Jeremiah 20:18
Jeremiah 20:18 in Multiple Translations
Why did I come out of the womb to see only trouble and sorrow, and to end my days in shame?
Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
Why did I come from my mother's body to see pain and sorrow, so that my days might be wasted with shame?
Why was I born only to see trouble and sadness, and to end my life in shame?
How is it, that I came forth of the wombe, to see labour and sorowe, that my dayes shoulde be consumed with shame?
Why [is] this? from the womb I have come out, To see labour and sorrow, Yea, consumed in shame are my days!
Why did I come out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
Why was I brought into the world to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
Why came I out of the womb, to see labour and sorrow, and that my days should be spent in confusion?
I have continually experienced much trouble and sorrow, and I am disgraced now when I am about to die; why was it necessary [RHQ] for me to me born?
Berean Amplified Bible — Jeremiah 20:18
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Jeremiah 20:18 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
לָ֤/מָּה
זֶּה֙
מֵ/רֶ֣חֶם
יָצָ֔אתִי
לִ/רְא֥וֹת
עָמָ֖ל
וְ/יָג֑וֹן
וַ/יִּכְל֥וּ
בְּ/בֹ֖שֶׁת
יָמָֽ/י
לָ֤/מָּה
mâh
H4100
what?
Prep | Part
זֶּה֙
zeh
H2088
this
Pron
מֵ/רֶ֣חֶם
rechem
H7358
womb
Prep | N-ms
יָצָ֔אתִי
yâtsâʼ
H3318
to come out
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
לִ/רְא֥וֹת
râʼâh
H7200
Provider
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a
עָמָ֖ל
ʻâmâl
H5999
trouble
N-cs
וְ/יָג֑וֹן
yâgôwn
H3015
sorrow
Conj | N-ms
וַ/יִּכְל֥וּ
kâlâh
H3615
to end
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp
בְּ/בֹ֖שֶׁת
bôsheth
H1322
shame
Prep | N-fs
יָמָֽ/י
yôwm
H3117
day
N-mp | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Jeremiah 20:18
לָ֤/מָּה
mâh
H4100
"what?"
Prep | Part
This Hebrew word means what or how, often used to ask questions or express surprise, like in Genesis when God asks Adam what he has done. It can also mean why or when, and is used in various ways throughout the Old Testament. It appears in many KJV translations, including how or what.
Definition: interr pron 1) what, how, of what kind 1a) (interrogative) 1a1) what? 1a2) of what kind 1a3) what? (rhetorical) 1a4) whatsoever, whatever, what 1b) (adverb) 1b1) how, how now 1b2) why 1b3) how! (exclamation) 1c) (with prep) 1c1) wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means? 1c2) because of what? 1c3) the like of what? 1c3a) how much?, how many?, how often? 1c3b) for how long? 1c4) for what reason?, why?, to what purpose? 1c5) until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore? indef pron 2) anything, aught, what may
Usage: Occurs in 655 OT verses. KJV: how (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why. See also: Genesis 2:19; Numbers 21:5; 1 Samuel 19:5.
זֶּה֙
zeh
H2088
"this"
Pron
This word is a pronoun meaning this or that, used to point out a specific person or thing. It appears in many contexts, including Genesis and Psalms, to indicate something specific. The KJV translates it as he, here, or it.
Definition: 1) this, this one, here, which, this...that, the one...the other, another, such 1a) (alone) 1a1) this one 1a2) this...that, the one...the other, another 1b) (appos to subst) 1b1) this 1c) (as predicate) 1c1) this, such 1d) (enclitically) 1d1) then 1d2) who, whom 1d3) how now, what now 1d4) what now 1d5) wherefore now 1d6) behold here 1d7) just now 1d8) now, now already 1e) (poetry) 1e1) wherein, which, those who 1f) (with prefixes) 1f1) in this (place) here, then 1f2) on these conditions, herewith, thus provided, by, through this, for this cause, in this matter 1f3) thus and thus 1f4) as follows, things such as these, accordingly, to that effect, in like manner, thus and thus 1f5) from here, hence, on one side...on the other side 1f6) on this account 1f7) in spite of this, which, whence, how
Usage: Occurs in 1061 OT verses. KJV: he, [idiom] hence, [idiom] here, it(-self), [idiom] now, [idiom] of him, the one...the other, [idiom] than the other, ([idiom] out of) the (self) same, such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on that side, [idiom] thus, very, which. Compare H2063 (זֹאת), H2090 (זֹה), H2097 (זוֹ), H2098 (זוּ). See also: Genesis 5:1; Exodus 10:17; Numbers 14:16.
מֵ/רֶ֣חֶם
rechem
H7358
"womb"
Prep | N-ms
This Hebrew word means womb, referring to the place where a fetus grows. It is translated as matrix or womb in the KJV, symbolizing birth and new life. It is a significant concept in biblical culture.
Definition: 1) womb 1a) womb 1b) womb-man, woman-slave, woman, two women
Usage: Occurs in 25 OT verses. KJV: matrix, womb. See also: Genesis 20:18; 1 Samuel 1:6; Psalms 22:11.
יָצָ֔אתִי
yâtsâʼ
H3318
"to come out"
V-Qal-Perf-1cs
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to go out or come out, and it's used in many different ways, like leaving a place or starting a new journey, as seen in Genesis and Exodus.
Definition: : come/go_out/escape 1) to go out, come out, exit, go forth 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go or come out or forth, depart 1a2) to go forth (to a place) 1a3) to go forward, proceed to (to or toward something) 1a4) to come or go forth (with purpose or for result) 1a5) to come out of 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out 1b2) to bring out of 1b3) to lead out 1b4) to deliver 1c) (Hophal) to be brought out or forth
Usage: Occurs in 991 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, [idiom] scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, [idiom] still, [idiom] surely, take forth (out), at any time, [idiom] to (and fro), utter. See also: Genesis 1:12; Exodus 9:33; Leviticus 26:45.
לִ/רְא֥וֹת
râʼâh
H7200
"Provider"
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a
The Hebrew word for provider means to see or look after, and is used to describe God's care for his people. It appears in various forms throughout the Bible, including in Genesis and other books.
Definition: (Lord will) Provide, cause to be seen. This name means to see, look at, inspect, look after
Usage: Occurs in 1206 OT verses. KJV: advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, [idiom] be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), [idiom] sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, [idiom] surely, [idiom] think, view, visions. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 41:41; Exodus 33:13.
עָמָ֖ל
ʻâmâl
H5999
"trouble"
N-cs
This word refers to trouble or hard work that causes worry or pain, whether physical or mental, like the struggles of the Israelites in the book of Exodus.
Definition: 1) toil, trouble, labour 1a) trouble 1b) trouble, mischief 1c) toil, labour
Usage: Occurs in 54 OT verses. KJV: grievance(-vousness), iniquity, labour, mischief, miserable(-sery), pain(-ful), perverseness, sorrow, toil, travail, trouble, wearisome, wickedness. See also: Genesis 41:51; Ecclesiastes 1:3; Psalms 7:15.
וְ/יָג֑וֹן
yâgôwn
H3015
"sorrow"
Conj | N-ms
Yagon refers to a state of sorrow or grief, like the anguish felt after a loss, and is used in the Bible to describe emotional pain.
Definition: grief, sorrow, anguish
Usage: Occurs in 14 OT verses. KJV: grief, sorrow. See also: Genesis 42:38; Isaiah 35:10; Psalms 13:3.
וַ/יִּכְל֥וּ
kâlâh
H3615
"to end"
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp
This Hebrew word means to finish or end something, like completing a task or using up a resource, as seen in Genesis 2:2 where God finished creating the heavens and earth.
Definition: : finish 1) to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be complete, be at an end 1a2) to be completed, be finished 1a3) to be accomplished, be fulfilled 1a4) to be determined, be plotted (bad sense) 1a5) to be spent, be used up 1a6) to waste away, be exhausted, fail 1a7) to come to an end, vanish, perish, be destroyed 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to complete, bring to an end, finish 1b2) to complete (a period of time) 1b3) to finish (doing a thing) 1b4) to make an end, end 1b5) to accomplish, fulfil, bring to pass 1b6) to accomplish, determine (in thought) 1b7) to put an end to, cause to cease 1b8) to cause to fail, exhaust, use up, spend 1b9) to destroy, exterminate 1c) (Pual) to be finished, be ended, be completed
Usage: Occurs in 199 OT verses. KJV: accomplish, cease, consume (away), determine, destroy (utterly), be (when... were) done, (be an) end (of), expire, (cause to) fail, faint, finish, fulfil, [idiom] fully, [idiom] have, leave (off), long, bring to pass, wholly reap, make clean riddance, spend, quite take away, waste. See also: Genesis 2:1; 2 Chronicles 29:17; Psalms 18:38.
בְּ/בֹ֖שֶׁת
bôsheth
H1322
"shame"
Prep | N-fs
The Hebrew word for shame describes a feeling of embarrassment or guilt, and can also refer to something that causes shame. It is used in the Bible to describe feelings of shame or embarrassment, as in Genesis and Psalms.
Definition: 1) shame 1a) shame 1b) shameful thing
Usage: Occurs in 30 OT verses. KJV: ashamed, confusion, [phrase] greatly, (put to) shame(-ful thing). See also: 1 Samuel 20:30; Isaiah 54:4; Psalms 35:26.
יָמָֽ/י
yôwm
H3117
"day"
N-mp | Suff
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Definition: : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow
Usage: Occurs in 1930 OT verses. KJV: age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger. See also: Genesis 1:5; Genesis 33:13; Exodus 23:15.
Study Notes — Jeremiah 20:18
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Jeremiah 20:18 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 20:18
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 20:18
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 20:18
- Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 20:18
- Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 20:18
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Jeremiah 20:18
- Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 20:18
- Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 20:18
- Sermons on Jeremiah 20:18
Context — Jeremiah’s Complaint
16May that man be like the cities that the LORD overthrew without compassion. May he hear an outcry in the morning and a battle cry at noon,
17because he did not kill me in the womb so that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb forever enlarged.
18Why did I come out of the womb to see only trouble and sorrow, and to end my days in shame?
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 3:20 | Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul, |
| 2 | Lamentations 3:1 | I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath. |
| 3 | 1 Peter 4:14–16 | If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Indeed, none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or wrongdoer, or even as a meddler. But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear that name. |
| 4 | Job 14:1 | “Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble. |
| 5 | 1 Corinthians 4:9–13 | For it seems to me that God has displayed us apostles at the end of the procession, like prisoners appointed for death. We have become a spectacle to the whole world, to angels as well as to men. We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored. To this very hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer gently. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. |
| 6 | Psalms 69:19 | You know my reproach, my shame and disgrace. All my adversaries are before You. |
| 7 | Psalms 90:9–10 | For all our days decline in Your fury; we finish our years with a sigh. The length of our days is seventy years— or eighty if we are strong— yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. |
| 8 | Acts 5:41 | The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. |
| 9 | Job 14:13 | If only You would hide me in Sheol and conceal me until Your anger has passed! If only You would appoint a time for me and then remember me! |
| 10 | 2 Timothy 1:12 | For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day. |
Jeremiah 20:18 Summary
Jeremiah 20:18 is a verse where the prophet Jeremiah is feeling very sad and overwhelmed, wondering why he was even born if his life was just going to be filled with trouble and sorrow. He's not just feeling sad, but also feeling ashamed, like his life has been a failure. This verse reminds us that even people who love God, like Jeremiah, can feel deeply sad and struggling, but as we see in Psalms 34:17-18, God is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. We can bring our pain to God, just like Jeremiah, and trust that He will meet us in our darkness and provide comfort, as seen in Matthew 11:28-30.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Jeremiah feeling in this verse?
Jeremiah is expressing deep sadness and despair, feeling that his life has been marked by trouble and sorrow, as seen in Jeremiah 20:18, and wondering why he was even born, similar to the feelings expressed in Job 3:1-10.
Is Jeremiah questioning God's sovereignty?
While Jeremiah's words may seem to question God's sovereignty, they are more an expression of his emotional pain and frustration, as seen in Psalms 42:9, where the psalmist also cries out to God in despair.
How can Jeremiah feel such despair when he is a prophet of God?
Even prophets of God, like Jeremiah, are not immune to feelings of despair and sadness, as seen in 1 Kings 19:1-18, where Elijah also felt like giving up, but God met him in his darkness and provided comfort.
What can we learn from Jeremiah's cry of despair?
We can learn that it's okay to express our emotions to God, even if they are feelings of sadness and despair, as seen in Psalms 51:17, where David pours out his heart to God in repentance and sorrow.
Reflection Questions
- What are some times in my life when I have felt like Jeremiah, feeling only trouble and sorrow, and how did I respond to those feelings?
- How can I, like Jeremiah, bring my emotional pain to God, and what can I expect from Him in response?
- In what ways can I identify with Jeremiah's feelings of shame, and how can I find comfort and forgiveness in God's presence, as seen in Hebrews 4:16?
- What are some ways that I can support and comfort others who may be feeling like Jeremiah, overwhelmed by trouble and sorrow?
Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 20:18
Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow,.... "Labour" in performing his work and office as a prophet; and "sorrow" in suffering reproach, contempt, and persecution for it;
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 20:18
Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 20:18
These words let us know the prophet’ s temptation to these extravagant eruptions of passion; it was the reproach, and shame, and affliction which he endured for the faithful discharge of his ministry; which both lets us see the goodness of God towards those whom he spareth as to these trials, and what need we have under them to keep a watch upon our own hearts. These records also of holy writ are useful to us, if at any time we be overtaken with such errors, to comfort us, in that they are not such spots but have been found in the faces of God’ s fairest ones; and to make us charitable towards such as we may see sometimes overborne with the like temptations.
Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 20:18
Jeremiah 20:18 Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?Ver. 18. Wherefore came I forth, &c.] Passions are a most dangerous and heady water when once they are out. That my days should be consumed with shame?] Why, but a Christian soldier may have a very great arrear. Vincet aliquando pertinax bonitas He will conquer sometimes obstinate goodness.
Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 20:18
(18) Wherefore came I forth . . .?—Like the preceding verse, this is in its tone, almost in its words, an echo of Job 3:11-12; Job 3:20.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Jeremiah 20:18
Verse 18. Wherefore came I forth] It would have been well had I never been born, as I have neither comfort in my life, nor comfort in my work.
Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 20:18
Ch. Jeremiah 20:7-18. The prophet bitterly complains to God of his lot The passage opens to us the depths of the prophet’s soul, and we see him in intimate converse with God, and possessed now by the emotions of despair, and now by confident hope. We have here the thoughts, as Gi. and Co. observe, which may well have occupied his mind when in confinement, and Jeremiah 20:7-13 at any rate are thus closely connected both in time and subject-matter with Jeremiah 20:1-6. As derision was still the prophet’s fate (Jeremiah 20:7), they can hardly be later than the early part of Jehoiakim’s reign, when the hope that danger would be averted was still prevalent. On the other hand Jeremiah 20:14-18 most naturally belong to the latter days of Zedekiah, when the prophet stood alone, hated as the enemy of his people and a traitor to his country. It may be summarized thus. (i) Jeremiah 20:7-10. O Lord, Thou hast beguiled me. My human weakness cannot cope with the Divine strength.
Perforce I utter Thy message, and therefore am become an object of perpetual scorn. Yet that message, whatever I may resolve to the contrary, insists on utterance. Denunciation, craft, revenge—even my intimates employ these weapons against me. (ii) Jeremiah 20:11-13. After all, I have Jehovah on my side. My foes shall be put to perpetual shame. May He, who searches my heart and theirs, grant me to see their discomfiture. Praise be to Him for deliverance. (iii) Jeremiah 20:14-18. Accursed be the day of my birth and he who announced it.
May his doom be terrible as that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Why did he not cut me off from life ere I was born? Wherefore was I, wretched man that I am, given a share in human existence?
Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 20:18
14-18. Cursed be the day, etc. — Violent and unexpected is the contrast of this passage with the preceding.
Sermons on Jeremiah 20:18
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Discouragement by Harmon A. Baldwin | Harmon A. Baldwin discusses the misconception that discouragement is inconsistent with holiness, emphasizing that even the most devout individuals can experience heaviness and depr |
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Freedom by Dai Patterson | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the theme of freedom and liberty. He emphasizes that accepting unfair and wrong things is not necessary, as God can work miracles in our hear |
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The Burden of Hidden Sin by David Wilkerson | David Wilkerson emphasizes the heavy burden of hidden sin as exemplified by King David, whose unconfessed sin led to severe consequences in his health, mind, and spirit. This turmo |
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(1 Peter - Part 30): Suffering in God's Will and Out by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the importance of identifying and understanding adversities in order to better bear them. He emphasizes that humans are naturally afraid of |
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Holy Ground by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of having a vision of Christ rather than just having ideas. He criticizes the preaching in the country today, stating that it |
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Corrie Ten Boom, on Tribulation and Persecution by Corrie Ten Boom | This sermon by Corrie ten Boom emphasizes the role of Christians as overcomers and ambassadors for Christ in a world filled with tribulation and persecution. It highlights the impo |
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The Cross and Eternal Glory - Part 1 by T. Austin-Sparks | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of glory in the foundation of the Christian faith. The New Testament reveals that glory is a central and governing factor in t |