Pashhur smites the prophet and puts him in the stocks at the upper gate of Benjamin — 'Hashem has not called your name Pashhur, but Magor-missabib'; 'His word is in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones'; cursed be the day wherein I was born.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Now Pashhur the son of Immer the priest, who was chief officer in the house of Hashem, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.
verse value 3540
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 62 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "prophesying" (נִבָּ֖א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·he·was·chief·officer" (וְהוּא־פָקִ֥יד, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "son·of·Immer" (בֶּן־אִמֵּ֣ר), "and·he·was·chief·officer" (וְהוּא־פָקִ֥יד). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "the·words" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah); "and·he·heard" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root פשחור ("Pashhur") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע [and·he·heard] (426) + פַּשְׁחוּר֙ [Pashhur] (594) + בֶּן־אִמֵּ֣ר [son·of·Immer] (293) + הַכֹּהֵ֔ן [priest] (80) + וְהוּא־פָקִ֥יד [and·he·was·chief·officer] (212) + נָגִ֖יד [leader] (67) + בְּבֵ֣ית [in·the·house·of] (414) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ [Jeremiah] (672) + נִבָּ֖א [prophesying] (53) + אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים [the·words] (662) + הָאֵֽלֶּה [these] (41) = 3540.
Radak
Pakid. The "negid" is the great "pakid" who is the "negid" over all of them, and the Targum of Jonathan translates it as "memna segan kohana" (the appointed deputy of the priests).
Metzudat David
A steward, a prince. He was an appointed official and a minister in the House of the Lord:
"Jeremiah" refers back to "and he heard":
Then Pashhur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in the house of Hashem.
verse value 5235
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 66 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "him" (אֹת֜וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·the·stocks" (עַל־הַמַּהְפֶּ֗כֶת, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, that. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "upon·the·stocks" (עַל־הַמַּהְפֶּ֗כֶת). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "upon·the·stocks" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·prophet', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 10 words.
Rashi
המהפכת - the name of a place for prisoners. And Targum Yonatan translates it as "to the dome," and in the vernacular it is called "Aruvelo."
Radak
On the matter of ha-mahapeches [the stocks]. Some explain that it is a prison. And my master and father, of blessed memory, explained that it is an instrument made of two pieces of wood, with a neck-hole formed between them, into which the necks of the prisoners are inserted. And Targum Yonatan [renders it] "likhifta" [to the stocks].
At the Upper Gate of Benjamin. This gate was in the portion of Benjamin, for the Temple was partly in the portion of Judah and partly in the portion of Benjamin.
Metzudat David
"HaMahpechet" [the stocks] is the name of a prison.
At the Gate of Benjamin. Thus is the name of the gate called:
The Upper [Gate]. That which stands at the height of the hill:
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashhur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah to him: ‘Hashem has not called your name Pashhur, but Magormissabib.
verse value 5053
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 79 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֤א, 2 letters) and the longest is "Jeremiah" (אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 594: Pashhur, Pashhur. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "from·next·day" (מִֽמׇּחֳרָ֔ת), "from·the·stocks" (מִן־הַמַּהְפָּ֑כֶת), "but·Magor" (אִם־מָג֥וֹר). The root פשחור appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·the·stocks', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 11 words.
Rashi
Magor. Fear:
"Not Pashchur has God called your name, etc." Your name was not called Pashchur except for this reason, namely, 'peshach shachor' [split-black], like a tree that has been split (נפשח); and so too, 'and He has torn me' (Lamentations 3). And so he said to him: "Not Pashchur is your name called," for the term Pashchur implies a great man and a free man - 'pash chur' - but rather, your name is called Pashchur because [it means] 'peshach shachor' [split-black]. Another interpretation: 'pash sachor' - many surround you to kill. And according to this interpretation, 'magor' is an expression of gathering, like "gathered (מגורי) to the sword" (Ezekiel 21:17).
Radak
"Not Pashhur did God call your name." It says 'God called your name' because he considered himself a prophet, claiming that God had called to him [saying] that there would be peace for them. Therefore Jeremiah said to him [in reference to] that which he had prophesied to them falsely. And Jeremiah said to him: You say that God called your name and spoke with you? God did not call you by the name Pashhur, but rather Magor-missabib — you will not be secure, as you claim, but fear shall be upon you from all your surroundings, and it is fitting that your name be called Magor, for terror shall be yours.
Metzudat David
"Not Pashchur, etc." – This means that your name is not called Pashchur except as an indication that you will be surrounded on all sides by assembled armies, for "Pashchur" is like "pash" and "sachor": "pash" denotes multiplication, as in "and his horsemen are multiplied" (Habakkuk 1:8), and "sachor" is the Targumic rendering of "around."
Metzudat Zion
magor. A matter of gathering and collecting, as it says: "He who gathers in summer" (Proverbs 10:5).
Malbim
It is not Pashhur, for that name denotes expansion and freedom; rather, it is Magor-missabib, which is the opposite, as it gathers itself inward due to fear and siege.
For thus says Hashem: Behold, I will make you a terror to thyself, and to all your friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes shall behold it; and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.
verse value 4119
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 99 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֡ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·all·Judah" (וְאֶת־כׇּל־יְהוּדָ֗ה, 10 letters). Words sharing gematria 212: in·sword, in·the·sword. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "for·terror" (לְמָג֜וֹר), "and·to·all·who·love·you" (וּלְכׇל־אֹהֲבֶ֗יךָ), "and·all·Judah" (וְאֶת־כׇּל־יְהוּדָ֗ה). The root נתן appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root בבלה ("to·Babylon") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'are·seeing', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 8 words.
Radak
"For thus says God: I give you over to terror." It should have said, "I give terror to you and to all your friends." Rather, He said to him: In the place where you currently are in your prophecy, [offering] security to you and to all who love you, who trust in the false words that you speak to them — that place shall become for them, instead of security, terror and fear, and you too shall be terrified together with them.
Metzudat David
For terror. For the gathering of the armies:
"To you." I will give you and all who love you:
"And your eyes shall see." When they fall by the sword:
And he shall smite them. Some of them he shall strike with the sword.
Malbim
"I am giving you over to terror" — so that they will hear what was done to you, and they will fear and be afraid; and they will fall by the sword at the time of war. And all of Judah I will give [over], at the time they are conquered. And he will exile them, and there in Babylon he will strike them with the sword. Or, that is to say: he exiled some of them, and struck some of them.
Moreover I will give all the store of this city, and all the gains thereof, and all the wealth thereof, indeed, all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, who shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.
verse value 5652
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 94 letters. Verse gematria: 5652 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "and" (וְאֵ֨ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·all·toil" (וְאֶת־כׇּל־יְגִיעָ֖הּ, 10 letters). Words sharing gematria 68: enemy, and·they·will·spoil·them. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "all·riches" (אֶת־כׇּל־חֹ֙סֶן֙), "and·all·toil" (וְאֶת־כׇּל־יְגִיעָ֖הּ), "and·all·cold" (וְאֶת־כׇּל־יְקָרָ֑הּ). The root נתן appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "kings·of" (root מלך, 253x in Jeremiah); "and·they·will·bring·them" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "and·I·will·give" (root נתן, 141x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root בזז ("and·they·will·spoil·them") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·all·cold', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 11 words.
Rashi
Wealth. Money:
Radak
"And I will give," "choson" [treasure/strength]. It means strength and might, as in, "And the strong one shall become as tow," and "he was strong as the oaks." "Choson" [here] means the good and precious treasure, as also, "they shall take strength and precious things." And likewise its nif'al form, "it shall not be treasured nor stored." Scripture calls the treasure "choson" because the treasure is a person's strength and might in a time of distress.
Metzudat David
“And all that is precious.” All the precious things that are found in it:
"And I will give." Because he lengthened the pause and interrupted, he returned and said "And I will give." And so is the way of Scripture.
Metzudat Zion
Ḥosén. The matter denotes strength, and it is said of wealth that it is strength; likewise, “Ḥosén and yeqár they shall take” (Ezekiel 22:25).
Yegiah. It too is used to refer to wealth that comes through toil and labor:
And they shall plunder them. The language is that of "plundering" and "spoils."
Malbim
“And I will give all their strength”—these are the strong things in the city, such as the fortresses; “and the fruit of their labor”—their silver and gold and their produce; “and their precious things”—precious items such as precious stones and pearls; “and all their treasures”—all the treasures that the kings had stored up. “I will give”—I explain: opposite “all their strength,” it says “I will give,” meaning into the hands of their enemies, so that they may capture the fortresses; and opposite “the fruit of their labor” and “their precious things,” it says “and plunder them,” meaning that the men of war shall plunder them, each for himself; and opposite “the treasures,” it says “and take them,” for they shall be taken into the treasury of the king of Babylon.
And you, Pashhur, and all that dwell in your house shall go into captivity; and you
verse value 7406
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 75 letters. The shortest word is "and·them·of" (וְכֹל֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·all·who·love·you" (וְכׇל־אֹֽהֲבֶ֔יךָ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 346: and·there, and·there. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "your·house" (בֵיתֶ֔ךָ), "you·shall·be·buried" (תִּקָּבֵ֔ר), "and·all·who·love·you" (וְכׇל־אֹֽהֲבֶ֔יךָ). The root אתה appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·you·prophesied" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "you·will·go·in" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "and·them·of" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root בבל ("and·Babylon") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'into·captivity', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 11 words.
Radak
"And you, you and all your lovers." Above, it was stated regarding his lovers that they would fall by the sword of their enemies; yet here it says that they will be buried in Babylonia. This implies that those who escape the sword of Jerusalem will go into the Babylonian exile, and there they will die and be buried. The curse is that they will be buried in a defiled land. Therefore, it says, "and there you shall be buried," for after stating "and there you shall die," it is already known that they will be buried there. Rather, in the manner of a curse, it mentions the burial specifically to indicate that they will be buried in a defiled land. And what it says in each of these verses, "all your lovers," means that many of your lovers will be affected, for the word "all" in this context signifies "many," as in "and all the land came to Egypt," which means many from the land. There are many similar instances.
Metzudat David
"To whom you prophesied." For Pashhur claimed that he was a prophet, and he prophesied falsely.
Malbim
"And there you shall be buried" means that you shall not return, neither in your lifetime nor after death.
O Hashem, You have enticed me, and I was enticed, You have overcome me, and have prevailed; I am become a laughing-stock all the day, Every one mocks me.
verse value 3688
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 49 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִֽי, 2 letters) and the longest is "You·enticed·me" (פִּתִּיתַ֤נִי, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "You·enticed·me" (פִּתִּיתַ֤נִי), "and·I·was·enticed" (וָאֶפָּ֔ת), "you·strengthened·me" (חֲזַקְתַּ֖נִי). The root פתה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "I·was" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "his·them" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root פתה ("You·enticed·me") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root שחוק ("to·laughter") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·prevailed', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: פִּתִּיתַ֤נִי [You·enticed·me] (950) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + וָאֶפָּ֔ת [and·I·was·enticed] (487) + חֲזַקְתַּ֖נִי [you·strengthened·me] (575) + וַתּוּכָ֑ל [and·prevailed] (462) + הָיִ֤יתִי [I·was] (435) + לִשְׂחוֹק֙ [to·laughter] (444) + כׇּל־הַיּ֔וֹם [all·the·day] (111) + כֻּלֹּ֖ה [his·them] (55) + לֹעֵ֥ג [mocks] (103) + לִֽי [to·me] (40) = 3688.
Rashi
"You enticed me." To go forth in your service:
"You overpowered me." You made your strong hand heavy upon me, forcing me to go against my will.
And you prevailed. And you overcame:
All of it. "All the people mock me:"
Radak
“Thou hast beguiled me.” This is because Pashhur struck him and put him in the stocks; in his anguish, Jeremiah cried out, “Violence!” And he said, “O Lord, Thou hast beguiled me,” like one who has been tricked by his companion. For I was restraining myself from Thy mission, saying, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I know not how to speak, for I am a youth.” But Thou hast beguiled me, saying to me, “Say not, ‘I am a youth.’”
"And I was enticed." And I was persuaded by your words.
"You overpowered me and prevailed." You were stronger than I in argument, and you prevailed over me, and I performed your mission; and behold, I became a laughingstock all day, for they mock and deride me.
"Kullo" [all of it] — said of Israel in a general sense. And "אֶפָּת" [I was enticed] is from the nifal conjugation, and in its complete form it would be "אֶפָּתֶה," on the pattern of "אֶבָּנֶה" [I shall be built], with the omission of the final root letter, [so it becomes] "אֶפָּת" — like "תִּגָּל עֶרְוָתֵךְ" [your nakedness shall be uncovered] and "וַיִּקָּר אֱלֹהִים" [and God appeared/befell (Balaam)]. And this matter which Jeremiah spoke was not an improper word against God, but rather words of distress about himself. Therefore, [God] did not count these words in these verses as a sin for him, as He counted as a sin what he said above, "You have been to me like a spring that fails" [Jeremiah 15:18], for that matter was a sinful word against God. Therefore He said to him, "If you return, I will restore you" [Jeremiah 15:19], as we have explained.
Metzudat David
"You have enticed me." You, O Lord, have enticed me, to go on Your mission.
"And I was enticed." I accepted the enticement:
"You have strengthened me." You strengthened me with words, when You said, "Do not fear them" (above, 1:8), and now, with this, You were able to entice me.
"I was for laughter. Now behold, I was for laughter, and they all mock me:"
Metzudat Zion
“פתיתני” (You have seduced me). From the language of seduction and incitement:
And you were able. The language of "ability" ("yecholet"):
Malbim
"You have enticed me, O LORD": That is to say, behold, I did not want to be a prophet. (1) Because I feared that I would become a laughingstock and an object of mockery, since I am a youth; and concerning this, [You] enticed me, as it says, "Do not say, 'I am a youth,'" and I was enticed. (2) Because I feared that if I were not made a laughingstock, their anger would flare against me and they would kill me; and concerning this, [You] strengthened me, as it says, "Do not be afraid of them," and "[You] prevailed." And now, all that I feared has come upon me: as for what I feared — that I would become a laughingstock — I have indeed become a laughingstock all day, and not merely before some of the people, but all of them mock me. And as for what I feared — that they would harm me whenever I spoke — I cry out, [and] I am not, in their eyes, like a madman or a fool at whom people laugh and pay no heed to his words; for at every time I speak a word of prophecy, I must cry out, whether about violence done through money or plunder done to the body. For the word of the Lord has become a reproach to me, because when I speak in the name of the Lord, they think that I myself am saying this, and so they insult me for the words that I say to them.
For as often as I speak, I cry out, I cry: ‘Violence and spoil’; Because the word of Hashem is made A reproach to me, and a derision, all the day.
verse value 2171
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 53 letters. Verse gematria: 2171 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֛י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֥ה, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·call" (אֶקְרָ֑א), "for·it·became" (כִּֽי־הָיָ֨ה), "and·to·derision" (וּלְקֶ֖לֶס). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for·sufficiency" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "I·speak" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·call', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־מִדֵּ֤י [for·sufficiency] (84) + אֲדַבֵּר֙ [I·speak] (207) + אֶזְעָ֔ק [I·cry] (178) + חָמָ֥ס [violence] (108) + וָשֹׁ֖ד [and·destruction] (310) + אֶקְרָ֑א [I·call] (302) + כִּֽי־הָיָ֨ה [for·it·became] (50) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֥ה [the·word·of·Hashem] (232) + לִ֛י [to·me] (40) + לְחֶרְפָּ֥ה [for·a·reproach] (323) + וּלְקֶ֖לֶס [and·to·derision] (226) + כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם [all·the·day] (111) = 2171.
Rashi
"From the time that I shall speak." At every time that I speak to them, I need to cry out and raise my voice, and I do not call to them with good tidings, but rather with prophecies of violence and robbery.
"For the word of the Lord will be to me." Therefore they spoke reproach to me, for they were reviling me.
And "for mockery." And [it is] a term of speech, like "vekalasah" ("a mockery").
Radak
"Ki medi" – "Whenever." Whenever I speak words of prophecy; and similarly, "medi avro" ("whenever he passed"), "medi tzeitam" ("when they went out"), and others like them.
"I cry out" [אזעק]. He says: I cry out and raise my voice to them, to rebuke them; and behold, [when] I cry, "Violence and plunder!" — [this is] because they speak to me words of violence and plunder, until they strike me, and I am forced to cry out "Violence!" over their evil words that they speak to me, for the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and a mockery.
"All the day": All the days that I speak a word of the Lord, it is for me a reproach and a mockery, for they reproach me because of it. And "קֶלֶס" [mockery] means derision and contempt, as in "and a mockery to all the lands" [Ezekiel 22:4]. And the Targum [Yonatan] renders: "For whenever I prophesy I raise my voice in weeping and crying out, and concerning those who are seized and plundered I prophesy; for the word of the Lord has been to me for reproaches and for mockery, all the day."
Metzudat David
"For whenever I speak": Whenever I speak words of prophecy, I cry out against the evil being done to me, and I call out with a voice [lamenting] the violence and robbery that comes upon me because of it.
“to reproach.” They reproach Me all the days because of the matter of prophecy.
Metzudat Zion
Medi. Its meaning is like that of "meti" (i.e., "when"), and similarly, "medi" in the phrase "medi dabri bo" (below, ch. 31).
Chamas. The matter refers to the removal of justice, and it is from the language of "your heels were crushed" (above, 13:22):
And robbery. Oppression of the body:
And to mock. The meaning of "to mock" is like [the verse] "and a mockery to all the lands" (Ezekiel 22:4).
And if I say: ‘I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak any more in His name’, Then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire Shut up in my bones, And I weary myself to hold it in, But cannot.
verse value 4380
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "again" (עוֹד֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·I·will·mention·Him" (לֹֽא־אֶזְכְּרֶ֗נּוּ, 8 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·I·say" (וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י), "not·I·will·mention·Him" (לֹֽא־אֶזְכְּרֶ֗נּוּ), "and·not·I·will·speak" (וְלֹֽא־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·say" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "and·not·I·will·speak" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root עצר ("shut·up") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·my·bones', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Rashi
And I said, "I will not remember Him." And if my heart had told me not to go on His mission anymore:
"And it was in my heart." The prophecy is like a burning fire, and against my will I am compelled to go.
"Stopped in my bones." And "Gathered in my bones is the fire:"
Kalkel. To bear the fire:
Radak
"And I said: If I were to think in my heart that I would no longer remember Him, and would no longer speak in His name, I would not remember Him to them, nor would I speak in His name to them, for I am despised because of Him."
“And it was in my heart like a burning fire.” The word of the Lord was in my heart like a burning fire, that I would strive with all my strength to bring them forth. And likewise, just as if fire were confined within my bones, I would strive to release it with all my strength, so too is the word of the Lord.
"I could not hold it in" [וְנִלְאֵיתִי כַּלְכֵּל]. I was weary of containing it and could not bear it within me, as if it were fire, and I, against my will, bring it out through my lips and speak it to them. And [Scripture] says "burning" [feminine] and says "confined" [masculine], because the word "fire" [אֵשׁ] is found [used] in both the masculine and the feminine — as in "a fire went forth from Heshbon" [Numbers 21:28]; and in another verse both the masculine and the feminine [are used together]: "a fire not blown shall consume him" [Job 20:26]. "כלכל" means bearing/enduring, as in "and who can endure the day of his coming" [Malachi 3:2].
Metzudat David
And I said. Many times I said in my heart: I will not mention the Name of the Lord in their presence with my mouth, nor will I speak any more prophecy in His name.
And it was in my heart. But the prophecy was in my heart like a burning fire, confined within my bones:
And I was weary. I became exhausted and fatigued from bearing the prophecy within me, and I could not restrain myself from not uttering it.
Metzudat Zion
Atzor. It means "gathered" and "assembled," like the phrase "the assembly of traitors" (above, 9):
And I was weary. The matter refers to exhaustion and toil, like "they wearied themselves committing iniquity" (ibid.):
Kalkel. The matter of bearing and sustaining, as it is said, "And who can bear the day of His coming?" (Malachi 3:2).
And I was able. The word is from the language of "ability":
Malbim
And I said, “And by this I concluded in my heart that I would no longer prophesy; I would no longer remember Him—meaning, I would no longer recall from my memory what He had said to me until now; and I would no longer speak in His name for the future; I would no longer go on a mission from Him.” But (contrary to “I would no longer remember Him”), it was in my heart like a devouring fire; (and contrary to “I would no longer speak in His name”), I grew weary of restraining myself and could not help but go on His mission and prophesy.
For I have heard the whispering of many, Terror on every side: ‘Denounce, and we will denounce him’; Even of all my familiar friends, Them that watch for my halting: ‘Perhaps he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, And we shall take our revenge on him.’
verse value 5211
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 84 letters. Notable word values: "against·him" (ל֔וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·we·will·denounce·him" (וְנַגִּידֶ֔נּוּ, 7 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "whispering" (דִּבַּ֣ת), "and·we·will·denounce·him" (וְנַגִּידֶ֔נּוּ), "peace offering" (שְׁלֹמִ֔י). The root נגד appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "I·heard" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah); "all" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root אולי ("perhaps") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·limping', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 7 words.
Rashi
"For I have heard." I said that I would not mention it, because I heard the rumor of many who whisper about me.
Magor. A term denoting gathering; so too [renders] Targum Yonatan.
"Inform." False testimony against him.
"And nagidenu [we will report him]." [Meaning] "and we will testify against him." And Menachem [ibn Saruq] explained "higidu" and "nagidenu" as similar to (Deuteronomy 14) "lo titgodedu" ["you shall not gash yourselves"]; and so he joined to it "lecheilek yagid re'im" ["for a portion, he betrays friends"] (Job 17:5) — a term of destruction, like "gudu ilana" ["cut down the tree"] (Daniel 3). But Dunash interpreted it as the literal language of "telling," and thus is his interpretation: "They told false words about him, and we will report [him] to the king." And we have, like "nagidenu," many words in Scripture whose meaning cannot be determined except by dividing them into two or three words, such as "velo yachlu daboro leshalom" ["and they could not speak to him peaceably"] (Genesis 36) [and] "banai yatz'uni" ["my children have gone out from me"] (above, ch. 10).
"Those who watch for my stumbling." [They are] those who anticipate my downfall.
"Perhaps he will be enticed." To listen to us and be led astray after us.
Radak
“For I have heard the report of many”: [This refers to] the evil speech that they speak about me:
"Terror all around." They terrify me from all around, this one from here and that one from there. And Jonathan translated "מגור" as a term of gathering, [meaning] that they assemble round about — as in "fierce men gather against me" [Psalm 59:4] and "he drags him with his net" [Habakkuk 1:15]. And what do they say about me to one another?
"Tell [a lie] about him, and let us report him." The explanation is: "Tell [a lie] about him" means say a false thing about him, and "let us report him" means we will report him to the king, as it is said, "Go, and let us strike him with the tongue."
"Every person of my peace keeps watch over my missteps." Those whom I thought were people of my peace are keeping watch and waiting to see when I will become lame and stumble in any matter.
"Perhaps he will be enticed and we shall prevail against him." That is, perhaps he will be enticed by our words to eat and drink with us, and we will take our revenge, since we will give him the poison of death to drink. And the Targum renders: "Perhaps he will err [be deceived]."
Metzudat David
For I have heard. Even though I have heard the words of many—an assembly of enemies surrounding me—who say to one another, “Give false testimony against him, and we will bring that matter before the king.”
"Every man": Every individual whom I thought were lovers of me and desirous of my peace—they are waiting for my stumble, to be lame and limping; and this is a matter of rhetoric.
Perhaps he can be enticed. When they said, "Perhaps he can be enticed by our words, and we will be able to ensnare him," they meant that he would utter a statement for which he would be liable to death, and then we would take our revenge upon him.
Metzudat Zion
Dibbat. The matter of speech, and for the most part it is said regarding evil speech, as in "the evil report of the land" (Numbers 13:32).
Megur. The matter of gathering:
Shomerim. The matter of hope and expectation is similar to [the verse] "And his father kept the matter" (Genesis 36).
"צלעי" – the meaning is lame and limping; it is said of stumbling and mishap. Likewise, "ובצלעי שמחו" (Psalms 35:15) – "and they rejoiced at my stumbling."
Yafatah. The term is derived from the root meaning "to seduce" and "to incite."
And we shall be able. The word is from the root of "ability" (yecholet):
Malbim
For I have heard, and besides the fact that they cursed me and pursued me on account of my words of prophecy, they sought to bring a slander against me with false accusations, and not by a single individual, but by the slander of many; and also (the slander) of Magor Missaviv—that is, Pashhur, whom they called by the name Magor Missaviv. B. That they set up false witnesses against me to testify falsely before me, and each one said to his companion, "You tell the slander, and we will tell it," meaning, we will serve as witnesses to declare this before him, before the judges. C. That also all my "supposed friends" are "watching for me to stumble," expecting that I will limp a little, and thereby I will fall. They say to one another, "Let us speak to him in peace to deceive him, so that he will believe us; perhaps he will be seduced into accepting our counsel, and thereby we will overpower him and take our vengeance from him." But, "and the Lord is with me"—the Lord is my sign and banner, and He is depicted on my flag as a mighty, fierce warrior fighting on my behalf to save me. Therefore, my pursuers will stumble and will not be able to do me harm. But they will be ashamed; they must be greatly ashamed, for the shame of the world will never be forgotten, because they committed such a wickedness by bringing slander and testifying falsely.
But Hashem is with me as a mighty warrior; Therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail; They shall be greatly ashamed, because they have not prospered, Even with an everlasting confusion which shall never be forgotten.
verse value 4163
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 68 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "they·regarded" (הִשְׂכִּ֔ילוּ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "awe-inspiring" (עָרִ֔יץ), "disgrace" (כְּלִמַּ֥ת). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for·not" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·will·prevail', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 8 words.
Rashi
"For they did not succeed." They did not succeed in their counsel.
Radak
“And the Lord is with me.” They intend to kill me, yet I shall not fear this, for the Lord has assured me and said to me, “They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you.” And He is with me like a mighty, fierce warrior who will be with me, so that I shall not fear. Or the explanation is: “And He will make me like a mighty, fierce warrior” to stand against them. And the Targum of Jonathan translates: “And the words of the Lord are my support, like a strong man.”
"They shall be greatly ashamed, for they shall not succeed." The matter here is one of success, as in [the verse] "And David was successful [maskil] in all his ways" [1 Samuel 18:14]; and it [the verb] is [written in the] past tense in place of future tense: "They shall be greatly ashamed, for they shall not succeed" — meaning, there shall be shame for them, in that they will not succeed in their deeds and their plans against me. And that shame shall be a disgrace that will not be forgotten, for they shall become a curse in the mouths of men forever.
"And they shall not prevail." [The word] is spelled defectively, lacking the vav which stands in place of the yod, the first radical of the verb, in the written form.
Metzudat David
"And the Lord was with me." Behold, in any case, the Lord was with me for help, like a mighty warrior; therefore, my pursuers stumbled, and they could not do me harm.
"And they were greatly ashamed." They were greatly embarrassed because they had not succeeded in their counsel, and this would be an everlasting disgrace to them, never to be forgotten.
Metzudat Zion
"Me." With me. And likewise, "And I will speak with you" (Ezekiel 2).
"Aritz." Strong, as in "A mighty God, revered" (Psalms 89:8).
"השכילו" – The matter of success, for the successful one appears in the eyes of people as acting with understanding; and similarly it is written, "And David succeeded in all his ways" (I Samuel 18:14).
But, O Hashem of hosts, that try the righteous, That see the reins and the heart, Let me see Your vengeance on them; For to You have I revealed my cause.
verse value 3574
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 57 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "my·cause" (אֶת־רִיבִֽי, 6 letters). The root ראה appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "to·you" (root אל, 204x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיהֹוָ֤ה [and·Hashem] (32) + צְבָאוֹת֙ [hosts] (499) + בֹּחֵ֣ן [testing] (60) + צַדִּ֔יק [just] (204) + רֹאֶ֥ה [seeing] (206) + כְלָי֖וֹת [kidneys] (466) + וָלֵ֑ב [and·heart] (38) + אֶרְאֶ֤ה [I·will·see] (207) + נִקְמָֽתְךָ֙ [your·vengeance] (610) + מֵהֶ֔ם [from·them] (85) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + אֵלֶ֖יךָ [to·you] (61) + גִּלִּ֥יתִי [I·have·revealed] (453) + אֶת־רִיבִֽי [my·cause] (623) = 3574.
Radak
"And the Lord, the Hosts, tests the righteous." One who is righteous in the eyes of human beings—they do not know concerning him whether his inner self is as his outer self. But the Lord, the Hosts, tests him: if his heart in secret is like his deeds in public, He rewards him according to his righteousness; and if not, He exposes him and reveals him before the eyes of men, so that they will know who he is, meaning that they will cause him to stumble through his deeds.
Metzudat David
And the Lord of hosts. And You, O Lord of hosts, who test the righteous to know his deeds, and see the thoughts of the kidneys and the heart; I am confident that in my eyes I shall see Your vengeance upon them.
For unto You. Only to You do I reveal the dispute that they have with me, and I have not revealed it to anyone else to seek help from him.
Metzudat Zion
Bochan. From the language of distinction:
Malbim
"And the Lord of Hosts: Since You examine who is righteous in His judgment, and You also see the thoughts of the heart, and You know my righteousness, and that all the slander they have uttered against me is false, for I have not even entertained in my thought what they accuse me of—then I request that I may witness Your vengeance upon them. For it is not my vengeance for my own honor, but rather for Your honor, for I have revealed my dispute to You; I have disclosed my grievance to You, since it is for the sake of Your honor."
Sing to Hashem, Praise you Hashem; For He has delivered the soul of the needy From the hand of evil-doers.
verse value 2549
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "Hashem" (אֶת־יְהֹוָ֑ה, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "sing" (שִׁ֚ירוּ), "who·delivered" (הִצִּ֛יל), "soul" (אֶת־נֶ֥פֶשׁ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "from·hand·of" (root יד, 98x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: שִׁ֚ירוּ [sing] (516) + לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה [to·Hashem] (56) + הַֽלְל֖וּ [praise] (71) + אֶת־יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (427) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + הִצִּ֛יל [who·delivered] (135) + אֶת־נֶ֥פֶשׁ [soul] (831) + אֶבְי֖וֹן [needy] (69) + מִיַּ֥ד [from·hand·of] (54) + מְרֵעִֽים [companion] (360) = 2549.
Radak
"Sing to the Lord." This refers to the pious ones who were in Jerusalem.
"For He delivered him." This teaches that God revealed to him that he should not eat or drink with them, for they intended to kill him.
Metzudat David
"Sing to the Lord." And now, you men of righteousness, sing to the Lord and praise Him, for He has delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of the evildoers. And he [Jeremiah] said this concerning his own soul:
Metzudat Zion
"Mer'im." Wicked ones.
Malbim
Sing, and in any case, sing of the salvation with which He saved me from their hands, and they were unable to carry out their plot against me.
Cursed be the day Wherein I was born; The day wherein my mother bore me, Let it not be blessed.
verse value 2827
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "in·him" (בּ֑וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "who·bore·me" (אֲשֶׁר־יְלָדַ֥תְנִי, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 56: day, not·let·it·be. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·was·borne" (יֻלַּ֖דְתִּי), "who·bore·me" (אֲשֶׁר־יְלָדַ֥תְנִי), "not·let·it·be" (אַל־יְהִ֥י). The root יום appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "not·let·it·be" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "day" (root יום, 133x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: אָר֣וּר [cursed] (407) + הַיּ֔וֹם [day] (61) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + יֻלַּ֖דְתִּי [I·was·borne] (454) + בּ֑וֹ [in·him] (8) + י֛וֹם [day] (56) + אֲשֶׁר־יְלָדַ֥תְנִי [who·bore·me] (1005) + אִמִּ֖י [my·mother] (51) + אַל־יְהִ֥י [not·let·it·be] (56) + בָרֽוּךְ [Baruch] (228) = 2827.
Rashi
"Cursed be the day on which I was born." Poy, ineynirt, in Old French, means the time of conception. And through a forced act, his father Hilkiah had relations with his wife on the day that he was fleeing from Manasseh, who was killing the prophets; he had relations with his wife and fled.
Radak
"Cursed be the day." From the bitterness of their souls, the righteous will curse the day of their birth, even though the curse will not take effect, for the day has already passed. And so Job said: "Let the day perish on which I was born," and so on. And he elaborated on the matter with different words, saying: "The day that my mother bore me."
Metzudat David
"Cursed be the day." From the bitterness of heart, because many rose up against him, Jeremiah cursed his birth, as is customary in the mouths of those with a harsh fate:
"I was born in it." It is the day of pregnancy that is also attributed to the father, as it is stated: "Listen to your father, who begot you" (Proverbs 23:22).
“Who gave me birth, my mother.” This refers to the day of birth, which is attributed exclusively to the mother.
Malbim
"Cursed be the day" — on the day his mother conceived Jeremiah, Manasseh killed all the prophets of the Lord, and it was a cursed day. This is what the verse means by "Cursed be the day on which I was born," namely, that it was already cursed from before. And the day Jeremiah was born was the Ninth of Av, on which the Temple was destined to be destroyed. And therefore it says that the day of his birth shall not be blessed in the future.
Cursed be the man who brought tidings To my father, saying: ‘A man-child is born to you’; Making him very glad.
verse value 3491
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "son·of" (בֵּ֣ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "father of an individual" (אֶת־אָבִי֙, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "father of an individual" (אֶת־אָבִי֙), "is·born·to·you" (יֻֽלַּד־לְךָ֖), "rejoice" (שַׂמֵּ֖חַ). The root שמח appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "man" (root איש, 153x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root שמח ("rejoice") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'male', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 2 words. Full calculation: אָר֣וּר [cursed] (407) + הָאִ֗ישׁ [man] (316) + אֲשֶׁ֨ר [that] (501) + בִּשַּׂ֤ר [brought·tidings] (502) + אֶת־אָבִי֙ [father of an individual] (414) + לֵאמֹ֔ר [saying] (271) + יֻֽלַּד־לְךָ֖ [is·born·to·you] (94) + בֵּ֣ן [son·of] (52) + זָכָ֑ר [male] (227) + שַׂמֵּ֖חַ [rejoice] (348) + שִׂמְּחָֽהוּ [gladdened·him] (359) = 3491.
Rashi
Sameach. The mem is dagesh, and it is the language of "you will make others rejoice," as he made his father rejoice with the good news.
Radak
"Cursed be the man who told my father..." Although he was cursing out of the bitterness of his soul, one might wonder: how could he curse the messenger? For if the messenger were still alive, the curse would reach him; and perhaps the messenger was a good man, and Jeremiah would have incurred guilt for cursing him. They said that it was known to him that Pashhur, son of Immer, was the messenger.
"He gladdened him with joy." Indeed, he gladdened him when he told him that a male son had been born to him, for people rejoice over a male child and are anxious about a female. And had my father known my fate — that my days would be spent in toil and sorrow — he would not have rejoiced over me.
Metzudat David
"Cursed be the man..." Since, retroactively, the tidings were not good, certainly the messenger was not a good man, for it is the way of a good man to bring good tidings, as it is stated: "This is a good man," and "he shall come with good tidings" (1 Samuel 18).
"He rejoiced with his joy." He said this in astonishment: Was the joy retroactive?
Malbim
"Cursed be the man"—and likewise, the man who brought my father the news [of my birth] was also cursed, for Manasseh killed him because he had brought the news to my father and made him greatly rejoice; therefore he killed him.
And let that man be as the cities Which Hashem overthrew, and repented not; And let him hear a cry in the morning, And an alarm at noontide;
verse value 3872
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 59 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·not" (וְלֹ֣א, 3 letters) and the longest is "that·overthrew" (אֲשֶׁר־הָפַ֥ךְ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: and·it·shall·be, Hashem. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "as·the·cities" (כֶּעָרִ֛ים), "that·overthrew" (אֲשֶׁר־הָפַ֥ךְ), "in·the·morning" (בַּבֹּ֔קֶר). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "that·overthrew" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'relented', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָה֙ [and·it·shall·be] (26) + הָאִ֣ישׁ [man] (316) + הַה֔וּא [that] (17) + כֶּעָרִ֛ים [as·the·cities] (340) + אֲשֶׁר־הָפַ֥ךְ [that·overthrew] (606) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + נִחָ֑ם [relented] (98) + וְשָׁמַ֤ע [and·hear] (416) + זְעָקָה֙ [cry] (182) + בַּבֹּ֔קֶר [in·the·morning] (304) + וּתְרוּעָ֖ה [and·shouting] (687) + בְּעֵ֥ת [in·time·of] (472) + צׇהֳרָֽיִם [noon] (345) = 3872.
Rashi
Like the cities that He overthrew: Sodom and Gomorrah.
And He did not relent. From the time that He decreed their destruction, He did not entertain any other thought to revoke His decree.
Radak
"And it shall be, and He shall hear a cry in the morning." The cry is from his relatives and his beloved ones in the morning, that is, at the beginning of the day; and thus he will hear it continually until the time of noon. And likewise from then on throughout the day, except that noon is mentioned because the light increases from the morning until the time of noon, and his curse will be increasing and growing, for the shout (teru'ah) is greater than the cry. And the shout will be for joy, as it is said: "There shall be no singing, nor shall there be shouting" [Isaiah 16:10] — [and conversely,] "they shout for joy, they also sing" [Psalms 65:14]. And it will be for mourning and sorrow, as it is said: "Why do you cry out aloud?" [Micah 4:9]. And likewise, "and a shout at the time of noon."
Metzudat David
"And let that man be." This refers to the messenger.
“Like the cities, etc.”—These are Sodom and its companions.
"And He did not relent." Once the decree of their overthrow was pronounced, He did not entertain any other thought to revoke the decree.
And he shall hear. This messenger will hear from his loved ones the cry of distress and the shout of lamentation.
Metzudat Zion
Nicham. The matter is the opposite of thought:
And a cry. The matter of a cry of lamentation is like [the expression] "his soul trembles for him" (Isaiah 15:4).
Malbim
And it came to pass, this man was like the cities which the Lord overthrew; so he and all that he had were destroyed by Manasseh. And he heard the sound of an outcry in the morning; then they took him to the prison and judged him. And a trumpet-blast at noontime—they sounded the shofar, and a proclamation went forth to put him to death. The reason Manasseh killed him was that he had not caused me to die from the womb: since he knew that I had been conceived, and did not inform the king so that he might cause me to die from the womb through a potion that he would give to my mother to make her miscarry the child, for Manasseh did not want any seed of the prophets of the Lord to remain.
Because He slew me not from the womb; And so my mother would have been my grave, And her womb always great.
verse value 3560
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֥ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·He·slew·me" (לֹא־מוֹתְתַ֖נִי, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "not·He·slew·me" (לֹא־מוֹתְתַ֖נִי), "and·would·have·been·to·me" (וַתְּהִי־לִ֤י), "my·grave" (קִבְרִ֔י). The root רחם appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "and·would·have·been·to·me" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "not·He·slew·me" (root מות, 64x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·the·womb', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + לֹא־מוֹתְתַ֖נִי [not·He·slew·me] (937) + מֵרָ֑חֶם [from·the·womb] (288) + וַתְּהִי־לִ֤י [and·would·have·been·to·me] (461) + אִמִּי֙ [my·mother] (51) + קִבְרִ֔י [my·grave] (312) + וְרַחְמָ֖הֿ [and·her·womb] (259) + הֲרַ֥ת [pregnant] (605) + עוֹלָֽם [ever] (146) = 3560.
Rashi
That the Angel of Death did not kill me from the womb, and this is one of the scriptural verses that are concise in speech:
"Her womb big [with me] for all time." [I.e.,] an everlasting pregnancy.
Radak
"Who did not kill me from the womb." [The word] motetani is from a quadriliteral construction. It is said of a person — [meaning,] why did he not kill him before he came out of the womb? Or it is said of God, just as Job said, "for He did not shut the doors of my womb" [Job 3:10].
"And my mother shall be my tomb." This means that if he had killed me before I emerged from the womb, my mother would have been my tomb.
"And her womb was pregnant forever." [As for] my mother's womb — why was there not for me an eternal pregnancy, [remaining] from myself [in her forever]? [The word] 'harah' (pregnant), in construct, becomes 'harat' — like [how] 'shanah' (year) [becomes] 'shenat' in 'shenat shilumim' (year of recompense), [and] 'safah' (lip/bank) [becomes] 'sefat' in 'sefat ha-ye'or' (bank of the Nile). And in his saying 'harat,' [which is] a feminine form, while 'rechem' (womb) is, by comparison, a masculine form — the sense of the feminine forms refers to the mother: that she would be eternally pregnant on my account, so that I would be forever in her womb.
Metzudat David
"Who did not cause me to die from the womb." This means: For this reason I curse the day of my birth and the messenger who announced it. For why did He, who had the power to kill me, not cause me to die while I was still in the womb? In that case, my mother would have been my grave for a time, and her womb would have remained my gestation forever, until death.
Metzudat Zion
“From the womb.” It is the place of the child.
הרת. The word denotes pregnancy.
Wherefore came I forth out of the womb To see labour and sorrow, That my days should be consumed in shame?
verse value 2574
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 39 letters. Verse gematria: 2574 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "this" (זֶּה֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·went·out" (יָצָ֔אתִי, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 75: why, and·grief. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·went·out" (יָצָ֔אתִי), "toil" (עָמָ֖ל), "and·grief" (וְיָג֑וֹן). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·days" (root יום, 133x in Jeremiah); "this" (root זה, 123x in Jeremiah); "I·went·out" (root יצא, 73x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·grief', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: לָ֤מָּה [why] (75) + זֶּה֙ [this] (12) + מֵרֶ֣חֶם [from·womb] (288) + יָצָ֔אתִי [I·went·out] (511) + לִרְא֥וֹת [to·see] (637) + עָמָ֖ל [toil] (140) + וְיָג֑וֹן [and·grief] (75) + וַיִּכְל֥וּ [and·were·spent] (72) + בְּבֹ֖שֶׁת [in·shame·of] (704) + יָמָֽי [my·days] (60) = 2574.
Rashi
"Toil and grief." The destruction of the Temple.
Radak
"Why is this?" It is clear, and likewise the passage following it is clear.
Metzudat David
"Why did I come out from the womb?" This means: Why did I come out on my own accord, in the manner of one who is born alive?
"To see toil and sorrow." This birth of mine was for my harm, to see toil and sorrow; and behold, my days are ended in shame, for every day those who rise against me put me to shame.
Metzudat Zion
Amal. The meaning is toil:
"And they were finished." The word is from the root of destruction.
Malbim
"Why is this"—this is Jeremiah concluding [his lament]: if so, if already the arrows of the evil of the battle-array have sunk into me from the time I was formed in the belly, why did I come out from the womb, to be destined for a multitude of tribulations?
Radak
Metzudat David