May that man be like the cities that the LORD overthrew without compassion. May he hear an outcry in the morning and a battle cry at noon, May that man be like the cities that the LORD overthrew without compassion.This phrase refers to the destruction of cities such as Sodom and Gomorrah, which were overthrown by God due to their wickedness ( Genesis 19:24-25). The reference to these cities highlights the severity of the judgment Jeremiah wishes upon the man who announced his birth. The lack of compassion underscores the totality of divine judgment, emphasizing that God's justice can be executed without mercy when warranted. This reflects the seriousness of sin and rebellion against God, a theme consistent throughout the Old Testament. The destruction of these cities serves as a warning and a type of the final judgment, pointing to the ultimate justice that will be executed by Christ at His second coming ( 2 Peter 2:6). May he hear an outcry in the morning and a battle cry at noon,
The "outcry in the morning" and "battle cry at noon" suggest a state of constant distress and impending doom. In ancient warfare, attacks often began at dawn, and the sound of battle cries would signal the start of conflict. This imagery conveys a sense of relentless turmoil and fear, symbolizing the consequences of living in opposition to God's will. The morning and noon times indicate that the threat is pervasive, affecting the entire day, and leaving no time for peace or rest. This can be connected to the broader biblical theme of the consequences of sin, as seen in the curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28:49-57, where disobedience leads to continuous fear and destruction. The imagery also foreshadows the spiritual battles faced by believers, reminding them of the need for vigilance and reliance on God's strength (Ephesians 6:10-18). Persons / Places / Events 1. JeremiahThe prophet who is speaking in this passage. He is expressing deep anguish and frustration over his calling and the persecution he faces. 2. The ManRefers to the person who announced Jeremiah's birth, whom Jeremiah curses in his lament. This is part of a broader expression of his despair. 3. The Cities the LORD OverthrewThis likely refers to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which were destroyed by God due to their wickedness, as described in Genesis. 4. The LORDThe covenant God of Israel, who is depicted as having the power to overthrow cities and bring judgment. 5. Outcry and Battle CrySymbolic of distress and impending doom, representing the consequences of divine judgment. Teaching Points The Weight of Prophetic CallingJeremiah's lament highlights the heavy burden of being a prophet. Serving God can lead to personal suffering and requires perseverance. The Reality of Divine JudgmentThe reference to the cities overthrown by God serves as a reminder of His righteous judgment against sin. It calls believers to live in holiness and reverence. Expressing Lament to GodJeremiah's raw honesty in his lament shows that it is permissible to bring our deepest pains and frustrations before God. He is big enough to handle our emotions. The Consequences of SinThe imagery of outcry and battle cry underscores the inevitable consequences of sin and rebellion against God. It serves as a warning to turn back to Him. Hope Amidst DespairEven in his lament, Jeremiah's words can lead us to seek hope in God's ultimate justice and mercy, trusting that He hears our cries. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Jeremiah's lament in this passage reflect the challenges faced by those who are called to speak God's truth today? 2. In what ways can the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah serve as a warning for contemporary society? 3. How can believers find comfort in God when they feel overwhelmed by their circumstances, as Jeremiah did? 4. What are some practical steps we can take to ensure we are living in a way that honors God and avoids the consequences of sin? 5. How can we balance expressing our honest emotions to God with maintaining faith and hope in His promises? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 19The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah provides a backdrop for understanding the severity of the curse Jeremiah invokes. Lamentations 3Jeremiah's lamentations echo similar themes of despair and seeking God's justice amidst suffering. Isaiah 13The prophecy against Babylon includes similar imagery of destruction and divine judgment. People Benjamin, Immer, Jeremiah, Magormissabib, PashurPlaces Babylon, Benjamin Gate, TophethTopics Alarm, Battle, Cities, Cry, Didn't, Ears, Mercy, Middle, Morning, Noon, Noonday, Noontide, Noontime, Outcry, Overthrew, Overturned, Pity, Relenting, Repent, Repented, Shout, Shouting, Towns, Wailing, WarDictionary of Bible Themes Jeremiah 20:16 4960 noon
5825 cruelty, God's attitude Jeremiah 20:14-18 5067 suicide
5945 self-pity
8615 prayer, doubts Jeremiah 20:15-18 5831 depression Library The Revelation to which the Scripture of the Old Testament Owes Its Existence.
"O Lord, . . . Thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed."--Jer. xx. 7. The understanding of the Holy Spirit's work in Scripture requires us to distinguish the preparation, and the formation that was the outcome of the preparation. We will discuss these two separately. The Holy Spirit prepared for Scripture by the operations which from Paradise to Patmos supernaturally apprehended the sinful life of this world, and thus raised up believing men who formed the developing Church. This will seem very …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy SpiritThe Revelation of the Old Testament in Writing.
"Then I said, I will not speak any more in His Name. But His word was in my heart as a burning fire, shut up in my bones: and I was weary with forbearing, but I could not."--Jer. xx. 9. Altho the miracles performed for and in the midst of Israel created a glorious life-center in the midst of the heathen world, yet they did not constitute a Holy Scripture; for this can not be created except God speak to man, even to His people Israel. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit One Thing is Needful;
or, SERIOUS MEDITATIONS UPON THE FOUR LAST THINGS: DEATH, JUDGMENT, HEAVEN, AND HELL UNTO WHICH IS ADDED EBAL AND GERIZZIM, OR THE BLESSING AND THE CURSE, by John Bunyan. London: Printed for Nath. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1688.[1] ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. According to Charles Doe, in that curious sheet called The Struggler for the Preservation of Mr. John Bunyan's Labours, these poems were published about the year 1664, while the author was suffering imprisonment for conscience …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 The Baptist's Inquiry and Jesus' Discourse Suggested Thereby.
(Galilee.) ^A Matt. XI. 2-30; ^C Luke VII. 18-35. ^c 18 And the disciples of John told him of all these things. ^a 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent by his disciples ^c 19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them unto the Lord [John had been cast into prison about December, a.d. 27, and it was now after the Passover, possibly in May or June, a.d. 28. Herod Antipas had cast John into prison because John had reproved him for taking his brother's wife. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Hindrances to Mourning
What shall we do to get our heart into this mourning frame? Do two things. Take heed of those things which will stop these channels of mourning; put yourselves upon the use of all means that will help forward holy mourning. Take heed of those things which will stop the current of tears. There are nine hindrances of mourning. 1 The love of sin. The love of sin is like a stone in the pipe which hinders the current of water. The love of sin makes sin taste sweet and this sweetness in sin bewitches the …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
"Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."--Jeremiah i. 8. The Prophets were ever ungratefully treated by the Israelites, they were resisted, their warnings neglected, their good services forgotten. But there was this difference between the earlier and the later Prophets; the earlier lived and died in honour among their people,--in outward honour; though hated and thwarted by the wicked, they were exalted to high places, and ruled in the congregation. …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII Meditations for the Morning.
1. Almighty God can, in the resurrection, as easily raise up thy body out of the grave, from the sleep of death, as he hath this morning wakened thee in thy bed, out of the sleep of nature. At the dawning of which resurrection day, Christ shall come to be glorified in his saints; and every one of the bodies of the thousands of his saints, being fashioned like unto his glorious body, shall shine as bright as the sun (2 Thess. i. 10; Jude, ver. 14; Phil. iii. 21; Luke ix. 31;) all the angels shining …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety The Ninth Commandment
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.' Exod 20: 16. THE tongue which at first was made to be an organ of God's praise, is now become an instrument of unrighteousness. This commandment binds the tongue to its good behaviour. God has set two natural fences to keep in the tongue, the teeth and lips; and this commandment is a third fence set about it, that it should not break forth into evil. It has a prohibitory and a mandatory part: the first is set down in plain words, the other …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Jeremiah 20:16 NIVJeremiah 20:16 NLTJeremiah 20:16 ESVJeremiah 20:16 NASBJeremiah 20:16 KJV
Jeremiah 20:16 Commentaries
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