This passage (Jeremiah 20:7–13) and the following one (Jeremiah 20:14–18) make up the last of Jeremiah’s confessions, and as with most of the previous confessions it takes the form of a lament. This particular lament has probably been placed here as a response to the treatment Jeremiah received at the hands of Pashhur in Jeremiah 20:1–6.
The first part of the lament (Jeremiah 20:7–13) has two clear sections:
In Jeremiah 20:7–10 the Lord is seen by Jeremiah as his antagonist: Jeremiah struggles with the Lord and the Lord’s overpowering mastery that compels him to prophesy.
In Jeremiah 20:11–13 the Lord is seen as Jeremiah’s protagonist: Jeremiah has a strong conviction that the Lord is with him and that his enemy will be overcome.1
The start of the poem, O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived,
is typical of the psalms of complaint.2 The Hebrew word pata has been translated in different ways. The possibilities include deceive,
seduce,
and persuade.
The word occurs in Exodus 22:16 (see Judges 16:5) in a law regarding sexual seduction. This suggests that Jeremiah is expressing two strong emotions about his relationship with the Lord. On the one hand he feels as though the Lord had called him to be his prophet even though Jeremiah had been very reluctant.3 . On the other hand, having obeyed the call, Jeremiah feels that his relationship with the Lord was something like a marriage bond, but it now feels as though he has been enticed and deceived by the Lord. He is almost accusing the Lord of using him and tossing him aside. The language verges on the blasphemous.
4. Many readers and commentators would object to the Lord being accused of deception and of violating his relationship with Jeremiah. It should be noted, however, that Jeremiah is expressing his distress and not describing a factual picture of the Lord’s character.5 This passage (Jeremiah 20:7–13) also has the components of an individual lament. In his distress Jeremiah uses the forms of religious piety that he grew up with; in this case the psalms of lament that offer a way of expressing heartfelt emotions. This is a man struggling in the face of intense disquiet to maintain his faith and seeking to use the spiritual remedies at his disposal to do so.
6
7 O LORD, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me.