Old Testament Commentary - Jeremiah 20

by Don R. Hender

King Nebuchadnezzar had returned to carry Jehoiachin off to Babylon and then install Zedekiah as a more 'faithful' servant of Babylon. Unfortunately Nebuchadnezzar removed all of the old administration including all the princes of the Sanhedrin of the people which included a number of righteous members of influence who had presided since the days of good king Josiah. And thus the 'cubboard left bare' it was left to be newly stocked as the 'New' Chief High Priest would deem to his political views. And as seen in Jeremiah 26, the views of the priests of the temple were against the prophets of God. And thus the new Sanhedrin would walk after the course of Jehoiakim with the mind to kill the prophets where the old Sanhedrin had preserved them as in the case of Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 26). Chapter 20 stands as being in the first year of the reign of king Zedekiah when the new factions of government, church and state, were feeling out their postions of authority.

Scriptural Text [& Editorial] Commentary & Explanation Footnotes ~ References ~ JST

           CHAPTER 20
Jeremiah is smitten and put in the stocks—He prophesies that all Judah shall be taken captive by Babylon. [about 600 BC]
Jeremiah is smitten and put in over night stocks by Pashur, the new Chief High Priestly head of the Sanhedrin—Jeremiah prophesies that all Judah shall be taken captive by Babylon and not just the 'heads' of Judah as had just been done with Jehoiachin's administrative crew and the old Sanhedrin. Chapter 20 is considered to have occured in the first year of the reign of Zedekiah when the newly formed Sanhedrin under the new Chief High Priest, Pashur, was just beginning to fell out their extent of their authority along side the administration of Zedekiah.

1 NOW ^aPashur the son of ^bImmer the priest, who was also ^cchief governor in the house of the LORD^a, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.
2 Then Pashur ^asmote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.

Chief Governor Now there seems to be a difference of distinction here between merely being one of the various administering High Priests of the temple as 'govenors of the house of God' as stipulated in 1 Chronicles 24:4-14 as chosen by 'lot' throughout the months and the years of temple service as was when Zarchrias' single lot, the father of John the Baptist, performed his turn at administering/governing the temple and this Pashur's named position as 'Chief governor in the house of the LORD'. As it is seen in Jeremiah 26 when the great Sanhedrin is called upon to judge Jeremiah, they are called to the temple where they proceed to judge Jeremiah there on the temple site in the first year of Jehoiakim. This seems to indicated a very close association between the Sanhedrin of the Sarim [princes] of Judah and the temple, it being at least one of the common places were such a 'court' of the Sanhedrim could be conducted; another perhaps being the palace or court of the king. Still as in seen in Jeremiah 26, the state government of the king could act independant of the great Sanhedrin as Jehoiakim did in administering the death of Urijah the prophet (Jeremiah 26:20-23).
Now Pashur as the 'Chief' governor of the temple would also mean that he was the 'Chief High Priest' and this would imply that Pashur in his day was the priestly head of the great Sanhedrin. And yet here in Jeremiah 20, this must have been during Pashur's early days as such and his feeling out of his new authority, as he merely punishes Jeremiah in stocks and does not sentence him to prison as the princes of the Sanhedrin do in the 8th year of Zedekiah (Jeremiah 37). If during the first year(s) of Zedekiah, this would be in consequence when Zedekiah's administration still having been under a the influence of Nebuchadnezzar and not when he was cowardly committed to being a puppet of the Sanhedrin as in the end of his reign. Thus Pashur here in chapter 20 dared not place Jeremiah in prison at this juncture, though he was bold enough to lay the punishment of over night 'stocks' upon him. 1^a chief governor in the house of the LORD Now the 'chief governor' rather than being just 'a governor' of the temple means Pashur was the 'senior officer' of the temple as stipulated by the LDS note 'c' to verse 1. As such this would necessarily imply that he was the same as the 'Chief High Priest'. And in the time of Jeremiah it would seem that the high Sanhedrin was headed by the Chief High Priest and that the priests and 'prophets' of the temple were all of a single minded alliance in the days of Zedekiah, not like as in the days of Jehoiakim (see Jeremiah 26). And the 'police of the temple' and that of the Sanhedrin, being under the direction of the Chief High Priest as the head of the great Sanhedrin and the Chiefest Govenor of the High Priests of the Temple would likely be of the same body of enforcers. Now this Pashur, as referenced in Jeremiah 21:1 and Jeremiah 38:1, was the immediate son of Melchiah and is the same as Pashur the 'son of Immer'. The 'son of Immer' referred to here in chapter 20 is in reference to by what right or 'lot' Pashur held the right of being the 'Governor of the house of the God'. And that these 'priests of the temple' were included in that group stipulated as the 'princes' or rulers of the sanhedrin is seen in Jeremiah 38 verses 1 and then 4 where the 'princes' and 'priest(s)' are so grouped and referenced as 'the princes'. And thus it may be seen that this Pashur is he who was one of the 'elders of the church' or Elder Officers the governing body of the Jews so associated with the temple priests and the 'Sarim' of the great Sanhedrin at the time that Lehi was in Jerusalem and the 'Jews', which would imply the rulers of the great Sanhedrin council of Lehi's day were likely headed or at least influenced by this chief high priest leader Pashur. And like the king before, Jehoiakim, Pasher was one who would seek the lives of the prophets, namely Lehi, Jeremiah and others. 1^a Jer. 21:1
   ^b 1Chr. 24:14
   ^cOR senior officer 1Chr. 24:4-5
     'Governors of the house of God'
2^a 1Ne. 16:2; Hel. 13:24(24-27)

Unlocking Jeremiah Since many of these center chapters of Jeremiah are not in proper chronological order it becomes a process of logic to unlock the true order of these chapters. One key is what exactly occured at the removal of Jehoiachin to Babylon. 2 Kings 24 tells us that 'all Jerusalem', 'all the princes' and 'all the mighty men' were carried away to Babylon (verses 12 & 15). This would mean a complete overhaul of the membership of the Sanhedrin including its chiefest leader the 'Chief High Priest'. This would mean that Pashur here identified as the 'Chief Governor of the house of the LORD' was the 'new' High Priest under Zedekiah and new head of the great Sanhedrin and this would place Jeremiah 20 in the early part of Zedekiah's reign when Pashur was still feeling out his extent of his authority. Jeremiah 26 speaks of the days of Jehoiakim and when Jeremiah prophesied then of the fate of Jerusalem the priests and prophets of the temple and their people sought the life of Jeremiah (verse 8) and thus stood him before the great Sanhedrin, the princes (verse 10). But when the Sanhedrin had heard Jeremiah, they being partly membered by those of the era of king Josiah, they did judge that Jeremiah had spoken in the name of the LORD and was not worthy to die (verse 16). And there was one among them, perhaps the eldest if not one of the eldest of the Sanhedrin rulers named Ahiakam the son of Shaphan (verse 24) who had been a part of the righteous leadership under Josiah (2 Kings 22:12); and he championed the safeguarding of Jeremiah in the days of Jehoiakim (verse 24), but he certainly would have been one who was removed with all those in the day of Jehoiachin. And then such as 'new' Pashur and others of the temple priests would have been left to so structure the 'new' Sanhedrin in the days of Zedekiah after their own fashion, that being against the prophets of God in the days of Zedekiah.

3 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 ^aMagor-missabib.
4 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 ^acaptive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.
1^a Ezek. 26:3
2^a Jer. 21:10; Jer. 38:3; Jer. 52:13
3^a TG Israel, Bondage of, in
     Other Lands

Paralleled Destructions

5 Moreover I will deliver all the ^astrength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the ^bprecious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to ^cBabylon.
6 And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied ^alies.

7 ¶ O LORD, thou hast ^adeceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in ^bderision daily, every one mocketh me.
8 For since I spake, I cried out, I cried ^aviolence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.
9 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 ^aburning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not ^bstay.

10 ¶ For I heard the ^adefaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my ^bfamiliars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
11 But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not ^aprevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting ^bconfusion shall never be forgotten.

12 But, O LORD of hosts, that ^atriest the righteous, and seest the ^breins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.
13 Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.

14 ¶ ^aCursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.
15 Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.

16 And let that man be as the cities which the LORD ^aoverthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide;
17 Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.
18 Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and ^asorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 20 Jeremiah is smitten and put in the stocks—He prophesies that all Judah shall be taken captive by Babylon. [about 600 BC]	Jeremiah is smitten and put in over night stocks by Pashur, the new Chief High Priestly head of the Sanhedrin—Jeremiah prophesies that all Judah shall be taken captive by Babylon and not just the 'heads' of Judah as had just been done with Jehoiachin's administrative crew and the old Sanhedrin.	Chapter 20 is considered to have occured in the first year of the reign of Zedekiah when the newly formed Sanhedrin under the new Chief High Priest, Pashur, was just beginning to fell out their extent of their authority along side the administration of Zedekiah.
1 NOW ^aPashur the son of ^bImmer the priest, who was also ^cchief governor in the house of the LORD^a, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. 2 Then Pashur ^asmote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD. Chief Governor Now there seems to be a difference of distinction here between merely being one of the various administering High Priests of the temple as 'govenors of the house of God' as stipulated in 1 Chronicles 24:4-14 as chosen by 'lot' throughout the months and the years of temple service as was when Zarchrias' single lot, the father of John the Baptist, performed his turn at administering/governing the temple and this Pashur's named position as 'Chief governor in the house of the LORD'. As it is seen in Jeremiah 26 when the great Sanhedrin is called upon to judge Jeremiah, they are called to the temple where they proceed to judge Jeremiah there on the temple site in the first year of Jehoiakim. This seems to indicated a very close association between the Sanhedrin of the Sarim [princes] of Judah and the temple, it being at least one of the common places were such a 'court' of the Sanhedrim could be conducted; another perhaps being the palace or court of the king. Still as in seen in Jeremiah 26, the state government of the king could act independant of the great Sanhedrin as Jehoiakim did in administering the death of Urijah the prophet (Jeremiah 26:20-23). Now Pashur as the 'Chief' governor of the temple would also mean that he was the 'Chief High Priest' and this would imply that Pashur in his day was the priestly head of the great Sanhedrin. And yet here in Jeremiah 20, this must have been during Pashur's early days as such and his feeling out of his new authority, as he merely punishes Jeremiah in stocks and does not sentence him to prison as the princes of the Sanhedrin do in the 8th year of Zedekiah (Jeremiah 37). If during the first year(s) of Zedekiah, this would be in consequence when Zedekiah's administration still having been under a the influence of Nebuchadnezzar and not when he was cowardly committed to being a puppet of the Sanhedrin as in the end of his reign. Thus Pashur here in chapter 20 dared not place Jeremiah in prison at this juncture, though he was bold enough to lay the punishment of over night 'stocks' upon him.	1^a chief governor in the house of the LORD Now the 'chief governor' rather than being just 'a governor' of the temple means Pashur was the 'senior officer' of the temple as stipulated by the LDS note 'c' to verse 1. As such this would necessarily imply that he was the same as the 'Chief High Priest'. And in the time of Jeremiah it would seem that the high Sanhedrin was headed by the Chief High Priest and that the priests and 'prophets' of the temple were all of a single minded alliance in the days of Zedekiah, not like as in the days of Jehoiakim (see Jeremiah 26). And the 'police of the temple' and that of the Sanhedrin, being under the direction of the Chief High Priest as the head of the great Sanhedrin and the Chiefest Govenor of the High Priests of the Temple would likely be of the same body of enforcers. Now this Pashur, as referenced in Jeremiah 21:1 and Jeremiah 38:1, was the immediate son of Melchiah and is the same as Pashur the 'son of Immer'. The 'son of Immer' referred to here in chapter 20 is in reference to by what right or 'lot' Pashur held the right of being the 'Governor of the house of the God'. And that these 'priests of the temple' were included in that group stipulated as the 'princes' or rulers of the sanhedrin is seen in Jeremiah 38 verses 1 and then 4 where the 'princes' and 'priest(s)' are so grouped and referenced as 'the princes'. And thus it may be seen that this Pashur is he who was one of the 'elders of the church' or Elder Officers the governing body of the Jews so associated with the temple priests and the 'Sarim' of the great Sanhedrin at the time that Lehi was in Jerusalem and the 'Jews', which would imply the rulers of the great Sanhedrin council of Lehi's day were likely headed or at least influenced by this chief high priest leader Pashur. And like the king before, Jehoiakim, Pasher was one who would seek the lives of the prophets, namely Lehi, Jeremiah and others.	1^a Jer. 21:1 ^b 1Chr. 24:14 ^cOR senior officer 1Chr. 24:4-5 'Governors of the house of God' 2^a 1Ne. 16:2; Hel. 13:24(24-27) Unlocking Jeremiah Since many of these center chapters of Jeremiah are not in proper chronological order it becomes a process of logic to unlock the true order of these chapters. One key is what exactly occured at the removal of Jehoiachin to Babylon. 2 Kings 24 tells us that 'all Jerusalem', 'all the princes' and 'all the mighty men' were carried away to Babylon (verses 12 & 15). This would mean a complete overhaul of the membership of the Sanhedrin including its chiefest leader the 'Chief High Priest'. This would mean that Pashur here identified as the 'Chief Governor of the house of the LORD' was the 'new' High Priest under Zedekiah and new head of the great Sanhedrin and this would place Jeremiah 20 in the early part of Zedekiah's reign when Pashur was still feeling out his extent of his authority. Jeremiah 26 speaks of the days of Jehoiakim and when Jeremiah prophesied then of the fate of Jerusalem the priests and prophets of the temple and their people sought the life of Jeremiah (verse 8) and thus stood him before the great Sanhedrin, the princes (verse 10). But when the Sanhedrin had heard Jeremiah, they being partly membered by those of the era of king Josiah, they did judge that Jeremiah had spoken in the name of the LORD and was not worthy to die (verse 16). And there was one among them, perhaps the eldest if not one of the eldest of the Sanhedrin rulers named Ahiakam the son of Shaphan (verse 24) who had been a part of the righteous leadership under Josiah (2 Kings 22:12); and he championed the safeguarding of Jeremiah in the days of Jehoiakim (verse 24), but he certainly would have been one who was removed with all those in the day of Jehoiachin. And then such as 'new' Pashur and others of the temple priests would have been left to so structure the 'new' Sanhedrin in the days of Zedekiah after their own fashion, that being against the prophets of God in the days of Zedekiah.
3 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 ^aMagor-missabib. 4 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 ^acaptive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.		1^a Ezek. 26:3 2^a Jer. 21:10; Jer. 38:3; Jer. 52:13 3^a TG Israel, Bondage of, in Other Lands Paralleled Destructions
5 Moreover I will deliver all the ^astrength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the ^bprecious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to ^cBabylon. 6 And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied ^alies.
7 ¶ O LORD, thou hast ^adeceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in ^bderision daily, every one mocketh me. 8 For since I spake, I cried out, I cried ^aviolence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. 9 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 ^aburning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not ^bstay.
10 ¶ For I heard the ^adefaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my ^bfamiliars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him. 11 But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not ^aprevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting ^bconfusion shall never be forgotten.
12 But, O LORD of hosts, that ^atriest the righteous, and seest the ^breins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause. 13 Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.
14 ¶ ^aCursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. 15 Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.
16 And let that man be as the cities which the LORD ^aoverthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; 17 Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me. 18 Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and ^asorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?