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, “Come on! Let us consider how to deal with Jeremiah! There will still be priests to instruct us, wise men to give us advice, and prophets to declare God’s word. Come on! Let’s bring charges against him and get rid of him! Then we will not need to pay attention to anything he says.” 19Then I said, “Lord, pay attention to me. Listen to what my enemies are saying. Should good be paid back with evil? Yet they are virtually digging a pit to kill me. Just remember how I stood before you pleading on their behalf to keep you from venting your anger on them. 21So let their children die of starvation. Let them be cut down by the sword. Let their wives lose their husbands and children. Let the older men die of disease and the younger men die by the sword in battle. 22Let cries of terror be heard in their houses when you send bands of raiders unexpectedly to plunder them. For they have virtually dug a pit to capture me and have hidden traps for me to step into.

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 more innocent than I, for you have treated me well, even though I have tried to harm you!
• Psalms 35:12They repay me evil for the good I have done; I am overwhelmed with sorrow.
• Psalms 38:20They repay me evil for the good I have done; though I have tried to do good to them, they hurl accusations at me.
• Psalms 109:4They repay my love with accusations, but I continue to pray.
• Proverbs 17:13As for the one who repays evil for good, evil will not leave his house.
• John 10:32Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good deeds from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?”
• John 15:25Now this happened to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without reason.’
• Jeremiah 18:22Let cries of terror be heard in their houses when you send bands of raiders unexpectedly to plunder them. For they have virtually dug a pit to capture me and have hidden traps for me to step into.
• Job 6:27Yes, you would gamble for the fatherless, and auction off your friend.
• Psalms 7:15he digs a pit and then falls into the hole he has made.
• Psalms 35:7I did not harm them, but they hid a net to catch me and dug a pit to trap me.
• Psalms 57:6They have prepared a net to trap me; I am discouraged. They have dug a pit for me. They will fall into it! (Selah)
• Psalms 119:95The wicked prepare to kill me, yet I concentrate on your rules.
• Proverbs 26:27The one who digs a pit will fall into it; the one who rolls a stone – it will come back on him.
• Ecclesiastes 10:8One who digs a pit may fall into it, and one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
• Jeremiah 7:16Then the Lord said, “As for you, Jeremiah, do not pray for these people! Do not cry out to me or petition me on their behalf! Do not plead with me to save them, because 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