Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.
Parallel translations
- WEB Cursed is the man who brought news to my father, saying, “A boy is born to you,” making him very glad.
- BSB Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, saying, “A son is born to you,” bringing him great joy.
- NKJV Let the man be cursed Who brought news to my father, saying, “A male child has been born to you!” Making him very glad.
- NASB Cursed be the man who brought the news To my father, saying, “A boy has been born to you!” And made him very happy.
- NLT I curse the messenger who told my father, “Good news—you have a son!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
In his anguish Jeremiah curses the messenger who once announced his birth, wishing the news had never gladdened his father. It shows how deep the prophet's despair had become.
Overview
Still in his lament, Jeremiah turns from cursing the day of his birth to cursing the man who brought the joyful birth announcement. This is the language of overwhelmed grief, not a careful theological judgment, and it candidly records a faithful servant pushed to the edge by the cost of obedience. Scripture does not hide such raw cries; like the psalms of lament, they show that God welcomes honest sorrow, and they point ahead to the Man of Sorrows who in Gethsemane likewise poured out his distress to the Father.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Luke 1:14And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
- Jer 1:5Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
- Gen 21:5–6And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 20:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.