Jeremiah 18:20

Jeremiah 18:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them.
• New International Version (NIV)Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember that I stood before you and spoke in their behalf to turn your wrath away from them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for my life. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Shall evil be repaid for good? For they have dug a pit for my life. Remember that I stood before You To speak good for them, To turn away Your wrath from them.

Context of Jeremiah 18:20

18Then some people said, ‘We must find a way to stop Jeremiah. We do not need him. The priests will still be here to teach us. Wise men will still be here to give us advice. The prophets will still be here to give us God's messages. We should speak bad things against Jeremiah. Then we will not have to listen to him any more.’ 19‘Please listen to me, Lord! Hear what my enemies are saying against me. I have done good things for them, but they are paying me back with evil things. They have already dug a grave for me! Remember that I stood in front of you and I asked you to forgive them. I asked you not to be angry with them. 21So now I ask you to punish them! Yes, may famine kill their children. May they die in war. May wives no longer have husbands or children. May disease kill the old men. May the young men die in battle. 22Send people to attack them suddenly and rob them in their homes. Then they will shout aloud in great fear. They have dug a hole for me to fall into. They have prepared traps to catch me.

Jeremiah 18:20 word by word

הַיְשֻׁלַּ֤ם תַּֽחַת־טוֹבָה֙ רָעָ֔ה כִּֽי־כָר֥וּ שׁוּחָ֖ה לְנַפְשִׁ֑י זְכֹ֣ר׀ עָמְדִ֣י לְפָנֶ֗יךָ לְדַבֵּ֤ר עֲלֵיהֶם֙ טוֹבָ֔ה לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶת־חֲמָתְךָ֖ מֵהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Shall evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
• be recompensedשָׁלֵםshâlam · to completeH7999
• for goodטוֹבָהţôb · welfareH2896
• for they have diggedכָּרָהkârâh · to pierceH3738
• a pitשׁוּחָהshûchâh · pitH7745
• for my soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• Rememberזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
• that I stoodעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• thee to speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• to turn awayשׁוּבshûb · to return: turn backH7725
• thy wrathחֵמָהchêmâh chêmâ' · rageH2534

Cross-references for Jeremiah 18:20

• 1 Samuel 24:17He said to David, ‘You are a better man than I am. You have been kind to me even when I have tried to hurt you.
• Psalms 35:12When I do good things to help them, they pay me back with evil things! That makes me feel very sad and upset.
• Psalms 38:20When I do good things, they do evil things to me in return! I try to do what is right, but they turn against me.
• Psalms 109:4I have loved them, but they still accuse me. I will continue to pray for them.
• Proverbs 17:13If people are kind to you, do not do evil things in return. Anyone who does that will always have trouble in his home.
• John 10:32Jesus said to them, ‘I have done many good things. The Father sent me to do them, and I have shown them to you. Which of those good things make you want to kill me with stones?’
• John 15:25Their book of God's Law says, “They hated me without any good reason.” What that book already said long ago had to happen.
• Jeremiah 18:22Send people to attack them suddenly and rob them in their homes. Then they will shout aloud in great fear. They have dug a hole for me to fall into. They have prepared traps to catch me.
• Job 6:27You would play a game to win a child who has no family. You would even sell your friends to become rich yourselves.
• Psalms 7:15Wicked people want to hurt people. They are digging a deep hole for people to fall into. But they fall into the hole themselves!
• Psalms 35:7They hid a trap to catch me. There was no reason for them to do that. They even dug a deep hole for me to fall into.
• Psalms 57:6My enemies have prepared a trap to catch me. That makes me very upset. They have dug a deep hole on the path where I walk. But they have fallen into it themselves! Selah.
• Psalms 119:95Wicked people are ready to kill me, but I think carefully about your teaching.
• Proverbs 26:27If a man digs a deep hole as a trap, he will fall into it himself. If a man pushes a stone to fall on someone, it will fall back on him.
• Ecclesiastes 10:8If you dig a deep hole, you might fall into it. If you knock down a wall, a snake might bite you.
• Jeremiah 7:16Jeremiah, you must not pray for this people. Do not ask me to help them. If you ask me to save them, I will not listen to you.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 18:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20They have digged a pit for my soul - For my life; this they wish to take away. Stood before thee to speak good for them - I was their continual intercessor.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Jeremiah had been laboring earnestly to avert the ruin of his country, but the Jews treated him as farmers do some noxious animal which wastes their fields, and for which they dig pitfalls.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-23Verses 18-23 When the prophet called to repentance, instead of obeying the call, the people devised devices against him. Thus do sinners deal with the great Intercessor, crucifying him afresh, and speaking against him on earth, while his blood is speaking for them in heaven. But the prophet had done his duty to them; and the same will be our rejoicing in a day of evil.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-20Jeremiah told the Lord about the unfairness of his enemies' actions against him.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. In the particulars here specified, Jeremiah was a type of Jesus Christ (Psa 109:4, 5; Joh 15:25). my soul--my life; me (Psa 35:7). I stood before thee ... to turn away thy wrath--so Moses (Psa 106:23; compare Eze 22:30). So Jesus Christ, the antitype of previous partial intercessors (Is 59:16).Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 18:20

• Ingratitude
• Intercession
• Jeremiah
• Persecution
• Prayer
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Smite
• Wag
• Providence

Commentaries on Jeremiah 18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings