Bible Strands

Jeremiah 20:9

If I say, “I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,” His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jeremiah, mocked daily and watched by enemies, speaks to God at the moment he considers falling silent.

The words — אֶזְכְּרֶנוּ (ezkerenu), "I will remember him," uses the root זכר (zakar), which means to retain in memory rather than merely utter; the BSB's "mention" undersells the weight of the Hebrew.

The thread — The compulsion to speak despite cost echoes in Psalm 39:3 (fire burning within until speech), Job 32:18 (spirit compelling words), and Acts 4:20 (cannot stop speaking what they have seen and heard).

Why it lands — The verse presents the word as something that does not wait for permission; it asks the reader to name what they are holding in and why.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאָמַרְתִּ֣יve./'a.mar.Tiand/ I will sayלֹֽא־lo'-notאֶזְכְּרֶ֗נּוּ'ez.ke.Re./nuI will remember/ himוְלֹֽא־ve./lo'-and/ notאֲדַבֵּ֥ר'a.da.BerI will speakעוֹד֙'Odagainבִּשְׁמ֔וֹbi/sh.M/oin/ name/ hisוְהָיָ֤הve./ha.Yahand/ it will becomeבְלִבִּי֙ve./li.B/iin/ heart/ myכְּאֵ֣שׁke./'Eshlike/ a fireבֹּעֶ֔רֶתbo.'E.retburningעָצֻ֖ר'a.Tzurshut upבְּעַצְמֹתָ֑יbe./'atz.mo.Ta/iin/ bones/ myוְנִלְאֵ֥יתִיve./nil.'Ei.tiand/ I will be wearyכַּֽלְכֵ֖לkal.Khelto hold [it] inוְלֹ֥אve./Lo'and/ notאוּכָֽל׃'u.KhalI will be able

King James Version

Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

Cross-references