Jeremiah 20 10

Jeremiah 20:10 kjv

For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

Jeremiah 20:10 nkjv

For I heard many mocking: "Fear on every side!" "Report," they say, "and we will report it!" All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, "Perhaps he can be induced; Then we will prevail against him, And we will take our revenge on him."

Jeremiah 20:10 niv

I hear many whispering, "Terror on every side! Denounce him! Let's denounce him!" All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him."

Jeremiah 20:10 esv

For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! "Denounce him! Let us denounce him!" say all my close friends, watching for my fall. "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him."

Jeremiah 20:10 nlt

I have heard the many rumors about me.
They call me "The Man Who Lives in Terror."
They threaten, "If you say anything, we will report it."
Even my old friends are watching me,
waiting for a fatal slip.
"He will trap himself," they say,
"and then we will get our revenge on him."

Jeremiah 20 verses

Jeremiah 20 10 Meaning

Jeremiah 20:10 profoundly articulates the prophet's acute suffering, detailing how widespread slander and intense, pervasive fear besieged him. It reveals a betrayal by his own "friends," who insidiously watched for his vulnerability, hoping he would stumble or compromise his divine message. Their ultimate goal was to overpower him and enact personal revenge for his truthful, yet unpopular, prophecies. This verse captures Jeremiah's extreme isolation and the deep malice of those who resisted God's word.

Jeremiah 20 10 Context

Jeremiah 20:10 marks a deep turning point in Jeremiah’s ministry, immediately following his first physical persecution by Pashhur, a chief priest. Jeremiah had prophesied against Pashhur and the people, leading to his imprisonment and public mockery. Verses 7-9 reveal Jeremiah's profound inner turmoil and lament to God, feeling entrapped by his prophetic calling yet compelled to speak. Verse 10 provides the external justification for this despair, vividly detailing the societal hostility he faced. This public denunciation and personal betrayal directly fuel his later, even more intense, lament where he curses the day of his birth (vv. 14-18), showing the depth of his anguish and despair under relentless persecution for delivering God's unwavering message of truth amidst a deceitful generation.

Jeremiah 20 10 Word analysis

• For I heard (כִּי שָׁמַעְתִּי, ki shamati): "For" indicates a reason or explanation. "I heard" emphasizes Jeremiah's personal and direct experience, not rumor, but acute awareness of the plotting against him.
• many whispering (דִּבַּת רַבִּים, dibbat rabbim): "Whispering" or "slanderous report." The Hebrew term dibbah (דִּבָּה) implies malicious, often secret, defamation aimed at ruining reputation. "Many" shows this was widespread, compounding his isolation.
• 'Terror on every side!' (מָגוֹר מִסָּבִיב, magor misaviv): A deeply significant phrase. Magor (מָגוֹר) means "terror" or "dread," and misaviv (מִסָּבִיב) means "from all around." This describes a pervasive, encircling threat, causing intense anxiety. This very phrase is ironically used by God to rename Pashhur, Jeremiah's tormentor, later in the chapter (v. 3).
• 'Denounce him! Let's denounce him!' (הַגִּידוּ וְנַגִּידֶנּוּ, haggidu v'naggidennu): "Denounce him!" (from nagad, "to tell, to inform, to expose") is an urgent command, showing an active, collaborative desire to publically accuse and discredit Jeremiah. The repetition signifies zealous mutual encouragement among the plotters.
• All my friends (כֹּל אִישׁ שְׁלֹמִי, kol ish sh'lomi): Literally "all the men of my peace." This reveals the most painful betrayal, not from open enemies but from close associates, those with whom he presumably had shared peace or fellowship. It underscores the profound treachery.
• are watching for my fall (שֹׁמְרֵי צַלְעִי, shomrei tsal'i): "Watching" (from shamar, "to observe, to guard") in a sinister sense, and "my fall" (from tsela, "limp, stumble, halt"). They observe with malicious intent, eagerly anticipating a moral lapse, a misstep, or a compromise that would discredit his prophetic office.
• 'Perhaps he will be persuaded (אוּלַי יְפֻתֶּה, ulay y'futeh):' "Perhaps" indicating their hope. "Persuaded" (from patah, "to open, to entice, to deceive"). They desire him to yield to pressure, compromise his message, or be lured into sin, which would strip him of prophetic authority.
• then we can overpower him (וְנֻכַל לוֹ, v'nuchal lo): "Overpower" (from yakol, "to be able, to overcome, to prevail against"). Their goal is to gain control, to silence him, and ultimately render him powerless against their influence and sin.
• and take our revenge on him (וְנִקְחָה מִמֶּנּוּ נִקְמָה, v'nikchah mimmennu nikmah): Reveals their core motivation: not truth or justice, but personal retribution. Jeremiah's message of judgment and exposure of their sin made him an object of their wrath, and they desired vengeance.

• "I heard many whispering, 'Terror on every side!'": This phrase expresses the overwhelming sense of vulnerability and dread Jeremiah experienced due to the pervasive, insidious plotting against him by a large group.
• "Denounce him! Let's denounce him!": A call to action among his detractors, indicating their unified and active intention to expose, condemn, and thus silence the prophet, likely for perceived sedition or blasphemy against popular false doctrines.
• "All my friends are watching for my fall": Highlights the intense psychological pain of betrayal. It wasn't just enemies but those once considered close, observing with hostile intent, hoping for a moment of weakness to exploit.
• "'Perhaps he will be persuaded; then we can overpower him and take our revenge on him.'": This entire clause unmasks the true, malicious intent of his enemies: they hoped he would compromise (ethically or prophetically), giving them an excuse to gain control over him, and ultimately settle scores for his truthful yet condemning words.

Jeremiah 20 10 Bonus section

The concept of Magor Misaviv ("Terror on every side") in this verse, originating as a divine pronouncement over Pashhur, deepens the irony of Jeremiah's suffering. While God declared this over the unrighteous persecutor, Jeremiah feels it. This suggests that the experience of terror can be part of the righteous prophet's lot, a shared aspect with the fate awaiting the wicked, demonstrating the severity of his plight and the proximity to divine judgment he inhabited. This verse resonates deeply with themes of divine justice in the New Testament, where those who persecute prophets are judged (Mt 23:37-39). The intense suffering of Jeremiah, betrayed by those closest, also provides a prophetic foreshadowing of the Messiah's passion, especially Judas's betrayal, aligning their experiences as faithful servants facing relentless opposition.

Jeremiah 20 10 Commentary

Jeremiah 20:10 plunges into the profound psychological and relational depths of Jeremiah’s suffering. It's a vivid personal testimony to the constant, pervasive threat he endured, born not only of overt opposition but from the subtle, poisonous whispers and backstabbing of trusted acquaintances. The recurring phrase "Terror on every side!" (Magor Misaviv), a divine label for his persecutor Pashhur, becomes Jeremiah’s own gut-wrenching experience of omnipresent danger. His so-called "friends" sought to entrap him, wishing for a misstep or a compromise of his prophetic integrity. Their underlying desire was to discredit, control, and ultimately retaliate against him for the uncomfortable truths he delivered. This verse stands as a poignant reminder of the cost of uncompromising faithfulness to God's word in a hostile world. It illuminates the cruel irony of genuine friendship turning into cynical betrayal, a scenario that would find its ultimate parallel in the life of Christ.