Jeremiah 20 9

Jeremiah 20:9 kjv

Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

Jeremiah 20:9 nkjv

Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name." But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.

Jeremiah 20:9 niv

But if I say, "I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

Jeremiah 20:9 esv

If I say, "I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name," there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.

Jeremiah 20:9 nlt

But if I say I'll never mention the LORD
or speak in his name,
his word burns in my heart like a fire.
It's like a fire in my bones!
I am worn out trying to hold it in!
I can't do it!

Jeremiah 20 verses

Jeremiah 20 9 Meaning

Jeremiah, burdened by profound persecution and ridicule for his prophetic messages, resolved internally to abandon his calling and cease speaking in God's name. However, this human intention proved futile because God's word, as an overwhelming, uncontainable burning fire, was shut up within his deepest being, his bones. This divine compulsion became an unbearable physical and spiritual pressure, making it impossible for him to remain silent or hold back the message. He was utterly exhausted by the struggle, yet incapable of not speaking.

Jeremiah 20 9 Context

Jeremiah 20:9 is a pivotal verse within a section often called Jeremiah's "confessions" or laments (Jer 11-20), which reveal his profound internal struggles as a prophet. Immediately preceding this verse, Jeremiah expresses his feeling of being "deceived" by God, experiencing public mockery and reproach daily for his divine messages (20:7-8). He has been humiliated and put in the stocks by Pashhur, a chief priest, for prophesying Judah's doom (20:1-6). This intense personal suffering, social ostracization, and the apparent failure of his prophetic ministry lead him to contemplate silence. However, verse 9 swiftly turns from despair to an undeniable divine compulsion, revealing the irresistible force of God's word. Historically, Jeremiah prophesied during the decline of Judah, warning against false security and imminent Babylonian invasion, messages that put him in direct conflict with both the populace and religious authorities of his day.

Jeremiah 20 9 Word analysis

• If I say: Denotes an internal consideration, a hypothetical resolution of the human will to resist the divine commission. It reflects a deep human struggle against a difficult calling.
• I will not mention Him: The Hebrew ezkerennu implies ceasing to call upon God's name or to declare His name to others. It’s an intention to suppress the very core of his prophetic function.
• Or speak any more: The Hebrew adaber indicates a more continuous, public, and deliberate act of speaking, highlighting the desire to end all communication of God's message.
• In His name: Refers to speaking with divine authority, as God's representative. To speak "in His name" is to deliver His message as truly His.
• Then there is in my heart: The lev (heart) in Hebrew thought is the center of one's intellect, will, emotions, and moral being. It emphasizes the profound internal experience.
• As it were a burning fire: Esh bo'eret – a powerful metaphor comparing God's word to an active, consuming flame. It is not a gentle warmth but an intense, unstoppable blaze, causing discomfort if suppressed.
• Shut up in my bones: The atzamot (bones) represent the deepest, most foundational part of a person's being. The fire is not superficial but imprisoned at his very core, affecting his entire constitution. Atzur means to be held captive or restrained.
• And I am weary with holding it in: The Hebrew nil'eiti hakhil means to be exhausted from the effort of trying to contain or endure. Jeremiah finds it profoundly difficult and draining to keep God's word from being expressed.
• Indeed, I cannot: V'lo ukhal expresses an absolute inability, a complete lack of capacity to continue resisting the inner divine impulse. It marks the ultimate surrender to God's irresistible call.

Jeremiah 20 9 Bonus section

The experience of Jeremiah's "fire in the bones" serves as a profound typology for the overwhelming power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God within a believer, especially one called to proclaim His message. It moves beyond intellectual conviction to a spiritual and almost physical imperative. This illustrates that divine truth is not merely abstract information but a dynamic force that impacts one's entire being. It suggests that genuine divine calling often involves wrestling with personal fears and desires, ultimately revealing God's power as greater than any human resistance or suffering. This deep internal conviction, transcending discomfort and danger, is a hallmark of authentic divine messengers throughout scripture.

Jeremiah 20 9 Commentary

Jeremiah 20:9 presents the intense, almost unbearable conflict between the prophet's profound personal suffering and the irresistible divine mandate to speak God's word. Faced with rejection and abuse, Jeremiah, as a deeply human individual, desired to retreat from his calling, yet he discovered an inescapable truth: God's word, likened to a consuming fire deep within his very being, rendered silence impossible. This internal, burning compulsion overcame his rational decision to quit, highlighting that true prophecy flows from an unsuppressible divine source rather than human choice or ambition. It exemplifies the agonizing but powerful bond between a genuine prophet and the living God whose word, once given, must find expression, even at immense personal cost.