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JEREMIAH 20

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

(The parentheses represent poetic literary units)

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: JEREMIAH 20:1-6
¹When Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, ²Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks that were at the upper Benjamin Gate, which was by the house of the Lord. ³On the next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, "Pashhur is not the name the Lord has called you, but rather Magor-missabib. ⁴For thus says the Lord, 'Behold, I am going to make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will give over all Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away as exiles to Babylon and will slay them with the sword. ⁵I will also give over all the wealth of this city, all its produce and all its costly things; even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give over to the hand of their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away and bring them to Babylon. ⁶And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into captivity; and you will enter Babylon, and there you will die and there you will be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have falsely prophesied.'"

20:1 "Pashhur" There are several people in the OT with this name (BDB 832).

1. In this text he was a priest whose task was to maintain order in the temple (cf. Jer. 29:26).
2. Another was a priest in Jeremiah's day, but with a different father, Jer. 21:1; 38:1; Neh. 11:12.
3. Another person in Jer. 38:1 (two Pashhurs in this verse).
4. Head of a post-exilic family in Ezra 2:38; 10:22; Neh. 7:41; 10:3; 11:12.

KB 980 quotes two authors who speculate that Pashhur is an Egyptian name (cf. Jewish Study Bible, p. 966, marginal note), "Portion of Horus." If so, this is a strange name for a priest of YHWH (possibly part of a pro-Egyptian faction). Most scholars simply say the meaning is unknown.

Jeremiah renames him "Magor‒missabib" (i.e. "terror on every side," cf. Jer. 20:3-6).

This position (BDB 824, KB 960) is basically someone put in charge of a specific task.

1. in the temple
   1. the high priest ‒ 2 Chr. 31:10,13
   2. a helper of the high priest ‒ 2 Chr. 24:11
   3. singers/musicians ‒ Neh. 12:42
   4. policing the temple ‒ Jer. 20:1; 29:26
2. in the civil government
   1. administration ‒ Gen. 41:34; Esther 2:3
   2. governor ‒ Jdgs. 9:28
   3. overseer ‒ Neh. 11:9
3. military ‒ 2 Kgs. 25:19; Jer. 52:25

▣ "heard Jeremiah prophesying these things" This goes back to Jeremiah 18 or 19, or both.

20:2 Although YHWH promised to protect Jeremiah (cf. Jer. 1:18-19), it did not mean he would not emotionally and physically suffer! This is helpful insight to NT believers.

SPECIAL TOPIC: WHY DO CHRISTIANS SUFFER?

SPECIAL TOPIC: A SUFFERING MESSIAH

▣ "Jeremiah the prophet" There are several terms used to describe those called to give YHWH's revelation. The term here is Nabi (BDB 611, KB 661). For a full list of the descriptive terms, see Special Topic below.

SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHECY (OT)

SPECIAL TOPIC: WAYS OF REVELATION

▣ "beaten" The VERB (BDB 645, KB 697) is a Hiphil IMPERFECT with waw, probably in the fashion of Deut. 25:2-3. Jeremiah would have been labeled "a wicked man" (i.e. false prophet, cf. Deut. 13:1-5).

▣ "stocks" This word (BDB 246) refers to wooden bars with holes in them for the hands, feet, and neck. These holes were spread widely apart to increase pain and discomfort. The pain was both physical and mental! In 2 Chr. 16:10 a false prophet was put in them (or it). Jeremiah was being treated as a "false prophet." This is what bothered him so badly!

The JPSOA translates this word as "cell" and sees it as a small room of confinement. The LXX also has "dungeon," but "stocks" in a footnote.

▣ "at the upper Benjamin Gate" I like the NET Bible's explanation, p. 1345, #16, "A comparison of Ezek. 8:3 and 9:2 in their contexts will show that this probably refers to the northern gate to the inner court of the temple. It is called Upper because it was on higher ground above the gate in the outer court. It is qualified by 'in the Lord's temple' to distinguish it from the Benjamin Gate in the city wall (cf. 37:13; 38:7). Like the Benjamin Gate in the city wall, it faced north toward the territory of the tribe of Benjamin."

20:4-6 These verses describe the terror (BDB 159 II).

1. his friends will die by the invaders' (i.e. Neo-Babylon), sword, while you watch
2. Judah's remaining population will be exiled to Babylon
3. all the wealth of Jerusalem (including the temple) will be carried to Babylon
4. Pashhur and his family and friends will be exiled and will die in Babylon

20:4 "to the hand" This is imagery for "power." See SPECIAL TOPIC: HAND.

20:6 "you have falsely prophesied" Exactly how this priestly temple official "prophesied" (BDB 612, KB 659, Niphal PERFECT) is uncertain. But he, not Jeremiah, would bear the curse of Deut. 13:1-5 for it! The false prophecy was related to the stability of the temple and Jerusalem (possibly quoting Isaiah's message to Hezekiah, i.e. Isaiah 36-39). It was a message of hope and faith, but at this point in time, it was not YHWH's message (cf. Jer. 14:14-16)!

SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHECY (OT)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: JEREMIAH 20:7-13
⁷O Lord, You have deceived me and I was deceived;
 You have overcome me and prevailed.
 I have become a laughingstock all day long;
 Everyone mocks me.
⁸For each time I speak, I cry aloud;
 I proclaim violence and destruction,
 Because for me the word of the Lord has resulted
 In reproach and derision all day long.
⁹But if I say, "I will not remember Him
 Or speak anymore in His name,"
 Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire
 Shut up in my bones;
 And I am weary of holding it in,
 And I cannot endure it.
¹⁰For I have heard the whispering of many,
 "Terror on every side!
 Denounce him; yes, let us denounce him!"
 All my trusted friends,
 Watching for my fall, say:
 "Perhaps he will be deceived, so that we may prevail against
 him
 And take our revenge on him."
¹¹But the Lord is with me like a dread champion;
 Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
 They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed,
 With an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.
¹²Yet, O Lord of hosts, You who test the righteous,
 Who see the mind and the heart;
 Let me see Your vengeance on them;
 For to You I have set forth my cause.
¹³Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord!
 For He has delivered the soul of the needy one
 From the hand of evildoers.

20:7-13 This is another complaint/lament. Even those called by God experience doubt and fear! Jeremiah feels that YHWH has

1. deceived him ‒ BDB 834, KB 984, Piel PERFECT and Niphal IMPERFECT with waw (this is an intensified form of a strong VERB often used of seduction; it refers to his call in chapter 1)
2. overcome him ‒ BDB 304, KB 302, Qal PERFECT
3. prevailed against him ‒ BDB 407, KB 410, Qal IMPERFECT with waw

The results of his prophecies of judgment not occurring (cf. Jer. 20:7-8) are that

1. he has become a laughingstock all day long (cf. Jer. 48:26,39; Lam. 3:14)
2. everyone mocks him (cf. Lam. 3:14)
3. he is reproached
4. he is derided

This would open him up to the charge of not being a true prophet. The punishment for false prophecy wa death (cf. Deut. 13).

20:7 "You have deceived me" The theological issue that comes from this phrase is, "Does God deceive or purposely give false information?" Often, texts such as 1 Kgs. 22:20-23; 2 Chr. 18:18-22; Jer. 4:10; and Ezek. 14:9, are given as evidence.

One way to handle this is to assert the total "goodness" and "changelessness" of God (cf. Gen. 1:31; Mal. 3:6; James 1:17; 1 John 1:5). YHWH is good (see SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARACTERISTICS OF ISRAEL'S GOD [OT]). We must define these aspects of Deity in such a way as to allow

1. the Bible's not recognizing secondary causes. All actions and events are attributed to YHWH (see SPECIAL TOPIC: ONE CAUSALITY)
2. the possibility of prophecy being affected by repentance (i.e. Jonah)
   SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTANCE (OT)
   SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHECY (OT)
3. the reality of intercessory prayer
   SPECIAL TOPIC: INTERCESSORY PRAYER
4. the conditional nature of the Mosaic covenant
   SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT
5. defining "goodness," see full not at Mal. 3:6
6. YHWH does harden some people for His greater purposes
   SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD HARDENED
   SPECIAL TOPIC: JUDAS ISCARIOT

For a good brief discussion, see Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 230-231.

Verse 10 describes the fear he feels as he hears people whispering their curses.

1. he has described his own situation by the very words YHWH used to rename Pashhur (i.e. "terror on every side!" v. 3)
2. they denounce him
3. his friends are watching for him to fall
4. they hope to prevail against him
5. they hope to take revenge against him

Since the current canonical structure of Jeremiah is an anthology of his poetic messages, Jer. 20:7-13 are obviously placed here because of the "catch-word" Magor-missabib of Jer. 20:3 and 10 (cf. Jer. 6:25; 46:5; 49:29).

20:9 Jeremiah tries to express both the pain and joy of being YHWH's spokesperson. Remember this is highly figurative poetry.

1. he tries to forget YHWH
2. he tries not to speak His words anymore

But he cannot! They are like a burning fire shut up in his bones. He cannot hold them back. He must speak (cf. Amos 3:8).

Many of us who feel called to preach/teach/share know these thoughts and feelings.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW POETRY

20:11 Verse 11 describes YHWH as "a dreaded champion" (i.e. the divine warrior, BDB 150 and the ADJECTIVE, BDB 792, cf. Jer. 1:8,19; 15:20; Isa. 59:16-20). Notice what happens to those who oppose him.

1. they will stumble (BDB 505, KB 502, Niphal IMPERFECT)
2. they will not prevail (BDB 407, KB 410, Qal IMPERFECT, NEGATED)
3. they will be utterly ashamed (BDB 101, KB 116, Qal PERFECT; see SPECIAL TOPIC: SHAME)
4. they will not succeed (BDB 968, KB 1328, Hiphil PERFECT, NEGATED)
5. they will have an everlasting disgrace (BDB 484, CONSTRUCT BDB 761; see SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam and aiōnios)
6. they will not be forgotten in their shame (BDB 1013, KB 1489, Niphal IMPERFECT, NEGATED)

20:12 Jeremiah describes YHWH.

1. You test the righteous (BDB 103, KB 119, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE)
2. You examine the mind (i.e. kidneys; BDB 906, KB 1157, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE; see SPECIAL TOPIC: INWARD PARTS)
3. You examine the heart (see SPECIAL TOPIC: HEART)
4. You let me see Your vengeance (BDB 906, LB 1157, Qal IMPERFECT used in a COHORTATIVE sense)
5. You let me present my cause to You (cf. Jer. 11:20; BDB 162, KB 191, Piel PERFECT). This is similar to Job's request.

SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD TESTS HIS PEOPLE

▣ Number 5 above has a VERB (BDB 162, KB 191, Piel PERFECT) that can connote several things (see same textual issue at Jer. 11:20).

1. BDB Piel #3, "make known" or "reveal" (גליתי)
2. NASB ‒ "set forth"
    NKJV ‒ "have pleaded"
    NRSV, REB ‒ "have committed" (גלותי)
    TEV ‒ "have placed"
    NJB, LXX, Peshitta ‒ "have revealed"
    JPSOA ‒ "lay"

The OBJECT of the VERB is a "law case" or a "cause" (rib, BDB 936).

20:13 This verse starts with two IMPERATIVES.

1. sing to the Lord ‒ BDB 1010, KB 1479, Qal IMPERATIVE
2. praise the Lord ‒ BDB 237, KB 248, Piel IMPERATIVE

This adulation is because YHWH has delivered the soul of the needy one from the hand of evil doers.

What a wild swing of emotions is expressed in these verses. From complete discouragement in YHWH in Jer. 20:7 to joyous praise in Jer. 20:13. This wild swing continues in the next poem (Jer. 20:14-18). Jeremiah was a highly emotional person.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: JEREMIAH 20:14-18
¹⁴Cursed be the day when I was born;
Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me!
¹⁵Cursed be the man who brought the news
To my father, saying,
"A baby boy has been born to you!"
And made him very happy.
¹⁶But let that man be like the cities
Which the Lord overthrew without relenting,
And let him hear an outcry in the morning
And a shout of alarm at noon;
¹⁷Because he did not kill me before birth,
So that my mother would have been my grave,
And her womb ever pregnant.
¹⁸Why did I ever come forth from the womb
To look on trouble and sorrow,
So that my days have been spent in shame?

20:14-18 These verses continue the lament begun in Jer. 15:10. Remember these are hyperbolic poetic images! The questions are "Why is he so sad? Is it

1. his personal life
2. the terrible judgment coming to Judah and Jerusalem?"

20:16 The first two lines refer to YHWH's destruction of the cities of the plain in Gen. 19:24-28, which became a proverb for divine judgment (cf. Isa. 1:9,10; 13:19; Jer. 23:14; 49:18; Matt. 10:15; 11:24).

Some suggest that "man" be emendated to "day," but there is no textual or versional evidence.

The VERB nacham (BDB 636, KB 688, Niphal PERFECT) basically means "to be sorry." It is used in both a positive way (i.e. Ps. 106:45; Amos 7:3,6) or a negative way (i.e. Gen. 6:7; Jer. 4:28; 15:6; Zech. 8:14).

Modern interpreters must be reminded of Eastern Literature's use of

1. hyperbolic poetry
2. assigning human motives to YHWH
3. presenting truths in dialectical pairs

SPECIAL TOPIC: EASTERN LITERATURE

SPECIAL TOPIC: ANTHROPOMORPHIC LANGUAGE TO DESCRIBE GOD

SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTANCE (OT)

20:18 Obviously, vv. 14-18 are a word play from Jeremiah's call to prophetic office, recorded in Jer. 1:4-10, esp. v. 5.

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