Jeremiah’s Fifth Confession (Jeremiah 18:18–23)
The Text: Jeremiah 18:18–23
18 Then they said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah — for instruction shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us bring charges against him,1 and let us not heed any of his words.”
19 Give heed to me, O LORD, and listen to what my adversaries say!
20 Is evil a recompense for good? Yet they have dug a pit for my life. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.
21 Therefore give their children over to famine; hurl them out to the power of the sword, let their wives become childless and widowed. May their men meet death by pestilence, their youths be slain by the sword in battle.
22 May a cry be heard from their houses, when you bring the marauder suddenly upon them! For they have dug a pit to catch me, and laid snares for my feet.
23 Yet you, O LORD, know all their plotting to kill me. Do not forgive their iniquity, do not blot out their sin from your sight. Let them be tripped up before you; deal with them while you are angry.
Introduction to the Confession
Jeremiah’s fifth confession is one of the most personal and emotionally intense texts in prophetic literature. This prayer to God reveals Jeremiah’s internal struggles with his commission of delivering an unpopular message of judgment to the people of Judah. Of all the six confessions of Jeremiah, the fifth confession is the most troubling because Jeremiah asks God to bring vengeance against his enemies.
The fifth confession reveals how the rejection and the threats on his life affected Jeremiah in a personal and spiritual way. As Jeremiah comes before God in prayer, Jeremiah is facing a profound spiritual crisis. This crisis was the result of plots against his life, which motivated Jeremiah to act.
Jeremiah’s appeal to God can be divided into three sections: Jeremiah describes the threat against him (18:18); Jeremiah makes a personal appeal to God (18:19-20); and Jeremiah then requests God to bring judgment upon his enemies (18:21-23).
What Prompted the Confession
Jeremiah’s fifth confession comes after Yahweh told Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house (Jeremiah 18:1–17) and observe the potter work with clay. The intent of Jeremiah’s visit to the potter’s house was to illustrate how God works in the world.
After the visit, Jeremiah delivers a message to the people, comparing them to clay that God can reshape according to his will, either for destruction or restoration, depending on the people’s response. Jeremiah’s message was a warning about judgment, but also a message that offered hope for the future. Jeremiah proclaimed to the people of Judah that, although judgment was imminent, if they would repent, God would forgive them and not allow Judah to be punished by the Babylonian army.
Jeremiah’s Fifth Confession, Jeremiah 18:18–23
After Jeremiah spoke to the people, instead of responding to Jeremiah with repentance, the people declared their hostility against Jeremiah by threatening to kill him.
The Plot Against Jeremiah’s Life
Verse 18: Then they said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah – for instruction shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us bring charges against him, and let us not heed any of his words.”
This verse reveals several reasons behind the people’s opposition to Jeremiah’s message.
The people rejected Jeremiah’s message because they had the priests who taught them the law. They had wise men who gave them advice on how to live their lives. They also had prophets who preached to them the words of God. The people rejected Jeremiah’s message of judgment because they already had leaders who presented a message that contradicted Jeremiah’s.
Jeremiah’s message of judgment contradicted the messages of the false prophets, who proclaimed a message of peace rather than judgment. Jeremiah said that the false prophets “have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14).
Jeremiah’s calls for true repentance and his warning of impending judgment led the people to believe that Jeremiah was a false prophet, as it contradicted the message of the prophets they believed to be the true prophets of God.
Jeremiah’s words show the people’s animosity against him. The people desired to “bring charges against him.” The Hebrew says “strike him with the tongue.” The NIV translates: “let’s attack him with our tongues.” These words represent an organized campaign of character assassination and public defamation against Jeremiah. By discrediting Jeremiah personally, his opponents hoped to neutralize his challenging message.
In addition, the people were determined not to pay attention to any of Jeremiah’s words. The people deliberately refused even to consider the possibility that Jeremiah might be speaking the truth. The rejection, criticism, and threats against Jeremiah’s life prompted Jeremiah to come before God, appealing for divine help.
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Jeremiah’s Appeal to God
Verse 19 Give heed to me, O LORD, and listen to what my adversaries say!
Verse 20 Is evil a recompense for good? Yet they have dug a pit for my life. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.
The words “give heed to me,” and “listen” represent the urgency of Jeremiah’s appeal to God. Jeremiah asks God not only to listen to his words, but also to listen to the words of his adversaries, “listen to what my adversaries say.” His plea to God to listen to what his adversaries are saying against him was intended to demonstrate that his adversaries deserve a harsh punishment.
Jeremiah is surprised by the criticism and opposition of the people. He asks, “Is evil a recompense for good?” Jeremiah’s intent was the well-being of the people. He has interceded for the people who now seek to take his life. Jeremiah’s prayer for the people indicates God’s prohibition against Jeremiah’s intercession for the people (Jeremiah 7:16, 11:14) was not permanent, suggesting that Jeremiah continued in his ministry as a prophet of prayer.
The people were digging a pit for Jeremiah. The pit represents plots and traps intended to deceive Jeremiah and cause him to fall and be discredited. The phrase “I stood before you to speak well of them” uses language associated with courtroom testimony.
These words indicate that Jeremiah functioned as a public defender, trying to defend the people from a judgment that would result in the death of the people. By reminding God of his prayer for the people who are threatening to kill him, Jeremiah establishes both his loyalty to God and the injustice he is facing at the hands of those who seek his life.
Jeremiah’s Prayer for Justice
Verse 21 Therefore give their children over to famine; hurl them out to the power of the sword, let their wives become childless and widowed. May their men die by pestilence, and may their youths be slain by the sword in battle.
Verse 22 May a cry be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring the marauder upon them! For they have dug a pit to catch me, and laid snares for my feet.
Jeremiah’s words represent the most troubling aspect of the fifth confession, Jeremiah’s request for God to bring severe judgment upon his enemies and even on their families. Jeremiah’s request calls for a severe judgment that will affect all members of Israelite society, including children, wives, men, and youth.
Jeremiah’s request for judgment indicates that he is asking God to bring about the covenant curses described in Deuteronomy 28:15-68. The curses of the covenant include famine, sword, bereavement, pestilence, and military defeat. These aspects of the punishment represent the focus of the message that Jeremiah had been prophesying would come upon Judah for its unfaithfulness.
Verse 23 Yet you, O LORD, know all their plotting to kill me. Do not forgive their iniquity, do not blot out their sin from your sight. Let them be tripped up before you; deal with them while you are angry.”
Jeremiah appeals to divine knowledge to emphasize that God is aware of everything his adversaries have plotted against him. Jeremiah says to God: “Do not forgive their iniquity.” Jeremiah’s request contradicts his message of repentance and divine mercy, which he has been proclaiming for many years. These words reflect Jeremiah’s despondency and anguish because of their rejection and evil intents against him.
The phrase “Let them be tripped up before you” carries the idea of an individual being found guilty in court. Jeremiah believes that when God judges between him and the people, God, the righteous judge, will render his judgment based on Judah’s covenant violations.
Jeremiah concludes his prayer with a reference to God’s anger, “deal with them while you are angry.” Jeremiah urges God not to delay judgment, to do it “while you are angry.” This means that if God ceases to be angry, judgment will not happen.
Pastoral Applications for Facing Opposition
Jeremiah’s fifth confession presents a challenge for people in ministry. Ministers cannot pray for vengeance against those who oppose them, in light of Jesus’ commands to love one’s enemies and pray for them. However, ministers can find in Jeremiah permission to acknowledge the full range of human emotions before God, including anger, fear, and desires for justice.
Pastors who face opposition can follow Jeremiah’s example by honestly acknowledging the pain of betrayal, persecution, or rejection they experience in ministry. Pastors can draw strength from Jeremiah’s example when dealing with uncomfortable truths about justice, righteousness, or institutional failures within their communities. Pastors today can maintain healthier perspectives by distinguishing between opposition stemming from their failures versus resistance to faithful proclamation of challenging truths.
Jesus’ teaching to pray for and love one’s enemies (Matt. 5:44) transforms rather than negates this principle, directing pastors to seek their opponents’ redemption rather than their destruction.
Conclusion
Jeremiah’s fifth confession offers a glimpse into the psychological and spiritual challenges faced by God’s faithful messenger in a hostile environment. Its raw honesty, theological depth, and complex emotional landscape offer both challenges and resources for contemporary pastoral ministry.
For pastors facing opposition today, Jeremiah’s confession offers not a simplistic template to be copied but a profound witness to the complexity, cost, and ultimate value of remaining faithful to God’s call, even when that faithfulness generates resistance rather than acclaim.
In a cultural moment where prophetic voices often face marginalization or active suppression, Jeremiah’s fifth confession stands as both warning and encouragement. The path of faithful witness may involve suffering, but it remains the path walked by God’s faithful messengers throughout history.
The Confessions of Jeremiah
Jeremiah’s First Confession (Jeremiah 11:18–23)
Jeremiah’s Second Confession (Jeremiah 12:1–6)
Jeremiah’s Third Confession: Jeremiah 15:10–21
Jeremiah’s Fourth Confession: Jeremiah 17:14–18
NOTE: For a comprehensive collection of studies on the prophet Jeremiah, read my post Introduction to the Book of Jeremiah.
Claude Mariottini
Emeritus Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
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