This section is another of Jeremiah's autobiographical "confessions."In literary form it is another individual lament, like many of the psalms (cf. Ps. 6). It is one of Jeremiah's most significant self-disclosures. The section has two parts: God the antagonist (vv. 7-10), and God the protagonist (vv. 11-13).
20:7 The prophet complained that the Lord had deceived him (cf. Exod. 22:16; 1 Kings 22:20-22) and had overcome him. He had made Jeremiah a laughingstock and an object of constant mockery by his people. Evidently Jeremiah assumed that the people would repent at his preaching, and when they did not he felt betrayed by the Lord.
20:8 Jeremiah felt that he was always shouting messages of impending disaster, and these announcements had resulted in people criticizing and ridiculing him constantly.
20:9 When Jeremiah became so tired of the opposition he faced that he decided to stop delivering his messages, the Lord's word burned within him as a fire. Finally he could contain himself no longer and spoke again.293
20:10 The prophet knew that the people were complaining that all he ever talked about was coming terror. He had become a "Magomassabib"of sorts himself (cf. v. 3), and the people may well have applied this nickname to him. They felt someone should denounce him for speaking so pessimistically and harshly about their nation. Even his trusted friends had turned against him and were hoping that he would make some mistake so they could discredit him for his words. The Lord Jesus Christ suffered similar opposition (cf. Mark 3:2; 14:58; Luke 6:7; 14:1; 20:20).
20:11 Yet Jeremiah was confident that the Lord would remain with him and defend him like a powerful bodyguard (cf. 1:18; 15:20). Consequently his persecutors among the people of Judah would not succeed. They were the ones who would stumble, feel ashamed, and experience everlasting disgrace, not him (cf. v. 10).
20:12 The prophet asked the Lord to allow him to witness the humiliation of his critics since he was entrusting vengeance to Him and not taking it himself. Yahweh knew the hearts and minds of both Jeremiah and his persecutors, so the Lord knew who was right and who was wrong.
20:13 The prophet closed this lament with a call to praise the Lord in song because He had delivered Jeremiah from those who wanted to do him evil.
