Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

JEREMIAH 20:18KJV
Know the Bible

Jeremiah 20:18 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 20:18 mean?

Jeremiah 20:18 expresses the prophet Jeremiah’s deep anguish and despair, as he questions why he was born only to experience hardship, sorrow, and a life filled with shame. Jeremiah is voicing a sense of hopelessness, feeling that his days have been wasted in suffering.

Jeremiah himself is speaking in this verse, lamenting to God after facing rejection and persecution for delivering God’s messages to the people of Judah. The verse comes at a moment when Jeremiah feels overwhelmed by the burden of his prophetic calling, and he honestly pours out his pain and confusion about the purpose of his life.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 20:18

  • "forth" (יָצָא, yatsa): This word means "to come out" or "to go forth," highlighting Jeremiah’s focus on the very beginning of his life—his birth.
  • "labour" (עָמָל, amal): Often used for toil or hardship, this word emphasizes the exhausting and burdensome nature of Jeremiah’s experiences.
  • "sorrow" (יָגוֹן, yagōn): This word points to deep grief or emotional pain, underlining the intensity of Jeremiah’s suffering.
  • "consumed" (כָּלָה, kalah): This verb means "to be finished" or "used up," stressing that Jeremiah feels his days are being completely spent or wasted in shame.
  • "shame" (בֹּשֶׁת, boshet): This word refers to disgrace or humiliation, showing that Jeremiah’s suffering is not just physical or emotional, but also social—he feels publicly dishonored.

Why Jeremiah 20:18 matters

  • Jeremiah 20:18 clears up the idea that even faithful people can experience deep discouragement and question their own existence without losing their relationship with God.
  • The verse reveals the emotional cost of Jeremiah’s prophetic mission, connecting his personal pain to the larger story of a prophet who is honest with God about his struggles.
  • This verse helps readers see that the Bible does not hide the raw, difficult emotions of its characters, making Jeremiah’s story relatable for anyone who has felt overwhelmed by hardship.

Where else these words appear

“sorrow” Hebrew H3015 · used in 14 verses

  • Genesis 42:38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
  • Psalms 31:10 For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.
  • Isaiah 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

“womb” Hebrew H7358 · used in 25 verses

  • Genesis 20:18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.
  • Numbers 8:16 For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.
  • Job 31:15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

“shame” Hebrew H1322 · used in 29 verses

  • 1 Samuel 20:30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?
  • Psalms 109:29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
  • Jeremiah 3:25 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.

“labour” Hebrew H5999 · used in 54 verses

  • Genesis 41:51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.
  • Psalms 55:10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
  • Ecclesiastes 2:24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.