Focused Passage

Jeremiah 20:14-18

Pashhur, Terror on Every Side, and the Fire Shut Up in Jeremiah’s Bones

The chapter moves from Pashhur hearing Jeremiah’s temple proclamation, to Pashhur beating and imprisoning Jeremiah, to Jeremiah announcing Pashhur’s new name and Babylonian doom, to Jeremiah’s lament over being overpowered by the LORD’s call, to the burning word he cannot hold in, to his confidence that the LORD is with him like a mighty warrior, to praise for deliverance, and finally to a deep birth lament expressing the prophet’s anguish.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

14 Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me never be blessed.

15 Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, saying, “A son is born to you,” bringing him great joy.

16 May that man be like the cities that the LORD overthrew without compassion. May he hear an outcry in the morning and a battle cry at noon,

17 because he did not kill me in the womb so that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb forever enlarged.

18 Why did I come out of the womb to see only trouble and sorrow, and to end my days in shame?

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 14

Cross-references

Jeremiah 15:10 Classic cross-references Jonah 4:3 Classic cross-references Job 3:1 Classic cross-references 1 Kings 19:4 Classic cross-references Job 3:3 Classic cross-references

Original words

Cursed be אָר֣וּר H779 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular the day הַיּ֔וֹם H3117 Article | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative I was born יֻלַּ֖דְתִּי H3205 Verb - QalPass - Perfect - first person common singular May the day י֛וֹם H3117 Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative my mother אִמִּ֖י H517 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular bore me יְלָדַ֥תְנִי H3205 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular | first person common singular never אַל־ H408 Adverb . . . יְהִ֥י H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular be blessed בָרֽוּךְ׃ H1288 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular

Verse 15

Original words

Cursed be אָר֣וּר H779 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular the man הָאִ֗ישׁ H376 Article | Noun - masculine singular who אֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Pronoun - relative brought בִּשַּׂ֤ר H1319 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker my father {the news} אָבִי֙ H1 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular saying לֵאמֹ֔ר H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct A son זָכָ֑ר H2145 Noun - masculine singular . . . בֵּ֣ן H1121 Noun - masculine singular is born יֻֽלַּד־ H3205 Verb - QalPass - Perfect - third person masculine singular to you לְךָ֖ Preposition | second person masculine singular bringing him great joy שַׂמֵּ֖חַ H8055 Verb - Piel - Infinitive absolute . . . שִׂמֳּחָֽהוּ׃ H8055 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular

Verse 16

Cross-references

Genesis 19:24 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 18:22 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 29:23 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 23:14 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 48:3 Classic cross-references

Original words

May הַה֔וּא H1931 Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular that man הָאִ֣ישׁ H376 Article | Noun - masculine singular be וְהָיָה֙ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular like the cities כֶּֽעָרִ֛ים H5892 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - feminine plural that אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular overthrew הָפַ֥ךְ H2015 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular without וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle compassion נִחָ֑ם H5162 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular May he hear וְשָׁמַ֤ע H8085 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular an outcry זְעָקָה֙ H2201 Noun - feminine singular in the morning בַּבֹּ֔קֶר H1242 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular and a battle cry וּתְרוּעָ֖ה H8643 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular vvv בְּעֵ֥ת H6256 Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct at noon צָהֳרָֽיִם׃ H6672 Noun - masculine plural

Verse 17

Cross-references

Job 10:18 Classic cross-references Job 3:10 Classic cross-references Ecclesiastes 6:3 Classic cross-references Job 3:16 Classic cross-references

Original words

because אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative he did not לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle kill me מוֹתְתַ֖נִי H4191 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular in the womb מֵרָ֑חֶם H7358 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular so that my mother אִמִּי֙ H517 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular might have been וַתְּהִי־ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular my grave קִבְרִ֔י H6913 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular and her womb וְרַחְמָ֖הֿ H7358 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular forever עוֹלָֽם׃ H5769 Noun - masculine singular enlarged הֲרַ֥ת H2030 Adjective - feminine singular construct

Verse 18

Cross-references

Job 3:20 Classic cross-references 1 Peter 4:14 Classic cross-references Job 14:1 Classic cross-references Lamentations 3:1 Classic cross-references Numbers 11:15 Classic cross-references

Original words

Why לָ֤מָּה H4100 Interrogative . . . זֶּה֙ H2088 Pronoun - masculine singular did I come out יָצָ֔אתִי H3318 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular of the womb מֵרֶ֣חֶם H7358 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular to see לִרְא֥וֹת H7200 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct only trouble עָמָ֖ל H5999 Noun - masculine singular and sorrow וְיָג֑וֹן H3015 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular and to end וַיִּכְל֥וּ H3615 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural my days יָמָֽי׃פ H3117 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular in shame בְּבֹ֖שֶׁת H1322 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular

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