1Als nun Paschchur Sohn Immers, der Priester, - der war Hauptverordneter in SEINEM Haus - Jirmejahu diese Rede künden hörte, 2ließ Paschchur Jirmejahu, den Künder, schlagen, er ließ ihn in den Krummblock geben, den am obern Binjaminstor, das an SEINEM Haus ist. 3Am Nachmorgen dann wars, da ließ Paschchur Jirmejahu aus dem Block holen. Jirmejahu aber sprach zu ihm: Nicht Paschchur ruft ER deinen Namen, sondern Magor, Grauen, ringsum. 4Denn so hat ER gesprochen: Wohlan, ich übergebe dich dem Grauen, dies für dich und für alle, die dich lieben, fallen sollen sie durchs Schwert ihrer Feinde, während deine Augen zusehn, und ich gebe alles Jehuda in die Hand des Königs von Babel, daß der sie nach Babel verschleppe oder durchs Schwert sie erschlage. 5Ich gebe allen Hort dieser Stadt, all ihr Erarbeitetes, all ihre Kostbarkeit, alle Schätze der Könige von Jehuda gebe ich in die Hand ihrer Feinde, daß die sie plündern, sie nehmen, sie kommen lassen nach Babel. 6Und du, Paschchur, und alle Insassen deines Hauses, ihr geht in die Gefangenschaft, nach Babel wirst du kommen, und dort wirst du sterben und dort begraben werden, du und alle, die dich lieben, denen du in der Lüge hast künden lassen. 7Betört hast du mich, DU, ich ließ mich betören, gepackt hast du mich, du hast übermocht. Ich bin zum Gelächter worden alletag, alles spottet mein. 8Ja, sowie ich reden will, muß ich schreien, Unbill! rufen und: Gewalt! zu Hohn ja und zu Posse ist SEINE Rede mir worden alletag. 9Spreche ich: Ich will ihn nicht gedenken, nicht mehr reden mit seinem Namen, bleibts mir im Herzen wie ein sengendes Feuer, eingehegt mir im Gebein, ich erschöpfe mich es zu verhalten, ich vermags nicht.. 10Ja, ich höre das Flüstern der Vielen, ein Grauen ringsum: Meldets! wir wollens melden! Was an Menschen mir im Friedensbund steht, die passen meinem Ausgleiten auf: Vielleicht wird er betört, dann übermögen wir ihn, nehmen an ihm unsre Rache! 11Aber ER ist mit mir wie ein trotziger Held, drum müssen straucheln meine Verfolger und sie vermögen nichts, werden sehr beschämt, denn sie haben nichts ergriffen, - eine Weltzeit-Schmach, die nie vergessen wird. 12DU Umscharter, bewährter Prüfer, der Nieren und Herz durchschaut! mag ich schaun deine Rache an ihnen, denn überwälzt habe ich dir meinen Streit. 13Singet IHM, preiset IHN, denn er rettet des Bedürftigen Seele aus der Hand der Bösgesinnten. 14Verflucht sei der Tag, an dem ich geboren bin! der Tag, da mich meine Mutter gebar, nimmer werde er gesegnet! 15- Verflucht sei der Mann, der meinem Vater brachte die Mär, sprach: Ein Kind, ein Sohn ist dir geboren!, hieß ihn sich freuen, sich freuen. 16Jener Mann müßte werden wie die Städte, die ER umgestürzt hat und ließ sichs nicht leidsein! Geschrei müßte er hören am Morgen, Kriegsgeschmetter zur Mittagszeit! - 17Der mich nicht hat im Schoß sterben lassen, daß meine Mutter mein Grab blieb, in Weltzeit schwanger ihr Schoß! 18Warum doch bin aus dem Schoß ich gefahren, Pein zu schauen und Gram, daß in Schande meine Tage vergehn!
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 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. (Jer. 20:1-18)
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 (
1Chr 24:14). This Pashur is distinct from Pashur, son of Melchiah (
Jer 21:1). The "captains" (
Luke 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,
Jer 26:10,
Jer 26:16).
2 The fact that Pashur was of the same order and of the same family as Jeremiah aggravates the indignity of the blow (
1Kgs 22:24;
Matt 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 (
2Kgs 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;
Jer 37:13;
Jer 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;
Jer 46:5;
Jer 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 (
Gen 9:27, Margin;
Pro 25:15;
Hos 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-
Jer 1:7); yet, when I exercise my office, I am treated with derision (
Lam 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-
Job 32:19;
Ps 39:3).
weary with forbearing, and I could not--"I labored to contain myself, but I could not" (
Acts 18:5; compare
Jer 23:9;
1Cor 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-
Ps 55:14;
Luke 11:53-
Luke 11:54).
watched for my halting-- (
Ps 35:15, Margin, "halting";
Ps 38:17;
Ps 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;
Jer 17:10).
opened--that is, committed (compare
2Kgs 19:14;
Ps 35:1).
13 delivered . . . soul--This deliverance took place when Zedekiah succeeded Jeconiah.
14 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,
Job 3:10-
Job 3:11, 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-
Jer 20:16).
from the womb--that is, at that time while I was still in the womb.
Written probably when, after having repulsed the Egyptians who brought succors to the Jews (
Jer 37:5-
Jer 37:8;
2Kgs 24:7), the Chaldees were a second time advancing against Jerusalem, but were not yet closely besieging it (
Jer 21:4,
Jer 21:13) [ROSENMULLER]. This chapter probably ought to be placed between the thirty-seventh and thirty-eight chapters; since what the "princes," in
Jer 38:2, represent Jeremiah as having said, is exactly what we find in
Jer 21:9. Moreover, the same persons as here (
Jer 21:1) are mentioned in
Jer 37:3;
Jer 38:1, namely, Pashur and Zephaniah. What is here more fully related is there simply referred to in the historical narrative. Compare
Jer 52:24;
2Kgs 25:18 [MAURER].
