Jeremiah’s harsh treatment illustrates how rebellion against God’s message leads to hardened hearts, yet God remains sovereign in His purpose.
Pashhur, a priest around the late 7th to early 6th century B.C., heard Jeremiah’s prophecies against Jerusalem and grew furious at the persistent warnings that Judah should repent and submit to Babylon. In Jeremiah 20:2 we read: “Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks that were at the upper Benjamin Gate, which was by the house of the LORD.” (v.2) This gate, also sometimes called the High Gate of Benjamin, likely stood on the northern part of the city near the territory allotted to the tribe of Benjamin, placing it near the sacred precincts of the temple of Solomon. Imposing a humiliating punishment on Jeremiah just outside the temple—the very place where God’s presence dwelled—reflected how hostile the leadership had become toward the prophet’s message.Pashhur appears to have served both as a priest and an official with authority in the temple complex. His position would have placed him in the upper ranks of spiritual leadership during the final years of the kingdom of Judah (circa 609 - 586 B.C.). By ordering Jeremiah’s beating and confinement, Pashhur hoped to silence the warnings of approaching judgment. But his action also symbolized Judah’s broader rejection of God’s counsel through His prophet, setting the stage for the calamities that would soon overtake Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:15-17). Jeremiah’s experience, though difficult, prefigures the experience of many future believers who would also endure rejection and mistreatment when delivering God’s truth (John 15:20).
This verse also foreshadows the pattern of persecution endured by Christ. Jeremiah, confined in the stocks, points forward to Jesus who was bound and scourged, ultimately suffering at the hands of those who refused His counsel (Mark 15:15). Just as Jeremiah’s message could not be chained by physical restraints, the gospel of Jesus would spread in spite of violent opposition (2 Timothy 2:9).
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Jeremiah 20:2 meaning
Pashhur, a priest around the late 7th to early 6th century B.C., heard Jeremiah’s prophecies against Jerusalem and grew furious at the persistent warnings that Judah should repent and submit to Babylon. In Jeremiah 20:2 we read: “Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks that were at the upper Benjamin Gate, which was by the house of the LORD.” (v.2) This gate, also sometimes called the High Gate of Benjamin, likely stood on the northern part of the city near the territory allotted to the tribe of Benjamin, placing it near the sacred precincts of the temple of Solomon. Imposing a humiliating punishment on Jeremiah just outside the temple—the very place where God’s presence dwelled—reflected how hostile the leadership had become toward the prophet’s message.Pashhur appears to have served both as a priest and an official with authority in the temple complex. His position would have placed him in the upper ranks of spiritual leadership during the final years of the kingdom of Judah (circa 609 - 586 B.C.). By ordering Jeremiah’s beating and confinement, Pashhur hoped to silence the warnings of approaching judgment. But his action also symbolized Judah’s broader rejection of God’s counsel through His prophet, setting the stage for the calamities that would soon overtake Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:15-17). Jeremiah’s experience, though difficult, prefigures the experience of many future believers who would also endure rejection and mistreatment when delivering God’s truth (John 15:20).
This verse also foreshadows the pattern of persecution endured by Christ. Jeremiah, confined in the stocks, points forward to Jesus who was bound and scourged, ultimately suffering at the hands of those who refused His counsel (Mark 15:15). Just as Jeremiah’s message could not be chained by physical restraints, the gospel of Jesus would spread in spite of violent opposition (2 Timothy 2:9).