One in authority heard Jeremiah's prophecy of evil to come (verse 1). Like others of whom we read, whose position Would lead us to expect piety, a good conscience, the fear of God (see, for example, Matthew 26:6969Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. (Matthew 26:69) and following), Pashur, the son of lmmer, the priest and chief officer in the house of Jehovah, was a tool of Satan and a wicked man,
For Jeremiah's faithfulness to God he was rewarded (by religious man) with smiting, and put in the stocks,—a wooden frame in which the feet, hands and neck of a culprit were held, not only tightly but also painfully. There he stayed until the next day, when Pashur brought him out; fearlessly the prophet then spoke to his captor: "Jehovah hath not called thy name Pashur" (which is thought to mean "free"), "but Magormissabib" (meaning "terror on every side");—gave him a message from God, telling him that in the fearful days to come he was to become a terror to himself and to all his friends; they should fall by the sword of their enemies and he would see it. God would give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, who Would carry them captive into Babylon, and smite them with the sword. All the wealth of Jerusalem, its gains, its precious things, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah, were going to Babylon as the spoil of their enemies. Pashur and his household were going into captivity, to Babylon, there to die and be buried with the friends to whom he had prophesied falsehood.
This was, perhaps, the first disclosure by God through Jeremiah that Babylon was the power that was to overcome Judah and empty the city both of wealth and inhabitants, transporting all to the distant city on the lower Euphrates. Jeremiah's prophecies are not distinguished in many case by marks of time, but it seems likely, hat this experience with the temple officer was not early in his course, but occurred not long before the final siege of the city, The next chapter, at least, has to do with that time.
We hear no more of this Pashur; another person of the same name appears in chapters 21 and 38, but not as a companion or friend of Jeremiah. As for the prophet, he was deeply affected by what befell him, and verses 7-18 tell the thoughts that occupied him at this time.
"Deceived" (verse 7) is not quite the meaning of the Hebrew word in the original, but rather "enticed." Jehovah had brought His servant into the path of trouble where he found himself; it was not Jeremiah's choice, but plainly God's doing. He does not blame God for his sufferings (which, in point of fact, were to become much more intense) , but the circumstances made him lay his burden before his Master above.
He had intended to be silent, because his proclaiming violence and spoil only brought him reproach and derision, but he could not cease from testifying. He beard What many were saying; saw that those with whom he was familiar were watching his course, hoping to take revenge upon him. "But," said he, "Jehovah is with me as a mighty, terrible One therefore my persecutors shall stumble and shall not prevail . . . “ Thus was the prophet sustained in trial, as many another of God': servants has been in circumstances of the same character, finding strength and rest in waiting upon Him.
Jeremiah looks to God, "Who tries the righteous, Who sees the reins (the motives) and the heart," to execute vengeance upon his persecutors; this desire foreign to the Christian who has Christ as his example, will be according to the mind of God. When the present day of grace is over, as before remarked. in anticipation of that day of deliverance for the righteous, Jeremiah's thoughts turn to a song of praise to Jehovah.
Nevertheless, the present grief greatly burdens the much tried prophet's soul, He speaks like Job amid the calamities that befell that saint; we cannot wonder at his anguish; his godly fear, his love for his people and desire to turn them from the evil upon which they were fully bent, and his faithfulness. to God in delivering His word to them, had brought upon him all this suffering. Further, unlike the Christian, he had not the full knowledge of God's grace, nor was he indwelt by the Holy Spirit Who leads the Christian in trial to such feelings as are expressed in Romans 8:35-3935Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35‑39) and 2 Corinthians 4.