Jeremiah 20 3

Jeremiah 20:3 kjv

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib.

Jeremiah 20:3 nkjv

And it happened on the next day that Pashhur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, "The LORD has not called your name Pashhur, but Magor-Missabib.

Jeremiah 20:3 niv

The next day, when Pashhur released him from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, "The LORD's name for you is not Pashhur, but Terror on Every Side.

Jeremiah 20:3 esv

The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, "The LORD does not call your name Pashhur, but Terror on Every Side.

Jeremiah 20:3 nlt

The next day, when Pashhur finally released him, Jeremiah said, "Pashhur, the LORD has changed your name. From now on you are to be called 'The Man Who Lives in Terror.'

Jeremiah 20 verses

Jeremiah 20 3 Meaning

Jeremiah 20:3 details the moment following Jeremiah's release from public stocks. Upon his release, Jeremiah pronounces a divinely-ordained prophetic message to Pashhur, the chief priest who had him imprisoned. This message announces a symbolic name change for Pashhur, declaring that "The LORD hath not called thy name Pashhur, but Magor-missabib." This new name, meaning "Terror on Every Side" or "Terror All Around," signifies the inescapable judgment and pervasive dread that Pashhur and those associated with him would soon experience due to their defiance of God's prophetic word.

Jeremiah 20 3 Context

Jeremiah 20:3 directly follows a significant and confrontational event. In Jeremiah 19, the prophet dramatically broke a clay pot at the Potsherd Gate, prophesying Judah's destruction. This public act of judgment led Pashhur, the son of Immer and chief priest (also described as chief officer or "superintendent" of the House of the LORD), to persecute Jeremiah. Pashhur, holding a position of authority and influence in the temple, had Jeremiah beaten and then put in the stocks for a day and a night. The stocks (mahpekhet) were a torturous device designed for public humiliation and physical discomfort. Jeremiah 20:3 occurs upon Jeremiah's release the following morning, where he confronts Pashhur face-to-face, undeterred by the suffering. The pronouncement in this verse is not an act of personal retaliation but a solemn, divinely-commissioned prophetic judgment against Pashhur for his defiance against God's word and his persecution of God's messenger. The wider historical context is the turbulent reign of Zedekiah, marked by moral decay, political instability, and the looming threat of Babylonian invasion, all themes which Jeremiah continuously prophesied to deaf ears.

Jeremiah 20 3 Word analysis

• And it came to pass (וַיְהִי, vayhi): A common narrative connector, often introducing a significant new event or a consequence following a previous action. Here, it marks the shift from Jeremiah's suffering in the stocks to his prophetic utterance.

• on the morrow (מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת, mimmochorat): Specifies the timing as the day after Jeremiah's imprisonment. This indicates the immediacy of God's response through Jeremiah after a period of intense suffering. The waiting period adds to the tension and solemnity of the subsequent pronouncement.

• that Pashhur (וּפַשְׁחוּר֙, uPashhur): Refers to the specific individual, Pashhur son of Immer (1 Chr 24:14 specifies a family named Immer), the priest. His name may mean "prosperity around" or "wide release" or even connected to a god "Pakht". The original meaning, if linked to prosperity, stands in stark contrast to the new name given him, highlighting a divine irony and reversal. He was a chief officer of the Temple, indicating significant religious and civic authority.

• brought forth (הוֹצִ֜יא, hotzi): Lit., "he brought out" or "caused to come out." This describes Pashhur's direct action of releasing Jeremiah from the stocks. It's ironic that the one who imprisoned now releases, only to be confronted.

• Jeremiah (אֶת־ יִרְמְיָהוּ, et-Yirmeyahu): The prophet of God. His identity is constant despite his mistreatment, emphasizing his role as God's unwavering mouthpiece.

• out of the stocks (מִן־ מַהְפֶּֽכֶת, min-mahpekhet): The instrument of public punishment. The Hebrew word mahpekhet (מַהְפֶּכֶת) suggests a device that distorts or turns (from the root haphak - to overturn, overthrow, turn around). It was designed to bend the body into an unnatural, painful position, usually for hands, feet, and neck, leading to severe discomfort and public disgrace. Jeremiah emerging from this suffering empowers his prophecy, demonstrating his prophetic endurance.

• Then said Jeremiah unto him (וַיֹּ֙אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֜הוּ אֵלָ֗יו, vayo'mer Yirmeyahu elav): Signifies a direct, personal, and authoritative confrontation, immediately after release. The dialogue is initiated by Jeremiah, indicating his resolve.

• The LORD hath not called thy name Pashhur (לֹא קָרָ֧א יְהוָ֣ה שְׁמֶ֛ךָ פַּשְׁח֖וּר, Lo kara Yahweh shimkha Pashhur): A powerful prophetic declaration. Jeremiah, speaking on God's authority, disavows Pashhur's existing name (and by implication, his current identity and presumed standing before God). This is a rejection of the comfort or security Pashhur's original name might have implied, setting the stage for a dramatic shift in his destiny. It underscores that true identity and authority come from God, not from human appointment.

• but (כִּ֖י אִם, ki im): "but rather," emphasizing the contrast and the divine overturning of Pashhur's identity.

• Magor-missabib (מָג֣וֹר מִסָּבִ֔יב, Magor-Missabib): The new, symbolic name. Literally translates to "Terror on Every Side" or "Terror All Around." Magor (מָגוֹר) means terror, dread, or a cause of fear. Missabib (מִסָּבִיב) means from all around, all sides, on every side. This name is not just a descriptive epithet; it is a prophetic statement, declaring that Pashhur will become the embodiment and recipient of pervasive terror, which God will inflict due to his opposition to the divine message.

• Pashhur...Magor-missabib: This direct contrast and name change serves as a prophetic judgment, demonstrating God's sovereign right to rename and re-identify individuals according to their true character and coming destiny. Pashhur's name, possibly denoting "peace all around" or "liberty" symbolically given by his parents, is divinely revoked and replaced with one signifying impending doom and pervasive dread. This transformation highlights a shift from human perception and desire to divine reality and judgment. The name change is a type of symbolic act, similar to God changing Abram to Abraham or Jacob to Israel, but in this case, it signifies divine disfavor and impending wrath. The name "Magor-missabib" effectively seals Pashhur's fate as both an experience and a sign of the terror that is about to engulf Jerusalem and its leadership.

Jeremiah 20 3 Bonus section

The concept of symbolic naming (or renaming) by divine authority is a powerful biblical motif, extending beyond individual identity to signify shifts in status, covenant, or destiny for nations or cities. Jeremiah 20:3 uses this to not merely re-label Pashhur but to dramatically redefine his role from temple authority to an object lesson of God's wrath. This act of renaming also draws parallels with other prophetic signs, where the prophet himself, his family, or his actions become part of the message (e.g., Isaiah walking naked and barefoot in Isa 20, Hosea's marriage in Hos 1). In this instance, the person of the persecutor himself becomes a living, breathing prophetic sign, demonstrating that no position, however elevated, provides immunity from divine judgment when one actively opposes God's spoken word. Furthermore, "Magor-missabib" became a sort of byword or epithet for profound terror within ancient Jewish thought, extending beyond Pashhur to describe overwhelming distress that surrounds a person or a nation, reflecting a pervasive sense of doom.

Jeremiah 20 3 Commentary

Jeremiah 20:3 serves as a pivotal moment illustrating God's uncompromising judgment against those who resist His word and persecute His messengers. Jeremiah, having endured humiliation and physical pain for speaking God's truth, does not falter. Immediately upon release, he acts as God's faithful herald, confronting Pashhur, a high-ranking religious official who embodies the nation's spiritual rebellion. The symbolic renaming of Pashhur to "Magor-missabib," or "Terror on Every Side," is not a personal insult from Jeremiah but a powerful, divinely-inspired prophetic pronouncement. It declares that Pashhur's very being will become a magnet and symbol of the pervasive dread and imminent destruction that awaits him and Judah for their disobedience and rejection of prophetic warnings. This act underscores God's sovereignty over identity and destiny, particularly when human authority opposes divine will. It transforms Pashhur from an oppressor of God's prophet into a living prophecy of impending judgment, a sign of terror for himself and all who share his defiant stance.