Jeremiah 20 18

Jeremiah 20:18 kjv

Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

Jeremiah 20:18 nkjv

Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and sorrow, That my days should be consumed with shame?

Jeremiah 20:18 niv

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

Jeremiah 20:18 esv

Why did I come out from the womb to see toil and sorrow, and spend my days in shame?

Jeremiah 20:18 nlt

Why was I ever born?
My entire life has been filled
with trouble, sorrow, and shame.

Jeremiah 20 verses

Jeremiah 20 18 Meaning

Jeremiah 20:18 expresses the prophet Jeremiah's profound despair and bitter regret over his birth. He questions why he ever came into existence only to encounter ceaseless toil and deep sorrow throughout his life, which he perceives as culminating in shame and disgrace. This lament reflects an intense emotional and spiritual crisis, where the burdens of his prophetic calling and the persecution he faced became so overwhelming that he wished he had never been born. It's a raw outcry revealing the human cost of faithfully serving God amidst opposition.

Jeremiah 20 18 Context

Jeremiah 20:18 concludes one of Jeremiah's "Confessions" or "Laments," which are intensely personal prayers expressing his profound struggles with his prophetic calling. This specific lament immediately follows a harrowing experience: Jeremiah had prophesied against Jerusalem and the Temple, leading to him being beaten and put in the stocks by Pashhur, a chief priest. During his imprisonment, Jeremiah continued to prophesy Pashhur's impending doom and the captivity of Judah. The release from the stocks does not bring relief; instead, it unleashes a torrent of despair as he reflects on his suffering (Jer 20:7-13). This final verse of the lament expresses the culmination of his emotional pain—a wish that he had never been born to endure such "toil and sorrow," which resulted in personal and public shame, humiliation, and constant opposition as he faithfully delivered God's unwelcome message to a rebellious nation on the brink of destruction. The broader historical context is Judah's increasing apostasy and the looming threat of Babylonian invasion, which Jeremiah was commissioned to warn against, often to his great personal detriment.

Jeremiah 20 18 Word analysis

• Why (לָמָּה - lammah): This is a direct, anguished question, a fundamental challenge to existence. It expresses not just curiosity but profound bewilderment and distress, akin to Job's questions regarding his birth.

• did I come forth (יָצָאתִי - yatza'ti): Literally "I came out," referring to birth from the womb. The verb emphasizes the action of coming into being, making the regret deeply personal and fundamental to his existence.

• from the womb (מֵרֶחֶם - merechem): The Hebrew rechem explicitly means "womb," highlighting the very moment of his physical entry into life. The phrase is an emphatic way of saying "Why was I born?"

• to see (לִרְאוֹת - lir'ot): More than mere sight, it signifies to experience, encounter, and endure. His entire life has been defined by what he "sees"—the hardships, not passive observation.

• toil (עָמָל - amal): This is a significant Hebrew term found in Ecclesiastes and Job, denoting laborious trouble, hardship, pain, misery, and futility. It often implies fruitlessness despite effort, reflecting Jeremiah's unrewarded and rejected ministry.

• and sorrow (וְיָגוֹן - veyagon): Yagon signifies deep grief, anguish, and mental pain. Paired with amal, it emphasizes both the physical/circumstantial hardship and the profound emotional suffering it caused him.

• so that my days (יָמָי - yamay): Refers to his life span, his entire existence. The suffering is not isolated incidents but defines the trajectory of his life "days."

• have ended (וַיִּכְלוּ - vayichlu): The verb kalah means to finish, complete, or be consumed/brought to an end. It implies a sense of finality and utter exhaustion. His life hasn't merely passed; it has been worn down, exhausted by the troubles.

• in shame (בְּבֹשֶׁת - bevōshet): Boshet denotes disgrace, dishonor, humiliation, and public scorn. For Jeremiah, his faithful prophecy resulted not in honor but in a reputation of mockery and contempt, a deeply painful and publicly experienced outcome.

• "Why did I come forth from the womb...": This phrase represents a complete and utterly desolate rejection of his entire existence. It goes beyond momentary frustration to question the fundamental goodness of his life's very beginning. It highlights the direct contrast with God's pre-natal calling (Jer 1:5).

• "...to see toil and sorrow...": This encapsulates the content of his lived experience. It defines the character of his days as overwhelmingly marked by hardship (physical, social) and deep emotional distress, leaving no room for joy or peace.

• "...so that my days have ended in shame?": This declares the perceived ultimate outcome and bitter summation of his life. His existence, from its inception, culminates in a state of disgrace and public humiliation, defining the entire course and conclusion of his efforts and faithfulness.

Jeremiah 20 18 Bonus section

• Prophetic Tension: This verse profoundly illustrates the tension between divine foreordination (Jeremiah's calling before birth, Jer 1:5) and the agonizing human experience of free will's consequences and suffering. Jeremiah isn't challenging God's sovereignty per se, but rather the personal cost associated with fulfilling it, suggesting a deep internal conflict.
• Theodicy Implicit: While not directly questioning God's justice in abstract terms, Jeremiah's complaint touches upon the problem of evil and suffering, particularly when the one suffering is acting righteously and according to God's will. It’s a moment of deeply personal theological struggle for the prophet.
• Literary Foreshadowing: The consistent theme of suffering and shame in Jeremiah's life prefigures the ultimate suffering servant, Jesus Christ, who would also be "a man of sorrows" and "despised and rejected," ultimately enduring the greatest shame for the sake of God's redemptive plan (Isa 53:3, Heb 12:2).

Jeremiah 20 18 Commentary

Jeremiah's lament in verse 18 is a testament to the raw, unfiltered honesty allowed in biblical faith, even for a prophet specially called by God. It follows a direct confrontation with persecution, embodying a deeply personal crisis of faith and purpose. The prophet is not questioning God's existence or power, but the point of his own existence and the heavy burden of his divine commission, which has brought him only ostracization and pain instead of honor. This sentiment profoundly contrasts with his pre-natal calling (Jer 1:5), illustrating the severe tension between God's sovereign plan and the profound human suffering endured in fulfilling it. Jeremiah feels as though his life's journey, which began with divine intent, has deteriorated into nothing but relentless trouble and a legacy of shame in the eyes of others. This is a common theme in the laments of the Old Testament, where righteous individuals often articulate their anguish and perplexity over the injustice and suffering they endure, trusting that God hears their complaints. Jeremiah's despair resonates with anyone who has faced overwhelming hardship and felt their life was defined by pain, wondering about its purpose amidst relentless struggles and public derision. It acknowledges the validity of human despair, even while embedded in a larger narrative of God's unwavering call and eventual vindication.