Jeremiah 20:10
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For I have heard the whispering of many: “Terror is on every side! Report him; let us report him!” All my trusted friends watch for my fall: “Perhaps he will be deceived so that we may prevail against him and take our vengeance upon him.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Such plain dealing as Jeremiah used in the foregoing chapter, one might easily foresee, if it did not convince and humble men, would provoke and exasperate them; and so it did; for here we find, I. Jeremiah persecuted by Pashur for preaching that sermon (Jer 20:1, Jer 20:2). II. Pashur threatened for so doing, and the word which Jeremiah had preached confirmed (Jer 20:3-6). III. Jeremiah complaining to God concerning it, and the other instances of hard measure that he had since he began to be a prophet, and the grievous temptations he had struggled with (Jer 20:7-10), encouraging himself in God, lodging his appeal with him, not doubting but that he shall yet praise him, by which it appears that he had much grace (Jer 20:11-13) and yet peevishly cursing the day of his birth (Jer 20:14-18), by which it appears that he had sad remainders of corruption in him too, and was a man subject to like passions as we are.
Open source ↗20:10 The people sarcastically threw back on Jeremiah the name that he had given to Pashhur, The Man Who Lives in Terror (20:3). Even Jeremiah’s old friends looked for ways to twist his words and trip him up.
Open source ↗Cross-references
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Even my close friend whom I trusted, the one who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side. They conspire against me and plot to take my life.
those who indict a man with a word, who ensnare the mediator at the gate, and who with false charges deprive the innocent of justice.
Then some said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor an oracle to the prophet. Come, let us denounce him and pay no heed to any of his words.”
Nor can they prove to you any of their charges against me.
Do not go out to the fields; do not walk the road. For the enemy has a sword; terror is on every side.
The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.
Among you are slanderous men bent on bloodshed; within you are those who eat on the mountain shrines and commit acts of indecency.
So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His words in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor.
When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.