Jeremiah 20 · Verse 10

Jeremiah 20:10

For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
Jeremiah 20:10, King James Version

Jeremiah 20:10 in other translations

BSBFor I have heard the whispering of many: “Terror is on every side! Report him; let us report him!” All my trusted friends watch for my fall: “Perhaps he will be deceived so that we may prevail against him and take our vengeance upon him.”
WEBFor I have heard the defaming of many: “Terror on every side! Denounce, and we will denounce him!” say all my familiar friends, those who watch for my fall. “Perhaps he will be persuaded, and we will prevail against him, and we will take our revenge on him.”
ASVFor I have heard the defaming of many, terror on every side. Denounce, and we will denounce him, say all my familiar friends, they that watch for my fall; peradventure he will be persuaded, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
YLTFor I have heard the evil report of many, Fear is round about: ‘Declare, and we declare it,' All mine allies are watching for my halting, ‘Perhaps he is enticed, and we prevail over him, And we take our vengeance out of him.'
DARBYFor I have heard the defaming of many, terror on every side: Report, and we will report it. All my familiars are watching for my stumbling: Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him; and we shall take our revenge on him.
BBEFor numbers of them say evil secretly in my hearing (there is fear on every side): they say, Come, let us give witness against him; all my nearest friends, who are watching for my fall, say, It may be that he will be taken by deceit, and we will get the better of him and give him punishment.
WebsterFor I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Perhaps he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

What does Jeremiah 20:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
10. For--not referring to the words immediately preceding, but to "I will not make mention of Him." The "defaming" or detraction of the enemy on every side (see Psa 31:13) tempted him to think of prophesying no more. Report ... we will report--The words of his adversaries one to the other; give any information against him (true or false) which will give color for accusing him; and "we will report it," namely, to the Sanhedrim, in order to crush him. familiars--literally, "men of my peace"; those who pretended to be on peaceable terms with me (Psa 41:9). Jeremiah is a type of Messiah, referred to in that Psalm. (See Jr 38:22; Job 19:19; Psa 55:13, 14; Lu 11:53, 54). watched for my halting--(Psa 35:15, Margin, "halting"; Psa 38:17; 71:10, Margin). Gesenius not so well translates, according to Arabic idiom, "those guarding my side" (that is, my most intimate friends always at my side), in apposition to "familiars," and the subject of "say" (instead of "saying"). The Hebrew means properly "side," then "halting," as the halt bend on one side. enticed--to commit some sin.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 Report - and we will report it - Let us spread calumnies against him every where; or let us spread reports of dangers coming upon him, that we may intimidate him, and cause him to desist.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 20:7-13

The prophet complains of the insult and injury he experienced. But Jr 20:7 may be read, Thou hast persuaded me, and I was persuaded. Thou wast stronger than I; and didst overpower me by the influence of thy Spirit upon me. So long as we see ourselves in the way of God, and of duty, it is weakness and folly, when we meet with difficulties and discouragements, to wish we had never set out in it. The prophet found the…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 20:7-13 →

Jeremiah 20:10 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כִּ֣יkiforH3588
שָׁמַ֜עְתִּיsha.Ma'.tiI have heardH8085
דִּבַּ֣תdi.Bat[the] whispering ofH1681
רַבִּים֮ra.Bimmany [people]H7227
מָג֣וֹרma.GorterrorH4032
מִסָּבִיב֒mi.sa.Viv[is] from round aboutH5439
הַגִּ֙ידוּ֙ha.Gi.dutellH5046
וְנַגִּידֶ֔נּוּve.na.gi.De.nuand let us tell about himH5046
כֹּ֚לkoleveryH3605
אֱנ֣וֹשׁ'e.No.osh<the> person ofH582
שְׁלוֹמִ֔יshe.lo.Mipeace myH7965
שֹׁמְרֵ֖יsho.me.Rei[are] [the] watchers ofH8104
צַלְעִ֑יtzal.'Istumbling myH6761
אוּלַ֤י'u.LaiperhapsH194
יְפֻתֶּה֙ye.fu.Tehhe will be deceivedH6601
וְנ֣וּכְלָהve.Nu.khe.lahand we will prevailH3201
ל֔וֹloto <the> him
וְנִקְחָ֥הve.nik.Chahand we will takeH3947
נִקְמָתֵ֖נוּnik.ma.Te.nuvengeance ourH5360
מִמֶּֽנּוּ\׃mi.Me.nufrom himH4480

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 20:10

  • Psalms 41:9

    Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

  • Psalms 31:13

    For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.

  • Isaiah 29:21

    That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

  • Jeremiah 18:18

    Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.

  • Proverbs 10:18

    He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

  • Psalms 64:2-4

    Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity: Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words: That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

  • Psalms 55:13-14

    But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

  • Acts 24:13

    Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.

  • Ezekiel 22:9

    In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness.

  • Jeremiah 6:25

    Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.

  • Nehemiah 6:6-13

    Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words. And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. …

  • Acts 6:11-15

    Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I heard.
Ps 31:13; 57:4; 64:2-4; Mt 26:59,60
fear.
3
Report.
18:18; Ne 6:6-13; Pr 10:18; Isa 29:21; Eze 22:9; Lu 20:20
Ac 6:11-15; 24:1-9,13
All my familiars. Heb. Every man of my peace.
Job 19:19; Ps 41:9; 55:13,14; Lu 11:53,54; 12:52,53
we shall.
1Ki 19:2; 21:20; 22:8,27; Mr 6:19-28; Ac 5:33; 7:54; 23:12-15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 20:9

    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 burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

  • Jeremiah 20:10

    For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

  • Jeremiah 20:11

    But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.

Read all of Jeremiah 20

Jeremiah 20:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque oí la murmuración de muchos, temor de todas partes: Denunciad, y denunciaremos. Todos mis amigos miraban si claudicaría. Quizá se engañará, decían, y prevaleceremos contra él, y tomaremos de él nuestra venganza.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car j’ai entendu les diffamations de plusieurs: la terreur de tous côtés! Rapportez, et nous rapporterons! Tous mes familiers guettaient ma chute disant: Peut-être se laissera-t-il séduire; et nous prévaudrons contre lui, et nous nous vengerons sur lui.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn ich habe die Verleumdung vieler gehört, Schrecken ringsum: "Zeiget an, so wollen wir ihn anzeigen!" Alle meine Freunde lauern auf meinen Fall: "Vielleicht läßt er sich bereden, so daß wir ihn überwältigen und uns an ihm rächen können."
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Audivi enim contumelias multorum, et terrorem in circuitu: Persequimini, et persequamur eum, ab omnibus viris qui erant pacifici mei, et custodientes latus meum: si quomodo decipiatur, et prævaleamus adversus eum, et consequamur ultionem ex eo.