Jeremiah 20:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

O Lord, you have misled me, and I have been misled. It may appear to some that this prophet speaks boldly when he asserts that God deceives us. However, let us be mindful of the weight of these words, which express deep sorrow; though he is a prophet, he remains a human being. Therefore, he asks, why have you misled me? I will make you as resilient as a wall of bronze, and they will fight against you but will not prevail (Jeremiah 1:18, 19). Despite being under siege, he proclaims this, and yet they did not conquer him; had they broken him, they would have shattered his spirit. Reflect on the imagery of the apostolic endeavor; however, none of them complained or voiced grievances. Instead, he claims, I now rejoice in my sufferings (Colossians 1:24).

You have led me astray, O Lord, and I have been led astray, meaning misled, either by Jeremiah's declaration, ‘Behold, I will set you ... over tongues and over kingdoms’ (Jeremiah 1:10), or by the assurance that they will strive against him but will not prevail. However, the reality did not align with the promise, for the prophet, reflecting on his current difficult situation, perceived no resolution to his troubles ahead.

You have drawn me away, O Lord, and I succumbed; you were mightier than I and prevailed. Daily, I find myself facing ridicule, mocked by all. I have long been vocal, crying out against injustice and lamenting devastation. The prophet expresses that he was misled by the Lord; initially, he was told, "I have appointed you today over nations and over kingdoms, to uproot and to tear down" (Jer. 1:5), and again, "to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant" (Jer. 1:10). He assumed he would speak only against the surrounding nations and thus embraced his prophetic role. However, he ended up prophesying the fall of Jerusalem and suffered persecution and hardship as a result.

O Lord, you have abandoned me, and I find myself alone; yet you have empowered me and triumphed over my adversaries. I have turned away from the prophetic calling, but you have assured me that I will prevail against those who oppose me, promising to make me as strong as a wall of bronze and a pillar of iron. Now, I am ridiculed. For as I say, "I have been a source of derision all day long; they taunt me."