Jeremiah 20:8 kjv
For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.
Jeremiah 20:8 nkjv
For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, "Violence and plunder!" Because the word of the LORD was made to me A reproach and a derision daily.
Jeremiah 20:8 niv
Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long.
Jeremiah 20:8 esv
For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, "Violence and destruction!" For the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision all day long.
Jeremiah 20:8 nlt
When I speak, the words burst out.
"Violence and destruction!" I shout.
So these messages from the LORD
have made me a household joke.
Jeremiah 20 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 20:7 | O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. | God's call can lead to distress, yet His sovereignty is absolute. |
| Jeremiah 15:10 | Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to all the land! I have not lent or borrowed on usury, yet each of them curses me. | Shared sentiment of prophetic burden and suffering. |
| Psalm 31:11 | I have become a reproach to all my enemies, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. | Similar experience of being ostracized and feared. |
| Psalm 71:4 | Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grip of the unjust and cruel man. | Plea for deliverance from persecutors. |
| Psalm 22:6 | But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. | Christ's suffering mirrors Jeremiah's experience of being despised. |
| Isaiah 53:3 | He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. | Isaiah's prophecy of the suffering servant resonates. |
| Matthew 5:11 | “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely on account of me." | Jesus' teaching on blessings for those persecuted for righteousness. |
| Luke 6:22 | “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man." | Jesus' beatitude echoing the theme of persecution. |
| John 15:18 | “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it has hated you." | Jesus warns disciples of the world's hatred. |
| Acts 5:41 | Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. | Early believers found joy in suffering for Christ. |
| 1 Corinthians 4:9-13 | For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. ... To the present hour we hunger and thirst, and we are poorly dressed and beaten and homeless, and we toil, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we plead. We have become, and are still, like the refuse of the world, the sweepings of all things. | Paul describes apostles as spectacles, reviled and suffering for the gospel. |
| Galatians 5:11 | But if I, like Peter, am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. | Paul faced persecution for his uncompromised message. |
| Philippians 1:29 | For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake. | Suffering is a gift for the sake of Christ. |
| 2 Timothy 3:12 | Indeed, all who desire to live a godfearing life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. | Persecution is an inevitable aspect of faithful living. |
| 1 Peter 4:12 | Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you, as though something strange were happening to you. | Believers should expect trials and persecution. |
| Romans 8:17 | ...if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him. | Suffering with Christ leads to future glory. |
| Psalm 44:22 | Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. | David's lament on suffering for God's sake. |
| Jeremiah 6:10 | To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot listen; behold, the word of the Lord has become to them a reproach, a mockery. | Connects God's word becoming a reproach to the people's rejection. |
| Ezekiel 3:7 | But the house of Israel will not listen to you; they will not listen to me, for all the house of Israel have hard foreheads and stubborn hearts. | God forewarns Ezekiel of resistance, a shared prophetic experience. |
Jeremiah 20 verses
Jeremiah 20 8 Meaning
This verse expresses the prophet Jeremiah's intense emotional suffering and feelings of betrayal and public humiliation resulting from his prophetic ministry. He laments that his efforts to speak God's word have led to ridicule and mockery, turning people against him. He feels like a fool or a laughingstock because of the message he carries.
Jeremiah 20 8 Context
Jeremiah 20:1-13 describes a particularly intense encounter between Jeremiah and Pashhur, a priest and official in the temple. Pashhur strikes Jeremiah and has him placed in the stocks. The following day, Jeremiah is released, but he prophesies severe judgment against Pashhur and his household. In verse 8, Jeremiah recounts his experience after this public humiliation and betrayal by a religious leader. This chapter captures the profound personal cost of Jeremiah's prophetic mission in a time when his message of impending doom was unpopular and unwelcome, leading to physical abuse and social ostracization. The prophetic call itself is presented not as a path of honor, but one that brings constant distress and opposition.
Jeremiah 20 8 Word Analysis
- “For,”: This conjunction introduces the reason or explanation for Jeremiah’s preceding lament, linking his distress to the word of the Lord.
- “since”: Similar to "for," indicating causality or the reason behind his feelings.
- “I”: Refers to the prophet Jeremiah, emphasizing his personal experience and testimony.
- “have spoken”: Hebrew: dabarti (דִּבַּרְתִּי). Perfect tense, indicating a completed action with present results; the act of proclaiming God's word.
- “and”: Connects the actions of speaking God's word and the consequences.
- “cried out”: Hebrew: zo’ak (זֹעֵק). Hiphil infinitive, meaning to cry out or exclaim forcefully; denotes a passionate and urgent proclamation, often of distress or warning.
- “in”: Indicates the medium or instrument.
- “you”: Refers to the Lord.
- “against”: Signifies opposition or direction of the outcry.
- “oppression”: Hebrew: Hamas (חָמָס). Denotes violence, injury, injustice, or wrongdoing. Jeremiah cried out against the societal injustice and violence prevalent in Judah.
- “and”: Continues the enumeration of the consequences.
- “in”: Again, indicating the medium.
- “you”: Still referring to the Lord.
- “destruction”: Hebrew: shod (שֹׁד). Denotes devastation, ruin, or destruction. This refers to the judgment that God declared through Jeremiah.
- “because”: Introduces the reason for the mockery he faced.
- “I”: Jeremiah, the speaker.
- “was”: Hebrew: ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה). Future tense used as present, expressing his state of being.
- “a”: Indefinite article.
- “fool”: Hebrew: kesil (כְּסִיל). Means a fool, senseless person, brutish. Implies someone who speaks or acts foolishly, is ostracized for their words or actions.
- “for”: Indicates the reason for being called a fool.
- “your”: Belonging to God.
- “sake”: Refers to God's will or command.
- “I”: Jeremiah.
- “will”: Hebrew: ehtyeh (אֶהְיֶה). Future tense of "to be."
- “be”: Hebrew: hphgh (הִתְפַּרְעוּת). This word is challenging and less common. Some translations use "I will cry out in outcry," or "I shall be in pain," or "I will be tormented." The Septuagint translates it as "I am insulted." Other scholarly views suggest "tormented" or "in anguish." It conveys intense suffering or disturbance.
- “in”: Regarding or because of.
- “pain” or “anguish”: This part of the verse in Hebrew (hphgh) is subject to scholarly debate. It may convey distress, inner turmoil, or public shame.
Words Group Analysis:
- "since I have spoken and cried out against you, O Lord, concerning oppression": This phrase highlights Jeremiah's dual action: speaking God's message (prophesying doom, which is an outcry from God) and crying out to God about the oppression he experiences and witnesses. It is not just God's oppression, but crying out against human oppression to the Lord.
- "and in you, O Lord, against destruction": This signifies that his denunciation of destruction (God's impending judgment) was carried out in dependence on the Lord and as an extension of God's own message of judgment against Judah's sins.
- "I became a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me": This illustrates the immediate and pervasive social consequence of his prophetic utterances – he is treated as a fool by everyone.
- "I will be in pain" / "I shall be tormented": This concluding clause powerfully expresses Jeremiah's internal suffering, suggesting the toll the constant opposition and his perceived foolishness takes on him, as well as the burden of carrying God's message of judgment. The Hebrew word suggests a deep inner turmoil.
Jeremiah 20 8 Bonus Section
The concept of being a "fool" for God’s sake is also echoed in the New Testament, particularly in Paul’s writings, where he describes Christian leaders as being "fools for Christ" (1 Corinthians 4:10) or as presenting their bodies as "living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2). Jeremiah’s lament, therefore, serves as an ancient testament to the often-difficult path of spiritual faithfulness, a path that involves societal disapproval and personal suffering, ultimately pointing towards a greater spiritual reality understood by believers. The "pain" he experiences is a manifestation of spiritual conflict.
Jeremiah 20 8 Commentary
Jeremiah, facing relentless opposition and physical abuse for his faithful proclamation of God's word, articulates the profound personal cost of his ministry. He acknowledges that his “outcry” concerning hamas (oppression and injustice) and shod (destruction) – God’s declared judgments upon Judah – has resulted in him being perceived as a fool. This ridicule is constant and pervasive. He feels branded as foolish, not because he believes himself to be, but because his unwavering message of divine retribution for sin is met with scorn and derision by his people, including the religious establishment. The final phrase, concerning his future state of “pain” or “torment” (hphgh), reveals the deep emotional and psychological toll this experience takes. Despite this personal suffering, Jeremiah remains committed to the prophetic task, demonstrating a complex interplay of lament, prophetic obedience, and faith in the face of overwhelming adversity. This is a core aspect of prophetic ministry: proclaiming God's truth often leads to suffering and being labeled negatively by the world.