Jeremiah 20:4 kjv
For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.
Jeremiah 20:4 nkjv
For thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes shall see it. I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon and slay them with the sword.
Jeremiah 20:4 niv
For this is what the LORD says: 'I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; with your own eyes you will see them fall by the sword of their enemies. I will give all Judah into the hands of the king of Babylon, who will carry them away to Babylon or put them to the sword.
Jeremiah 20:4 esv
For thus says the LORD: Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They shall fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on. And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon. He shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall strike them down with the sword.
Jeremiah 20:4 nlt
For this is what the LORD says: 'I will send terror upon you and all your friends, and you will watch as they are slaughtered by the swords of the enemy. I will hand the people of Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will take them captive to Babylon or run them through with the sword.
Jeremiah 20 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 20:4 | "...the LORD will deliver you into their hand, and you shall see their destruction." | Jeremiah 21:6 |
| Jer 20:4 | "And I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life..." | Jeremiah 21:4 |
| Jer 20:4 | "And they shall fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hand of those who seek their life." | Jeremiah 21:7 |
| Jer 20:4 | "Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am bringing disaster upon this city and upon Judah..." | Jeremiah 14:13 |
| Jer 20:4 | "and I will strike you down with them." | Jeremiah 19:7 |
| Jer 20:4 | "and I will give all of Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon; he will carry them captive to Babylon..." | Jeremiah 20:5 |
| Jer 20:4 | "And Pashur shall be carried captive to Babylon, and there he shall die..." | Jeremiah 20:6 |
| Jer 20:4 | "...and shall be buried there with all the wicked people to whom you have prophesied falsely." | Jeremiah 20:6 |
| Jer 19:3 | "...and you shall say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem...' | Jeremiah 19:3 |
| Jer 19:4 | "...they have forsaken me and have made this a strange place and have made offerings in it to other gods..." | Jeremiah 19:4 |
| Jer 20:1 | "Now Pashur the priest, the son of Immer, who was the chief officer in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things." | Jeremiah 20:1 |
| Jer 20:2 | "Then Pashur beat Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks that were at the Upper Gate of Benjamin, which was in the house of the LORD." | Jeremiah 20:2 |
| 2 Chron 36:16 | "...but they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, until there was no more healing." | 2 Chronicles 36:16 |
| Eze 13:20 | "Therefore the LORD GOD says: Behold, I am against your hands [alluding to sorceries/magical practices often associated with false prophets/priests]..." | Ezekiel 13:20 |
| Eze 13:22 | "Because you have made the hearts of the righteous sad with falsehood, though I have not made them sad, and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that they have turned from their evil way and saved their life..." | Ezekiel 13:22 |
| Rev 18:7 | "In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and mourning..." | Revelation 18:7 |
| Gal 6:7 | "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." | Galatians 6:7 |
| Matt 7:2 | "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." | Matthew 7:2 |
| Isa 50:6 | "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I hid not my face from shame and spitting." | Isaiah 50:6 |
| John 15:18 | "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you." | John 15:18 |
| Luke 1:70 | "...as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old..." | Luke 1:70 |
Jeremiah 20 verses
Jeremiah 20 4 Meaning
Jeremiah 20:4 proclaims that the LORD will deliver his enemies, particularly the chief governor of the house of the LORD, Pashur, into the hands of his friends and into the hands of the king of Babylon. This judgment is a consequence of Jeremiah's prophecies being met with violent opposition and Pashur's personal role in the prophet's suffering. The verse foretells a punitive captivity and eventual death in exile for Pashur, signifying divine retribution against those who persecute God's messengers and reject His word.
Jeremiah 20 4 Context
Jeremiah 20 begins with a direct account of the persecution Jeremiah faced. Pashur, a prominent priest in Jerusalem, acted as an official of the temple, responsible for enforcing religious order. He clearly viewed Jeremiah's message of impending doom as a threat to the established religious and political system. Consequently, Pashur had Jeremiah beaten and confined in stocks. Jeremiah's prophetic calling, though painful, was to deliver God's message, even to those in positions of authority who opposed him. This specific instance of Pashur's cruelty and the Lord's subsequent declaration of judgment are set against the backdrop of Jerusalem's apostasy and the inevitable Babylonian conquest, which Jeremiah was faithfully prophesying. The chapter reveals the emotional toll this took on Jeremiah, leading to his lament, but it also demonstrates God's unwavering commitment to vindicate His prophets and to execute judgment upon His enemies.
Jeremiah 20 4 Word Analysis
"and" (וְ, wə): A conjunctive particle, linking clauses and indicating a continuation or consequence. Here, it connects the act of judgment upon Pashur to the preceding narrative of his mistreatment of Jeremiah.
"the LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): The personal covenant name of God. It signifies that this judgment is not arbitrary but a direct action of the God with whom Israel had a covenant.
"will deliver" (נָתַן, naton): To give, deliver, put. It implies a handing over, often into someone's power or control. The passive sense indicates God’s sovereign action in orchestrating this outcome.
"you" (אַתָּה, ’attāh): Singular masculine pronoun, directly addressing Pashur.
"into their hand" (בְּיָדָם, bəyādām): Into their hand; indicating into their power, authority, or possession.
"and" (וְ, wə): Again, a conjunction showing sequence.
"you shall see" (רָאָה, rā’ah): To see, perceive, witness. It speaks of an experience or observation of the outcome.
"their destruction" (מַשְׁחִיתֵיהֶם, mashḥitêhem): Their destruction, ruin, consumption. This word carries a sense of complete annihilation or decay, suggesting a severe and thorough judgment upon those who would harm Jeremiah.
"Pashur shall be carried captive" (וְנָתַן פַּשּׁוּר, wənātan Pashur): "And Pashur shall be given," signifying his subjection and transfer into Babylonian captivity. The Hebrew idiom implies a predetermined and inescapable fate.
"to Babylon": Refers to the Neo-Babylonian Empire, the dominant world power at the time, known for its military might and deportations.
"and there he shall die" (וְשָׁם יָמוּת, wəšām yāmut): Specifies the place and finality of his demise, emphasizing that his punishment will be executed in exile.
"and shall be buried there" (וְשָׁמָּה יִקָּבֵר, wəšāmma yiqāber): His burial in Babylon underscores his permanent separation from his homeland and ancestral burial grounds, a significant dishonor.
"with all the wicked people" (אֶת־כָּל־רֵעָיו, ’et-kol-rē‘āw): "With all his friends" or "associates" (contextually meaning those aligned with him). The prophet is stating that Pashur will be reckoned amongst those who are associated with evil and falsehood.
"to whom you have prophesied falsely": This phrase connects Pashur's fate to his opposition to Jeremiah's true prophecy and implies that his own prophecies or the system he represents were inherently false.
Jeremiah 20 4 Bonus Section
This verse powerfully contrasts the authority of the false prophet or persecutor (Pashur) with the ultimate authority of God, who orchestrates the downfall of those who oppose His divine plan and messengers. The "stocks" Jeremiah was placed in symbolize earthly restraint, but God’s decree in verse 4 signifies an unbreakable, divine appointment of judgment. The judgment pronounced upon Pashur is not merely political but deeply theological, linking his fate to his role in mistreating the true prophet. The detail about his burial underscores a loss of honor and a severing of connection to his lineage and land, a severe curse in the ancient Near Eastern worldview, emphasizing the extent of divine displeasure.
Jeremiah 20 4 Commentary
Jeremiah 20:4 serves as a stark illustration of divine justice and the consequences of persecuting God's prophet. Pashur's violent reaction to Jeremiah's true prophecy results in a specific and severe judgment against him personally. God declares that Pashur, a symbol of the religious and political establishment, will be delivered into the hands of the very forces against which Jeremiah warned—the Babylonians. The detailed outcome, including captivity, death in exile, and burial away from his homeland, highlights the totality of the retribution. This verse is a profound affirmation that God sees the suffering of His messengers and that those who actively oppose His word will ultimately face His judgment, often mirroring the consequences they sought to inflict.