Jeremiah 20:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I feel as though a consuming fire is in my bones, spreading all around me, and I am unable to endure it. I have listened to the distress of many who have gathered against me. The phrase, "I have heard the distress of many who were gathered against me," connects with my declaration: "I will not remember the name of the Lord, but I will speak to this one in His name," as it reveals my reason for remaining silent. The declaration, "there was in my heart like a burning fire," finds a place amidst the other words, indicating that my intent to keep silent was immediately overwhelmed by the searing agony within me, rendering my spirit like that of a parched man, seemingly condemned to silence and immobilized.

The word of the Lord had turned into a source of shame and ridicule for me each day. I declared that I would no longer remember Him or invoke His name, nor would I speak on His behalf. Yet, within my heart, it felt like a fervent fire trapped in my very bones, leaving me weary and drained, unable to endure. I heard the scorn of many and the surrounding fears: “Let us pursue him; we will hunt him down.” When I began to cry out about the advancing Babylonian army and the devastation wrought by the enemy's sword, the word of the Lord became to me a source of derision because the perceived delay in the fulfillment of prophecy led many to question its truth. Consequently, I made a conscious decision not to proclaim the words of God to the people or to call upon His name.

"We will pursue him, all his acquaintances: observe his intentions; if he falters, we will prevail over him, and we shall enact our retribution against him." Who will justly condemn these malicious plots? The Prophet does not depend on his own strength; rather, he extols the assistance of God and declares: