Jeremiah 20:1-6 · Bible study
Jeremiah 20:1-6 Commentary: Temple Official God's Opposes Prophet
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
A study on Pashhur's violent response to Jeremiah's prophecy: the beating, the renaming to Magor-missabib, and the oracle of judgment.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Temple officer Pashhur beats and imprisons Jeremiah; the prophet renames him Magor-missabib and prophesies judgment on him, his allies, and all Judah.
- Key words: Pashhur (freedom) → Magor-missabib (terror around); mahpekhet (stocks); nakha (strike); sheqer (falsehood, of prophecies).
- Main debate: The exact identity of Pashhur and whether the stocks were a five-hole device or a general prison.
- Theological theme: God's word prevails over religious persecution; false prophecy invites judgment.
- Best use: A caution against opposing God's messengers and an assurance that God sees and responds to injustice done in his name.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1When Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer and the chief official in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things,
2he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.
3The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The LORD does not call you Pashhur, but Magor-missabib.
4For this is what the LORD says: ‘I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes. And I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away to Babylon and put them to the sword.
5I will give away all the wealth of this city—all its products and valuables, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah—to their enemies. They will plunder them, seize them, and carry them off to Babylon.
6And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house, will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon, and there you will die and be buried—you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied these lies.’”
WEB World English Bible 2000
1Now Pashhur, the son of Immer the priest, who was chief officer in Yahweh’s house, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.
2Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in Yahweh’s house.
3On the next day, Pashhur released Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, “Yahweh has not called your name Pashhur, but Magormissabib.
4For Yahweh says, ‘Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They will fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes will see it. I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them captive to Babylon, and will kill them with the sword.
5Moreover I will give all the riches of this city, and all its gains, and all its precious things, yes, I will give all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their enemies. They will make them captives, take them, and carry them to Babylon.
6You, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house will go into captivity. You will come to Babylon, and there you will die, and there you will be buried, you, and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely.’”
KJV King James Version 1769
1Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.
2Then Pashur smote 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.
3And 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 Magor–missabib.
4For 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.
5Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious 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 Babylon.
6And 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 lies.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1Now Pashhur, the son of Immer the priest, who was chief officer in the house of Jehovah, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.
2Then Pashhur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in the house of Jehovah.
3And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashhur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, Jehovah hath not called thy name Pashhur, but Magor-missabib.
4For thus saith Jehovah, 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 to Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.
5Moreover I will give all the riches of this city, and all the gains thereof, and all the precious things thereof, yea, all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies; and they shall make them a prey, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.
6And thou, Pashhur, and all that dwell in thy house shall go into captivity; and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and there shalt thou be buried, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied falsely.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1And Pashhur son of Immer the priest--who also is overseer, leader in the house of Jehovah--heareth Jeremiah prophesying these things,
2and Pashhur smiteth Jeremiah the prophet, and putteth him unto the stocks, that are by the high gate of Benjamin, that is by the house of Jehovah.
3and it cometh to pass on the morrow, that Pashhur bringeth out Jeremiah from the stocks, and Jeremiah saith unto him, `Not Pashhur hath Jehovah called thy name, but--Magor-Missabib.
4For thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am making thee for a fear to thyself, And to all loving thee, And they have fallen by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes are beholding, And all Judah I give into the hand of the king of Babylon, And he hath removed them to Babylon, And he hath smitten them with the sword.
5And I have given all the strength of this city, And all its labour, and all its precious things, Yea, all the treasures of the kings of Judah I do give into the hand of their enemies, And they have spoiled them, and taken them, And have brought them into Babylon.
6And thou, Pashhur, and all dwelling in thy house, Do go into captivity. and Babylon thou dost enter, And there thou diest, and there thou art buried, Thou and all loving thee, To whom thou hast prophesied falsely.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1And Pashur the son of Immer, the priest — and he was chief officer in the house of Jehovah — heard Jeremiah prophesy these things.
2And Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in the house of Jehovah.
3And it came to pass the next day, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks; and Jeremiah said unto him, Jehovah hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magor-missabib.
4For thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I 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 see [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 smite them with the sword.
5And, I will give all the wealth of this city, and all its gains, and all its precious things, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah, will I give into the hand of their enemies; and they shall make them a prey, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.
6And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thy house shall go into captivity; and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and there thou shalt be buried, thou and all thy friends to whom thou hast prophesied falsehood.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1Now Phassur the son of Emmer, the priest, who was appointed chief in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these words.
2And Phassur struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks, that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, in the house of the Lord.
3And when it was light the next day, Phassur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks. And Jeremiah said to him: The Lord hath not called thy name Phassur, but fear on every side.
4For thus saith the Lord: Behold I will deliver thee up to fear, thee and all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thy eyes shall see it, and I will give all Juda into the hand of the king of Babylon: and he shall carry them away to Babylon, and shall strike them with the sword.
5And I will give all the substance of this city, and all its labour, and every precious thing thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Juda will I give into the hands of their enemies: and they shall pillage them, and take them away, and carry them to Babylon.
6But thou Phassur, and all that dwell in thy house, shall go into captivity, and thou shalt go to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and there thou shalt be buried, thou and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied a lie.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 20:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this passage records a direct confrontation between the temple establishment and God's prophet. Pashhur, described as paqid nagid (chief officer) in the house of Yahweh, hears Jeremiah's words and responds with physical violence: he strikes him and confines him in the mahpekhet (stocks) overnight. The stocks were a painful device that forced the body into a deformed position. On release, Jeremiah's reply is not softened. He declares that Yahweh has renamed Pashhur Magor-missabib (terror on every side) and pronounces a detailed judgment: Pashhur will become terror to himself and his friends, they will fall by the sword, Judah will be given into Babylon's hand, and Pashhur himself will die in exile. The name change is a prophetic sign, his fate matches his new name. Calvin notes the bitter irony that a priest, a colleague of Jeremiah, became his persecutor. Barnes adds that Pashhur likely belonged to the pro-Egypt party and prophesied lies, insisting Jeremiah's warnings were absurd. The consensus sees this as a warning against resisting God's word through religious authority.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- False prophet: Jeremiah accuses Pashhur of prophesying lies; commentators associate him with the pro-Egypt party that denied Babylon's threat.
- Corrupt religious authority: Pashhur uses his temple position to persecute God's messenger, showing how office does not guarantee obedience.
- Prophetic sign-act: The renaming and detailed oracle function as a enacted prophecy, making Pashhur a living object lesson of coming judgment.
What is clear: The passage records a real confrontation where the chief temple officer violently opposed Jeremiah's prophecy, and Jeremiah responded by announcing judgment on him and the nation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of Pashhur | He was a priest and the chief officer (paqid nagid) in the temple. | Some identify him as a specific son of Immer (a priestly course), while others see him as a descendant; the Cambridge Bible notes confusion with Pashhur son of Malchiah (Jer 21:1). |
| Nature of the stocks | It was a painful instrument of confinement, used in the temple area. | Barnes and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown describe a five-hole device; Clarke calls it a 'lock-up or dungeon.' The Hebrew mahpekhet implies a twisting or distorted position. |
| Fate of Pashhur | He was carried into Babylonian captivity and died there. | Barnes says his fate was 'milder', he died peacefully in Babylon, while Gill cites Kimchi that burial in a defiled land was a curse. The text itself says he will die and be buried there. |
| Reasons for Pashhur's violence | He was angered by Jeremiah's prophecies of doom. | Calvin attributes it to pride and false zeal; Barnes and others link it to his role as a false prophet whose message of security was threatened. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 20:1-6 is set during the final years of Judah, with Babylon's power rising and King Nebuchadnezzar threatening Jerusalem. The temple compound had a layered leadership: the high priest, a second priest (II Kings 25:18), and officers like Pashhur, whose title paqid nagid indicates he was the chief overseer of temple order and security. Pashhur is identified as the son of Immer, placing him in the sixteenth priestly course established by David (I Chronicles 24:14). This lineage later appears among returnees from exile (Ezra 2:37), though Pashhur himself does not return.
The confrontation follows Jeremiah's symbolic act at Tophet (Jeremiah 19), where he broke a clay jar to depict Jerusalem's coming destruction. Pashhur heard these words and took action. The stocks (mahpekhet, from a root meaning 'to twist') was an instrument of torture that held the neck, hands, and feet in a contorted position, a punishment intended to humiliate and inflict pain. It was placed at the upper gate of Benjamin, a prominent location in the temple's inner court, likely the same northern gate built by Jotham (II Kings 15:35).
Pashhur's violence reflects the political and religious divisions of the time. He represented the pro-Egypt faction that believed Judah could resist Babylon. Jeremiah's message of surrender was seen as treason. By striking the prophet, Pashhur tried to silence the one voice that contradicted the official line of security. The next day, releasing Jeremiah did not end the matter, the prophet's renaming and oracle would stand as a permanent mark of God's judgment on false leadership.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Jeremiah 20:1-6. The Septuagint renders 'Magor-missabib' as 'foreigner' (παροίκητος), apparently confusing the Hebrew root gur (terror) with gur (sojourn), but this does not affect the Hebrew text. The passage is well-attested across manuscripts.
Reception History
Jeremiah 20:1-6 has been read through church history as a stark example of institutional religion opposing true prophecy. Early church writers saw in Pashhur a type of the high priest who struck Jesus (John 18:22). The phrase 'terror on every side' recurs in Christian hymnody, especially in settings of Psalm 31 and Lamentations. The Reformers, including Calvin and Matthew Henry, emphasized that the highest offices in God's house cannot protect one from God's judgment if they resist his word. In modern contexts, the passage is often cited in discussions of spiritual abuse and the silencing of prophetic voices within denominations. The name Magor-missabib continues to be used in literature and sermons as a symbol of the anxiety that comes from false security.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Violent opposition comes from within God's house. Pashhur, a temple officer, strikes and imprisons Jeremiah. Religious position does not guarantee alignment with God's will.
- God renames what man calls secure. Pashhur (meaning 'freedom' or 'prosperity') becomes Magor-missabib ('terror on every side'). Human labels of safety are reversed by divine decree.
- Judgment is personal and corporate. The oracle targets Pashhur, his friends, the city's wealth, and all Judah. Sin's consequences ripple outward.
Five-point outline
- Pashhur hears and reacts: he strikes Jeremiah.
- Jeremiah is confined in the stocks overnight.
- Pashhur releases him the next morning.
- Jeremiah renames Pashhur Magor-missabib.
- The oracle unfolds: terror, sword, exile, death.
Illustration hooks
- A church board silences a pastor who speaks against a popular but harmful practice. The decision is made behind closed doors, but the truth eventually comes out.
- A whistleblower in a company is demoted for reporting fraud. Later, the company collapses, and those who retaliated face legal consequences.
- Someone who chants 'peace, peace' while ignoring warning signs ends up in panic when crisis hits. The false security becomes fear on every side.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why do church leaders sometimes oppose the very message God sends?
- How can I tell whether my trust is in God or in a false sense of security?
- When someone hurts me for speaking truth, does God see? Does he answer?
Leading a Discussion
Jeremiah 20:1-6 shows what happens when religious authority turns against God's messenger. Pashhur occupies the highest security role in the temple, and he uses that role to harm the prophet. This passage invites us to examine where we place our trust and how we respond when God's word challenges our comfortable structures.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 1-2. What does Pashhur's immediate response to Jeremiah's prophecy reveal about his attitude toward God's word?
- The stocks are a brutal punishment. Why do you think Pashhur chose to physically harm a fellow priest and prophet?
- Jeremiah waits until the next day to deliver the name change. What effect might that delay have had on Pashhur, and on the watching crowd?
- Magor-missabib means 'terror on every side.' Look at verse 4. How does Jeremiah's oracle explain this name?
- Verse 6 says Pashhur prophesied lies. What does this tell us about his role in Judah's religious life? Why would he persist in false prophecy?
- The judgment includes not only Pashhur but all Judah, the city's wealth, and the kings' treasures. How does this broaden the scope of sin and consequence?
- In what ways might we, like Pashhur, resist a message from God because it threatens our sense of control or security? How can we open ourselves to correction?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 25:18 | The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold; |
| I Chronicles 24:14 | the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, |
| II Chronicles 35:8 | His princes gave a free will offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the rulers of God’s house, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand six hundred small livestock, and three hundred head of cattle. |
| Ezra 2:37 | The children of Immer, one thousand fifty-two. |
| Ezra 2:38 | The children of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred forty-seven. |
| Nehemiah 7:40 | The children of Immer: one thousand fifty-two. |
| Nehemiah 7:41 | The children of Pashhur: one thousand two hundred forty-seven. |
| Acts 4:1 | As they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came to them, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to the meaning of Pashur's name, "security on all sides," then notes that God renames him Magor-missabib, "fear on every side." The original name was not divinely given, but the new one was, signifying the terror and captivity that Pashur's false prophecies and abuse of Jeremiah would bring.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that Pashur, the deputy high priest, arrested Jeremiah after the solemn bottle-breaking prophecy because the authorities could no longer tolerate it. For the first time Jeremiah calls himself "the prophet," because Pashur's violence violated the respect due that office. Barnes also observes that Pashur's punishment was milder captivity, but his conscience would torment him as a terror to himself and his friends.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights how Jeremiah's persecution by Pashur, a legitimately appointed priest, was a bitter trial that could shake faith in God's purposes. Yet Jeremiah emerged from prison speaking more boldly, teaching that God's servants must not lose courage even when treated contemptuously by those who should support them.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary clarifies that "son of Immer" may identify Pashhur as a member of that priestly family rather than a literal son. It also notes the phrase "chief officer" is probably a later scribal addition explaining the original title "overseeer." The name Magor-missabib means "terror on every side," pointing to Pashhur's coming exile.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws attention to the name change from Pashur, which suggests increased liberty, to Magormissabib, meaning terror all around. This is not merely a new label but a declaration that Pashur himself will become a living embodiment of fear and horror, even to his own friends, because of his violent treatment of Jeremiah and his false prophecies.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights the ironic contrast between Pashur's name, meaning "security on every side," and his new name "terror round about," marking God's judgment. He also stresses the personal cruelty: Pashur, a fellow priest from the same family as Jeremiah, used a painful five-hole stock to torture the prophet.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that Pashur's punishment is not death but the living torture of constant dread. Forced to survive and watch his friends fall by the sword, he endures the worst kind of suffering: unrelenting fear without escape. His new name, Magor-missabib, captures this precise fate.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry points out that Pashur was a priest and therefore expected to protect Jeremiah, who was both a fellow priest and a prophet of the Lord. Instead, this chief officer in the temple became a persecutor of the very man he should have supported.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that God's instruction to rename Pashur was not a literal name change but a declaration of changed circumstances. Pashur means "flourishing priest," yet his condition would now match the new name Magor-missabib, meaning fear and terror on every side.