble. And it is dangerous to have an unbridled tongue while our passions are strong.