Jeremiah 20:15

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Jeremiah 20:15 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man-child is born unto thee; making him very glad.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man-child is born unto thee; making him very glad.
Jeremiah 20:15 — American Standard Version

Context — Jeremiah 20

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
15Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man-child is born unto thee; making him very glad.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Cursed [be] the man who brought tidings to my father, etc.] The word signifies commonly good tidings, as the news of a child born, and especially a man child, is to its parent. The Septuagint use the same word the angel did, when he brought the tidings of the birth of Christ, (<420210>Luke 2:10,11). This was still more foolish and sinful, to curse the man that carried the tidings of his birth to his father; who did a right thing, and what was acceptable, and perhaps might be a good man. Kimchi observes, that there are some that say, it was known to Jeremiah that this man was Pashur, the son of Immer, and therefore he cursed him; but this is without any foundation; saying, a man child is born…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“A man child--The birth of a son is in the East a special subject of joy; whereas that of a daughter is often not so.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“In the rest of the chapter we have an outbreak of deep emotion, of which the first part ends in a cry of hope Jeremiah 20:13, followed nevertheless by curses upon the day of his birth. Was this the result of feelings wounded by the indignities of a public scourging and a night spent in the stocks? Or was it not the mental agony of knowing that his ministry had (as it seemed) failed? He stands indeed before the multitudes with unbending strength, warning prince and people with unwavering constancy of the national ruin that would follow necessarily upon their sins. Before God he stood crushed by the thought that he had labored in vain, and spent his strength for nothing. It is important to…”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“A man: Jer 1:5; Gen 21:5, Gen 21:6; Luk 1:14 Jeremiah 20:16”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification