Who is Pashur in this passage, and what position did he hold?

Pashur is introduced as a priest from the line of Immer and as the chief governor in the house of the Lord. That means he held a high-ranking role connected to the temple, with authority over what happened there. Instead of using that position to protect God’s servant, he misused his authority. When he heard Jeremiah preaching judgment on the city, he responded with violence, striking Jeremiah and having him put in the stocks at the Benjamin gate by the temple. So Pashur is pictured as a powerful religious leader who stands against God’s true prophet.

Why did Pashur strike Jeremiah and put him in the stocks by the temple gate?

Pashur reacted this way because he was angered by Jeremiah’s message of judgment against Jerusalem and Judah. As a leading priest, he likely felt Jeremiah’s words threatened the people’s security and his own position. Instead of weighing the message before God, he tried to silence it by force. He struck Jeremiah and had him locked in the stocks, probably to shame him publicly and discourage others from listening. This shows how someone with religious authority can oppose God’s truth when it confronts their comfort, reputation, or false sense of peace.

What does the new name “Magor-missabib” or “terror on every side” mean for Pashur?

When Jeremiah says, “The Lord has not called your name Pashur, but Magor-missabib,” he is not just giving a nickname. God is saying Pashur himself will become surrounded by fear. The name means something like “terror all around.” The passage explains this: God will make him a terror to himself and to all his friends. He will watch his close companions fall by the sword, see Judah handed over to the king of Babylon, and experience the ruin and captivity he had denied. His honored name as a priest will be replaced, in reality, by a life marked by dread and judgment.

What judgment does God announce on Pashur, his friends, and all Judah?

God’s judgment has several parts. First, Pashur will become a terror to himself and his friends, and he will see them fall by enemy swords. Second, all Judah will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon. Many will be killed, and others will be carried off as captives. Third, the strength of the city, its labor, its precious things, and the treasures of the kings will all be handed over to enemies, taken and carried to Babylon. Finally, Pashur and everyone in his house will go into captivity. He will come to Babylon, die there, and be buried there, along with the friends to whom he had spoken lies.

Why is Pashur’s false prophecy mentioned, and how does it relate to his punishment?

At the end of the passage, God points out that Pashur had “prophesied lies” to his friends. This means he had told them messages that did not come from God, likely promising peace and safety when judgment was actually coming. His friends had trusted those words. Part of his punishment is that those very people will suffer with him: they will fall by the sword or go with him into exile. So his sin is not only his violence against Jeremiah, but also his role as a false voice that misled others. His judgment matches his sin, because the people he falsely reassured will share his fate.

What does this passage show about how God views persecution of his messengers?

This passage shows that God does not overlook harm done to his servants. Jeremiah is beaten and shamed in a public place for simply speaking God’s word. Yet when Jeremiah is released, God gives him a clear message against the one who hurt him. Pashur’s position as a priest does not protect him; if anything, it makes his guilt worse. God strips away his honor, renames him, and announces a hard future for him and those he misled. The scene reminds us that those who mock, silence, or abuse God’s messengers may seem powerful for a moment, but God will judge their actions in his time.

What was happening in Judah when Jeremiah spoke this word against Pashur?

Judah was facing coming judgment from a foreign power, later named in the passage as the king of Babylon. Jeremiah had been warning that the people, their leaders, and even the treasures of the city would be handed over because of their sin and refusal to listen to God. Many religious leaders rejected this message and preferred words of peace. In that setting, Jeremiah preached in and around the temple, which stirred strong reactions. Pashur’s attack on Jeremiah comes right after one of these warnings. The word against Pashur fits into the larger picture of a nation ignoring God’s calls to repent while judgment draws near.

How can this passage about Jeremiah and Pashur speak to religious leaders today?

This passage warns anyone in spiritual leadership not to use their role to fight against the truth. Pashur had a respected position, but he used it to strike a faithful prophet and to spread comforting lies. That path led to shame, fear, and exile. For leaders today, the lesson is to receive God’s word even when it is hard, not to silence those who speak it. It also calls leaders to be honest with people rather than promising safety God has not promised. God cares how his people are led, and positions of honor come with real responsibility before him.

How might a believer today find guidance from Jeremiah’s response to suffering here?

Jeremiah is beaten and locked in stocks overnight, treated like a criminal for obeying God. Yet when he is released, he does not back down or change his message to avoid more pain. He speaks clearly again, this time directly to the man who hurt him. A believer today can see that obeying God may bring unfair treatment, even from religious circles, but that does not mean God has left. Jeremiah’s courage shows that faithfulness is not about being liked or safe, but about holding to God’s word. God may not remove the trial right away, but he sees, and he will act in justice.

Jer.20.1

Jeremiah 20:1

KJV

Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.

Cross References

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