Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.

JEREMIAH 20:13KJV
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Jeremiah 20:13 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 20:13 mean?

Jeremiah 20:13 urges people to sing and praise the LORD because God has rescued the life of the poor from those who do evil. The verse expresses gratitude and relief, celebrating God’s protection over vulnerable people who face harm from wrongdoers.

Jeremiah himself is speaking here, after experiencing persecution and hardship for delivering God’s messages. Despite his suffering, Jeremiah calls others to join him in praising God, focusing on God’s care for those who are oppressed. The verse stands as a moment of hope and trust in God’s justice, even in the midst of personal struggle.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 20:13

  • "Sing" (שִׁירוּ, shiru) is a call to joyful song, not just a quiet or private praise, but a public and enthusiastic expression.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH) is God’s personal name, highlighting a close, covenant relationship rather than a distant deity.
  • "Delivered" (נָצַל, natsal) means to snatch away or rescue, emphasizing an active intervention by God to save someone from danger.
  • "Poor" (אֶבְיוֹן, evyon) refers specifically to someone who is needy or oppressed, not just lacking money but vulnerable and without help.

Why Jeremiah 20:13 matters

  • Jeremiah 20:13 shows that even in times of deep distress, faith can lead to praise and hope, not just despair.
  • The verse highlights God’s special concern for the poor and oppressed, reminding readers that God’s justice is not just for the powerful.
  • In the wider context, this outburst of praise stands out in a chapter filled with Jeremiah’s pain and complaints, showing that moments of trust and worship can break through even in hardship.

Where else these words appear

“poor” Hebrew H34 · used in 58 verses

  • Exodus 23:6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
  • Psalms 40:17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.
  • Proverbs 30:14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

“Sing” Hebrew H7891 · used in 79 verses

  • Exodus 15:1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
  • Ezra 7:7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
  • Psalms 65:13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.

“evildoers” Hebrew H7489 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 19:7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
  • 2 Kings 21:11 Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:
  • Isaiah 1:4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

“praise” Hebrew H1984 · used in 140 verses

  • Genesis 12:15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
  • Psalms 63:5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
  • Psalms 148:2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.