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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Jeremiah 20:17 because he did not kill me in the womb so that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb forever enlarged.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/20-17.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/20/24_Jer_20_17.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Jeremiah 20:17 - Jeremiah's Complaint" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="because he did not kill me in the womb so that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb forever enlarged." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/jeremiah/20-17.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/jeremiah/20-17.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/jeremiah/">Jeremiah</a> > <a href="/jeremiah/20.htm">Chapter 20</a> > Verse 17</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad17.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/jeremiah/20-16.htm" title="Jeremiah 20:16">◄</a> Jeremiah 20:17 <a href="/jeremiah/20-18.htm" title="Jeremiah 20:18">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/20.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/jeremiah/20.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />For he did not kill me in the womb, with my mother as my grave, her womb enlarged forever.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/jeremiah/20.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />because he did not kill me at birth. Oh, that I had died in my mother’s womb, that her body had been my grave!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/jeremiah/20.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />because he did not kill me in the womb; so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb forever great.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/20.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />because he did not kill me in the womb so that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb forever enlarged.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/jeremiah/20.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb <i>to be</i> always great <i>with me</i>.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/jeremiah/20.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />Because he did not kill me from the womb, That my mother might have been my grave, And her womb always enlarged <i>with me.</i><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/jeremiah/20.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />Because he did not kill me before birth, So that my mother would have been my grave, And her womb forever pregnant.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/jeremiah/20.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />Because he did not kill me before birth, So that my mother would have been my grave, And her womb ever pregnant.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/jeremiah/20.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />Because he did not kill me before birth, So that my mother would have been my grave, And her womb ever pregnant.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/jeremiah/20.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Because he did not put me to death from the womb, So that my mother would have been my grave, And her womb ever pregnant.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/jeremiah/20.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />Because he did not kill me before my birth, So that my mother might have been my grave, And her womb always pregnant.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/jeremiah/20.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />because he didn’t kill me in the womb so that my mother might have been my grave, her womb eternally pregnant.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/jeremiah/20.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />because he didn&#8217t kill me in the womb so that my mother might have been my grave, her womb eternally pregnant. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/jeremiah/20.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />because he slew me not from the womb; and so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb always great.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/jeremiah/20.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />He deserves to die for not killing me before I was born. Then my mother's body would have been my grave. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/jeremiah/20.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />because he slew me not from the womb; and so my mother should have been my grave, and her womb always great.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/jeremiah/20.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />If only he had killed me while I was in the womb. Then my mother would have been my grave, and she would have always been pregnant.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/jeremiah/20.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />for not killing me before I was born. Then my mother's womb would have been my grave. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/jeremiah/20.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />because he didn't kill me in the womb, so that my mother would have been my grave and her womb forever pregnant.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/jeremiah/20.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />because he did not kill me in the womb so that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb forever enlarged.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/jeremiah/20.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />For he did not kill me before I came from the womb, making my pregnant mother's womb my grave forever. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/jeremiah/20.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />because he did not kill me from the womb; and so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb always great.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/jeremiah/20.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Because he slew me not at my birth; or that my mother might have been my grave, and she had not been delivered.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/jeremiah/20.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />because he didn’t kill me from the womb. So my mother would have been my grave, and her womb always great. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/jeremiah/20.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />Because he has not put me to death from the womb, "" And my mother is to me—my grave, "" And her womb [is] a perpetual pregnancy.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/jeremiah/20.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> Because he hath not put me to death from the womb, And my mother is to me -- my grave, And her womb a pregnancy age-during.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/jeremiah/20.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />Because he killed me not from the womb, and my mother will be to me my grave, and her womb pregnant forever.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/jeremiah/20.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Who slew me not from the womb, that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb an everlasting conception. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/jeremiah/20.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />So let him be, who did not put me to death from the womb, so that my mother would have been my sepulcher, and her womb would have been my eternal resting place!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/jeremiah/20.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />because he did not kill me in the womb! Then my mother would have been my grave, her womb confining me forever. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/jeremiah/20.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />because he did not kill me in the womb; so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb forever great.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/jeremiah/20.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Because he did not slay me in the womb, so that my mother might have been my grave, and my conception would have remained in the womb for ever.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/jeremiah/20.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Because he did not put me to death in the womb, and my mother would have been to me but a tomb, and my conception would have been in the womb forever!<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/jeremiah/20.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Because He slew me not from the womb; And so my mother would have been my grave, And her womb always great.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/jeremiah/20.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />because he slew me not in the womb, and my mother became not my tomb, and her womb always great with me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/jeremiah/20-17.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5k55c51ZGhs?start=6010" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/20.htm">Jeremiah's Complaint</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">16</span>May 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, <span class="reftext">17</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/834.htm" title="834: ’ă·šer (Pro-r) -- Who, which, that. A primitive relative pronoun; who, which, what, that; also when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.">because</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō- (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">he did not</a> <a href="/hebrew/4191.htm" title="4191: mō·wṯ·ṯa·nî (V-Piel-Perf-3ms:: 1cs) -- To die. A primitive root: to die; causatively, to kill.">kill me</a> <a href="/hebrew/7358.htm" title="7358: mê·rā·ḥem (Prep-m:: N-ms) -- Womb. From racham; the womb.">in the womb</a> <a href="/hebrew/517.htm" title="517: ’im·mî (N-fsc:: 1cs) -- A mother. A primitive word; a mother; in a wide sense (like 'ab).">so that my mother</a> <a href="/hebrew/1961.htm" title="1961: wat·tə·hî- (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3fs) -- To fall out, come to pass, become, be. A primitive root; to exist, i.e. Be or become, come to pass.">might have been</a> <a href="/hebrew/lî (Prep:: 1cs) -- "></a> <a href="/hebrew/6913.htm" title="6913: qiḇ·rî (N-msc:: 1cs) -- A grave, sepulcher. Or qibrah; from qabar; a sepulchre.">my grave,</a> <a href="/hebrew/7358.htm" title="7358: wə·raḥ·māh (Conj-w:: N-msc:: 3fs) -- Womb. From racham; the womb.">and her womb</a> <a href="/hebrew/5769.htm" title="5769: ‘ō·w·lām (N-ms) -- Long duration, antiquity, futurity. ">forever</a> <a href="/hebrew/2030.htm" title="2030: hă·raṯ (Adj-fsc) -- Pregnant. Or hariy; from harah; pregnant.">enlarged.</a> </span><span class="reftext">18</span>Why did I come out of the womb to see only trouble and sorrow, and to end my days in shame?…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/3-3.htm">Job 3:3-11</a></span><br />“May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is conceived.’ / If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it. / May darkness and gloom reclaim it, and a cloud settle over it; may the blackness of the day overwhelm it. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/10-18.htm">Job 10:18-19</a></span><br />Why then did You bring me from the womb? Oh, that I had died, and no eye had seen me! / If only I had never come to be, but had been carried from the womb to the grave.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/3-16.htm">Job 3:16</a></span><br />Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ecclesiastes/6-3.htm">Ecclesiastes 6:3-5</a></span><br />A man may father a hundred children and live for many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he is unsatisfied with his prosperity and does not even receive a proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. / For a stillborn child enters in futility and departs in darkness, and his name is shrouded in obscurity. / The child, though neither seeing the sun nor knowing anything, has more rest than that man,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/139-13.htm">Psalm 139:13-16</a></span><br />For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. / I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. / My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/49-1.htm">Isaiah 49:1</a></span><br />Listen to Me, O islands; pay attention, O distant peoples: The LORD called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/44-24.htm">Isaiah 44:24</a></span><br />Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by Myself spread out the earth,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/22-9.htm">Psalm 22:9-10</a></span><br />Yet You brought me forth from the womb; You made me secure at my mother’s breast. / From birth I was cast upon You; from my mother’s womb You have been my God.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/71-6.htm">Psalm 71:6</a></span><br />I have leaned on You since birth; You pulled me from my mother’s womb. My praise is always for You.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/10-8.htm">Job 10:8-12</a></span><br />Your hands shaped me and altogether formed me. Would You now turn and destroy me? / Please remember that You molded me like clay. Would You now return me to dust? / Did You not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese? ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/26-24.htm">Matthew 26:24</a></span><br />The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed. It would be better for him if he had not been born.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/23-29.htm">Luke 23:29</a></span><br />Look, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/24-19.htm">Matthew 24:19</a></span><br />How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/13-17.htm">Mark 13:17</a></span><br />How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/21-23.htm">Luke 21:23</a></span><br />How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.</p><p class="hdg">he slew.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/3-10.htm">Job 3:10,11,16</a></b></br> Because it shut not up the doors of my <i>mother's</i> womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/10-18.htm">Job 10:18,19</a></b></br> Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me! … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/ecclesiastes/6-3.htm">Ecclesiastes 6:3</a></b></br> If a man beget an hundred <i>children</i>, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also <i>that</i> he have no burial; I say, <i>that</i> an untimely birth <i>is</i> better than he.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/jeremiah/18-16.htm">Age-During</a> <a href="/jeremiah/12-2.htm">Always</a> <a href="/jeremiah/20-14.htm">Birth</a> <a href="/jeremiah/20-6.htm">Body</a> <a href="/jeremiah/20-15.htm">Child</a> <a href="/jeremiah/19-6.htm">Death</a> <a href="/jeremiah/20-13.htm">Delivered</a> <a href="/isaiah/60-5.htm">Enlarged</a> <a href="/jeremiah/17-25.htm">Forever</a> <a href="/jeremiah/5-16.htm">Grave</a> <a href="/jeremiah/16-16.htm">Great</a> <a href="/jeremiah/20-4.htm">Kill</a> <a href="/jeremiah/6-9.htm">Last</a> <a href="/jeremiah/20-14.htm">Mother</a> <a href="/isaiah/50-1.htm">Mother's</a> <a href="/hosea/9-11.htm">Pregnancy</a> <a href="/isaiah/26-18.htm">Pregnant</a> <a href="/jeremiah/16-6.htm">Resting-Place</a> <a href="/isaiah/66-3.htm">Slew</a> <a href="/jeremiah/1-5.htm">Womb</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/jeremiah/23-40.htm">Age-During</a> <a href="/jeremiah/32-39.htm">Always</a> <a href="/jeremiah/22-10.htm">Birth</a> <a href="/jeremiah/20-18.htm">Body</a> <a href="/jeremiah/30-6.htm">Child</a> <a href="/jeremiah/21-6.htm">Death</a> <a href="/jeremiah/32-4.htm">Delivered</a> <a href="/2_corinthians/6-11.htm">Enlarged</a> <a href="/jeremiah/25-5.htm">Forever</a> <a href="/ezekiel/31-15.htm">Grave</a> <a href="/jeremiah/21-5.htm">Great</a> <a href="/jeremiah/29-21.htm">Kill</a> <a href="/jeremiah/32-14.htm">Last</a> <a href="/jeremiah/22-26.htm">Mother</a> <a href="/jeremiah/20-18.htm">Mother's</a> <a href="/hosea/9-11.htm">Pregnancy</a> <a href="/hosea/13-16.htm">Pregnant</a> <a href="/jeremiah/23-3.htm">Resting-Place</a> <a href="/jeremiah/26-23.htm">Slew</a> <a href="/jeremiah/20-18.htm">Womb</a><div class="vheading2">Jeremiah 20</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/20-1.htm">Pashur, smiting Jeremiah, receives a new name, and a fearful doom.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">7. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/20-7.htm">Jeremiah complains of contempt;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">10. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/20-10.htm">of treachery;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">14. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/20-14.htm">and of his birth.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/jeremiah/20.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/jeremiah/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/jeremiah/20.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>because he did not kill me in the womb</b><br>This phrase reflects Jeremiah's deep despair and anguish. In the context of Jeremiah's life, he faced intense persecution and rejection for his prophetic messages. The idea of being killed in the womb is a hyperbolic expression of wishing he had never been born, similar to Job's lament in <a href="/job/3-11.htm">Job 3:11</a>. This reflects the cultural understanding of life beginning at conception, a view consistent with other biblical passages such as <a href="/psalms/139-13.htm">Psalm 139:13-16</a>, which speaks of God's involvement in the formation of life in the womb.<p><b>so that my mother might have been my grave</b><br>Here, Jeremiah uses vivid imagery to express his wish that his life had ended before it began. The concept of the womb as a grave is a powerful metaphor, indicating a desire for non-existence rather than enduring suffering. This reflects the ancient Near Eastern view of the womb as a place of both life and potential death, as childbirth was fraught with danger. Theologically, it underscores the tension between the sanctity of life and the reality of human suffering.<p><b>and her womb forever enlarged</b><br>This phrase suggests a perpetual state of pregnancy, which in the context of Jeremiah's lament, symbolizes unending sorrow and unfulfilled potential. In ancient cultures, barrenness or perpetual pregnancy could be seen as a curse or a sign of divine displeasure. The imagery here contrasts with the blessing of children as described in passages like <a href="/psalms/127-3.htm">Psalm 127:3-5</a>. It also highlights the depth of Jeremiah's despair, as he feels trapped in a cycle of pain and unrelenting burden, much like the unending labor pains described in <a href="/genesis/3-16.htm">Genesis 3:16</a> as part of the curse after the Fall.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/j/jeremiah.htm">Jeremiah</a></b><br>The prophet who is expressing his deep anguish and despair in this passage. Known for his role as a prophet during a tumultuous time in Judah's history, he often faced persecution and rejection.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_womb.htm">The Womb</a></b><br>Symbolically represents the place of life and potential, yet here it is depicted as a place of death and despair in Jeremiah's lament.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/j/jeremiah's_mother.htm">Jeremiah's Mother</a></b><br>While not named, she is referenced as part of Jeremiah's lament, symbolizing the source of life that could have been his grave.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/j/judah.htm">Judah</a></b><br>The southern kingdom of Israel, where Jeremiah prophesied. The nation was facing impending judgment and exile due to its disobedience to God.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/g/god.htm">God</a></b><br>The ultimate authority in Jeremiah's life, who called him to be a prophet and whose plans and purposes are central to the account.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_reality_of_despair.htm">The Reality of Despair</a></b><br>Jeremiah's words remind us that even the most faithful servants of God can experience deep despair and anguish. It is important to acknowledge and address these feelings rather than suppress them.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_sanctity_of_life.htm">The Sanctity of Life</a></b><br>Despite Jeremiah's lament, the passage indirectly affirms the value and sanctity of life, as it reflects the deep struggle and significance of existence.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty_and_purpose.htm">God's Sovereignty and Purpose</a></b><br>Even in moments of despair, believers are encouraged to trust in God's overarching plan and purpose for their lives, as seen throughout Scripture.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_power_of_lament.htm">The Power of Lament</a></b><br>Lament is a biblical way to process pain and suffering. It allows believers to bring their deepest emotions before God, trusting in His understanding and compassion.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_beyond_despair.htm">Hope Beyond Despair</a></b><br>While Jeremiah expresses a wish for death, the broader account of Scripture points to hope and redemption, encouraging believers to seek God's presence and promises in times of trouble.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_jeremiah_20.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Jeremiah 20</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_is_the_lord's_guidance.htm">What is Ashkelon's biblical significance?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_does_culture_shape_church_beliefs.htm">Is abortion ever not considered a sin?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_is_john_11's_miracle_unique_to_john.htm">Why does this major miracle only appear in John and not in the other Gospels (John 11)?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_oppose_abortion_if_bible_is_silent.htm">Why are Christians against abortion when the Bible never explicitly condemns it?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/jeremiah/20.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(17) <span class= "bld">Because he slew me not . . .</span>--The wish that he had never been born is uttered by the prophet in strange, bold language. It would have been better that the messenger that told that he was born had slain him before his birth, that his mother's womb had been his grave, that she had never had strength to bring him forth. Thought, structure, even grammar are, in their abruptness and irregularities, alike significant of intense emotion.<p><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/jeremiah/20-17.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">because</span><br /><span class="heb">אֲשֶׁ֥ר</span> <span class="translit">(’ă·šer)</span><br /><span class="parse">Pronoun - relative<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_834.htm">Strong's 834: </a> </span><span class="str2">Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that</span><br /><br /><span class="word">he did not</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹא־</span> <span class="translit">(lō-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">kill me</span><br /><span class="heb">מוֹתְתַ֖נִי</span> <span class="translit">(mō·wṯ·ṯa·nî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4191.htm">Strong's 4191: </a> </span><span class="str2">To die, to kill</span><br /><br /><span class="word">in the womb</span><br /><span class="heb">מֵרָ֑חֶם</span> <span class="translit">(mê·rā·ḥem)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7358.htm">Strong's 7358: </a> </span><span class="str2">The womb </span><br /><br /><span class="word">so that my mother</span><br /><span class="heb">אִמִּי֙</span> <span class="translit">(’im·mî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_517.htm">Strong's 517: </a> </span><span class="str2">A mother, )</span><br /><br /><span class="word">might have been</span><br /><span class="heb">וַתְּהִי־</span> <span class="translit">(wat·tə·hî-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1961.htm">Strong's 1961: </a> </span><span class="str2">To fall out, come to pass, become, be</span><br /><br /><span class="word">my grave,</span><br /><span class="heb">קִבְרִ֔י</span> <span class="translit">(qiḇ·rî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6913.htm">Strong's 6913: </a> </span><span class="str2">A grave, sepulcher</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and her womb</span><br /><span class="heb">וְרַחְמָ֖הֿ</span> <span class="translit">(wə·raḥ·māh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7358.htm">Strong's 7358: </a> </span><span class="str2">The womb </span><br /><br /><span class="word">forever</span><br /><span class="heb">עוֹלָֽם׃</span> <span class="translit">(‘ō·w·lām)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5769.htm">Strong's 5769: </a> </span><span class="str2">Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always</span><br /><br /><span class="word">enlarged.</span><br /><span class="heb">הֲרַ֥ת</span> <span class="translit">(hă·raṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adjective - feminine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2030.htm">Strong's 2030: </a> </span><span class="str2">Pregnant</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/jeremiah/20-17.htm">Jeremiah 20:17 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/jeremiah/20-17.htm">Jeremiah 20:17 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/jeremiah/20-17.htm">Jeremiah 20:17 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/jeremiah/20-17.htm">Jeremiah 20:17 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/jeremiah/20-17.htm">Jeremiah 20:17 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/jeremiah/20-17.htm">Jeremiah 20:17 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/jeremiah/20-17.htm">Jeremiah 20:17 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/jeremiah/20-17.htm">Jeremiah 20:17 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/jeremiah/20-17.htm">Jeremiah 20:17 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/jeremiah/20-17.htm">Jeremiah 20:17 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/jeremiah/20-17.htm">OT Prophets: Jeremiah 20:17 Because he didn't kill me (Jer.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/jeremiah/20-16.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Jeremiah 20:16"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Jeremiah 20:16" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/jeremiah/20-18.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Jeremiah 20:18"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Jeremiah 20:18" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>