Jeremiah 20

Jer 20:1-18.

JEREMIAH'S

INCARCERATION BY

PASHUR, THE

PRINCIPAL

OFFICER OF THE

TEMPLE, FOR

PROPHESYING WITHIN

ITS

PRECINCTS;

HIS

RENEWED

PREDICTIONS AGAINST THE

CITY, &c.,

ON

HIS

LIBERATION.

1. son--descendant.

of Immer--one of the original "governors of the sanctuary and of the

house of God," twenty-four in all, that is, sixteen of the sons of

Eleazar and eight of the sons of Ithamar

(1Ch 24:14).

This Pashur is distinct from Pashur, son of Melchiah

(Jer 21:1).

The "captains"

(Lu 22:4)

seem to have been over the twenty-four guards of the temple, and had

only the right of apprehending any who were guilty of

delinquency within it; but the Sanhedrim had the judicial power

over such delinquents [GROTIUS]

(Jer 26:8, 10, 16).

2. The fact that Pashur was of the same order and of the same family

as Jeremiah aggravates the indignity of the blow

(1Ki 22:24;

Mt 26:67).

stocks--an instrument of torture with five holes, in which the neck,

two hands, and two feet were thrust, the body being kept in a crooked

posture

(Jer 29:26).

From a Hebrew root, to "turn," or "rack." This marks Pashur's

cruelty.

high--that is, the upper gate

(2Ki 15:35).

gate of Benjamin--a gate in the temple wall, corresponding to the

gate of Benjamin, properly so called, in the city wall, in the direction

of the territory of Benjamin

(Jer 7:2; 37:13; 38:7).

The temple gate of Benjamin, being on a lofty position, was called "the

high gate," to distinguish it from the city wall gate of Benjamin.

3. Pashur--compounded of two roots, meaning "largeness (and so

'security') on every side"; in antithesis to

Magor-missabib, "terror round about"

(Jer 20:10;

Jer 6:25; 46:5; 49:29;

Ps 31:13).

4. terror . . . to all thy friends--who have believed thy false

promises

(Jer 20:6).

The sense must be in order to accord with "fear round about"

(Jer 20:3).

I will bring terror on thee and on all thy friends, that terror arising

from thyself, namely, thy false prophecies. Thou and thy prophecies

will be seen, to the dismay both of thee and thy dupes, to have caused

their ruin and thine. MAURER'S translation is

therefore not needed, "I will give up thee and all thy friends

to terror."

5. strength--that is, resources.

labours--fruits of labor, gain, wealth.

6. prophesied lies--namely, that God cannot possibly leave this land

without prophets, priests, and teachers ("the wise")

(Jer 18:18;

compare

Jer 5:31).

7. Jeremiah's complaint, not unlike that of Job, breathing somewhat

of human infirmity in consequence of his imprisonment. Thou didst

promise never to give me up to the will of mine enemies, and yet Thou

hast done so. But Jeremiah misunderstood God's promise, which was not

that he should have nothing to suffer, but that God would deliver him

out of sufferings

(Jer 1:19).

deceived--Others translate as Margin, "Thou hast enticed" or

"persuaded me," namely, to undertake the prophetic office, "and I

was persuaded," that is, suffered myself to be persuaded to undertake

what I find too hard for me. So the Hebrew word is used in a good

sense

(Ge 9:27,

Margin;

Pr 25:15;

Ho 2:14).

stronger than I--Thou whose strength I could not resist hast laid

this burden on me, and hast prevailed (hast made me prophesy, in spite

of my reluctance)

(Jer 1:5-7);

yet, when I exercise my office, I am treated with derision

(La 3:14).

8. Rather, "Whenever I speak, I cry out. Concerning violence

and spoil, I (am compelled to) cry out," that is, complain

[MAURER].

English Version in the last clause is more graphic, "I cried violence

and spoil"

(Jer 6:7)!

I could not speak in a calm tone; their desperate wickedness compelled

me to "cry out."

because--rather, "therefore," the apodosis of the previous sentence;

because in discharging my prophetic functions, I not merely spake, but cried; and cried, violence . . . ; therefore the word of the

Lord was made a reproach to me

(Jer 20:7).

9. his word was--or literally, "there was in my heart, as it were,

a burning fire," that is, the divine afflatus or impulse to speak was

as . . .

(Job 32:18, 19;

Ps 39:3).

weary with forbearing, and I could not--"I labored to contain myself,

but I could not"

(Ac 18:5;

compare

Jer 23:9;

1Co 9:16, 17).

10. For--not referring to the words immediately preceding, but to "I

will not make mention of Him." The "defaming" or detraction of the

enemy on every side (see

Ps 31:13)

tempted him to think of prophesying no more.

Report . . . we will report--The words of his adversaries one to the

other; give any information against him (true or false) which will give

color for accusing him; and "we will report it," namely, to the

Sanhedrim, in order to crush him.

familiars--literally, "men of my peace"; those who pretended to be

on peaceable terms with me

(Ps 41:9).

Jeremiah is a type of Messiah, referred to in that Psalm. (See

Jer 38:22;

Job 19:19;

Ps 55:13, 14;

Lu 11:53, 54).

watched for my halting--

(Ps 35:15,

Margin, "halting";

Ps 38:17; 71:10,

Margin). GESENIUS not so well translates,

according to Arabic idiom, "those guarding my side" (that is, my

most intimate friends always at my side), in apposition to

"familiars," and the subject of "say" (instead of "saying"). The

Hebrew means properly "side," then "halting," as the halt bend

on one side.

enticed--to commit some sin.

11. not prevail--as they hoped to do

(Jer 20:10;

Jer 15:20).

prosper--in their plot.

12. triest the righteous--in latent contrast to the hasty judgments

of men

(Jer 11:20; 17:10).

opened--that is, committed (compare

2Ki 19:14;

Ps 35:1).

13. delivered . . . soul--This deliverance took place when Zedekiah

succeeded Jeconiah.

14-18. The contrast between the spirit of this passage and the

preceding thanksgiving is to be explained thus: to show how great

was the deliverance

(Jer 20:13),

he subjoins a picture of what his wounded spirit had been

previous to his deliverance; I had said in the time of my

imprisonment, "Cursed be the day"; my feeling was that of Job

(Job 3:3, 10, 11,

whose words Jeremiah therefore copies). Though Jeremiah's zeal had been

stirred up, not so much for self as for God's honor trampled on by the

rejection of the prophet's words, yet it was intemperate when he made

his birth a subject for cursing, which was really a ground for

thanksgiving.

15. A man child--The birth of a son is in the East a special

subject of joy; whereas that of a daughter is often not so.

16. the cities--Sodom and Gomorrah.

cry . . . morning . . . noontide--that is, Let him be kept in alarm

the whole day (not merely at night when terrors ordinarily

prevail, but in daytime when it is something extraordinary) with

terrifying war shouts, as those in a besieged city

(Jer 18:22).

17. he--"that man"

(Jer 20:15, 16).

from the womb--that is, at that time while I was still in the womb.