For I heard the reproaches of many, and terror on every side: Persecute him, and let us persecute him: from all the men that were my familiars, and continued at my side: if by any means he may be deceived, and we may prevail against him, and be revenged on him.

“For I heard I said that I would not mention Him because I heard the speech of many, those who whisper about me. a gathering an expression of gathering, and so did Jonathan render it. tell false testimony against him. and let us tell about him and let us testify against him. And Menahem (Machbereth p. 53) explained ונגידֶנוּ like (Deut. 14:1) “You shall not cut yourselves (לא תתגודדוּ).” He also joined (Job 17:5) “For the sake of flattering, he destroys (יגיד) his friends.” This is an expression of destruction. Comp. (Dan. 4:11) “Cut down (גֹדוּ) the trees.” But Dunash (Teshuvoth p. 54) interpreted it as an actual expression of telling, and this is its interpretation: “Tell false things about him and we will tell about him to the king.” And we have like נַגִידֶנוּ, we will tell about him, many words in the Scriptures that cannot be interpreted unless they are divided into two words or three. Comp. (Gen. 37: 4) “And they could not speak with him (דַבְּרוֹ) peacefully.” Also (supra 10:20), “My children have left me (יצאני).” await my destruction Heb. צַלְעֵי Perhaps he will be enticed. to listen to us and to stray after us. and we will prevail against him to bring him to commit idolatry.”

“Here is set forth the prophet's complaint: and first he laments the office enjoined upon him, second the origin of his birth. Concerning the first, two things: first he laments the office enjoined upon him on account of the mockery that followed; second, on account of persecution, at the place, for I have heard the reproaches of many. Concerning the first, three things. First, as if complaining, he makes known the manner of the injunction, "you have deceived"; that is, I received from your words an occasion of deception: for I believed that I would prophesy against the nations, and not against the Jews, from whom I suffer persecution. But he does not mean to impute the crime of deception to God, for that would be blasphemy. "You have prevailed," imposing the office upon me though I resisted, as above, 1. And this especially because he did not see the fruit of his preaching. Isaiah 49: I have labored in vain, without cause and in vain have I spent my strength. Second, he sets forth the outcome of his preaching, setting forth the mockery: "I have become a derision" (...) all of them mock, wrinkling the nose, publishing abroad their derision. Lamentations 3: I have become a derision to all my people, their song all the day. And he assigns the reason, setting forth the word of his preaching, by which he openly rebuked their faults and threatened punishments: for now for a long time I have been crying out, proclaiming iniquity and devastation, which nevertheless has not yet come. Isaiah 16: to those who rejoice over the wall of baked brick, speak their wounds. And the resulting reproach: "and the word of the Lord has become to me a reproach," that is, a cause of reproach. Acts 26: Festus said to Paul: much learning has brought you to madness. Third, he renounces the office enjoined upon him: "and I said." And first he casts off the office: "I will not remember," that is, I will no longer think to speak to the people. For he did not wish to scatter pearls before swine. Matthew 7: do not give what is holy to dogs. Second, he resumes the office he had cast off: "and it became as a fire"; for the more one abstains outwardly from words, the more he feels within the fervor of love. Psalm 38: my heart grew hot within me, and in my meditation a fire shall burn. "In the bones," in the inmost parts of the mind, "I fainted," from my purpose, not enduring to bear the inward burning, "for I have heard the reproaches of many." Here he complains of the office he had undertaken, from the fact that he was enduring persecutions. And first is set forth the persecution of his adversaries: and first he sets forth the multitude of those persecuting him, "of many," against whom resistance is not possible. "Persecute ye"; in which their conspiracy is noted. He also sets forth their familiarity: "from all the men who were at peace with me"; in which the imminent danger is noted. Obadiah: all the men of your covenant have deceived you, the men of your peace have prevailed against you. Second, the prophet's comforting is set forth, setting forth the divine help: "but the Lord is with me," to defend me. Isaiah 50: the Lord God is my helper, and therefore I am not confounded. And his office: "and therefore they shall fall," because they persecute. Isaiah 40: the young shall faint and labor, and the youths shall fall by infirmity. "They shall be confounded," because they have spoken reproaches; "because they did not understand," that is, they were unwilling to understand, the reproach, of eternal damnation, or of future captivity. Psalm 39: let them be confounded, and let them fear who seek my soul to take it away. Third, the petition is set forth: where he seeks to win goodwill, commending justice: "the tester," that is, the approver or examiner and discerner, "of knowledge," who sees the reins, as to the affections, and the hearts, as to the thoughts. Above, 17: I the Lord search the heart, and try the reins, who give to each according to his way, et cetera. He asks for vengeance: "let me see, I beseech you, my vengeance upon them"; he assigns the cause: "for to you have I revealed," not to one ignorant of this, but placing my whole cause in you. Above, 11: for to you have I revealed my cause. Fourth, the giving of thanks is set forth, "sing to the Lord." Psalm 71: for he has delivered the poor from the mighty, the poor man who had no helper.”

“For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side,.... It was brought to the prophet's ears by some of his friends, how he was defamed by many, and these great and mighty ones, as the word also signifies; how his character was aspersed; his good name taken away; and false and scandalous reports were raised of him from all quarters; which filled him with fear all around, so that he might quickly expect fresh trouble from one side or another; see Psa 31:13; and this was a reason of his entering into the above resolution to leave off prophesying: though some understand it as an additional reason to the former for going on with it; being not only inwardly pressed to it in spirit, but outwardly provoked by the usage of his enemies. Some retain the words "Magormissabib", untranslated, and render the whole thus, "for I heard the defaming of many magormissabibs"; of many such as Pashur, so called, Jer 20:3; but neither the accents nor the syntax will admit of it; since there is an accent on many, which makes a stop, and "magormissabib" is in the singular number: rather it may be rendered, "I have heard the defaming of many; even of magormissabib", that is, of Pashur and his associates; report, say they, and we will report it; these are the words of the defamers, whether Pashur and his accomplices, or the great ones, the princes and nobles, the priests and false prophets, that more especially bore a grudge to Jeremiah; addressing themselves to the common people, and such who were most acquainted with the prophet, and his manner of life; saying, tell us what you can of him, right or wrong, true or false, that may be any ways improved against him, and we shall tell it to the king, or to the sanhedrim, the court of judicature, and get him punished for it; or we shall take care to have it spread about city and country, and so blast his character and credit with the people, that none will after regard his prophecies; all my familiars watched for my halting; or, "every man of my peace" (f); who pretended to be at peace, and to be friendly with him, and wished well unto him, spoke fair to his face, as if they were cordial friends, and fond of the most intimate acquaintance with him; perhaps the men of Anathoth, the birth place of Jeremiah, are here meant; whom the priests at Jerusalem, or others, had engaged on their side, narrowly to observe what was said and done by him, of which any handle could be made against him to the government; and accordingly they did; they watched his words, and observed his actions, if they could catch at anything that was imprudently or inadvertently said or done, or what could be misconstrued to his disadvantage; saying, peradventure he will be enticed; to say or do something that may be laid hold on, and be produced against him, to the ruin of him; he not being on his guard, and knowing of no design against him: and we shall prevail against him; gain our point, get him accused, condemned, and punished: and we shall take our revenge on him; for inveighing so severely against their sins, which they could not bear; and for threatening them with punishments that should be inflicted on them, which they liked not to hear. (f) "omnis homo pacis meae", Montanus, Cocceius, Schmidt; "omnes viri pacis meae", Munster, Vatablus.”

“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 Jer 38:22; Job 19:19; Psa 55:13-14; Luk 11:53-54). watched for my halting-- (Psa 35:15, Margin, "halting"; Psa 38:17; Psa 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.”