If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah’s struggle isn't just about wanting to quit; it's about the sheer physical and emotional torment of holding back God's message. The phrase "weary with forbearing" reveals that suppressing the divine word felt like trying to contain a raging internal fire, an agonizing burden that he literally "could not stay" or hold in any longer.
If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Jeremiah is exhausted and deeply discouraged by the rejection and ridicule he faces from the people for delivering God's messages. He's been mocked and feels like a failure, leading him to a moment where he resolves to stop speaking God's word altogether. However, this passage reveals that even when he tries to silence the message, it burns within him like an uncontrollable fire, forcing him to continue his prophetic duty.
Ever felt like giving up on something important because it felt too hard or thankless? Jeremiah did, and he wanted to walk away.
Jeremiah was experiencing intense pressure. The people he was called to warn hated him for it, mocking him daily. It felt like his prophetic words were useless, even making things worse by provoking their sin (as some commentators suggest).
A Prophet's Anguish
Because of this relentless opposition and apparent lack of fruit, Jeremiah resolved to stop. He decided, 'I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name.' This wasn't just a casual thought; it was a deep-seated desire to abandon his difficult calling, to retreat from the painful reality of being God's messenger in a resistant world. It’s a moment of profound human struggle, where the weight of opposition almost crushes the will to obey.
The Cost of Silence
This temptation to quit is something many who serve others, whether in ministry, family, or challenging professions, can relate to. When effort seems to yield only criticism or indifference, the desire to disengage is powerful. Jeremiah’s struggle highlights that obedience isn't always easy; it often comes with immense personal cost.
What happens when God's message becomes so powerful it feels like an internal explosion? Jeremiah couldn't contain it.
Jeremiah's resolve to remain silent was immediately overwhelmed by an internal force. He describes God's word like 'a burning fire shut up in my bones.' This wasn't just a thought; it was a visceral, consuming reality.
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More Than a Message
This imagery suggests that God's word wasn't merely information to be delivered. It was a dynamic, powerful reality that permeated Jeremiah's very being. It caused him immense pain and weariness ('weary with holding it in') because suppressing it was impossible. He couldn't 'stay' – he couldn't hold back or contain this divine impulse.
Compelled by Divine Urgency
The commentators highlight that this 'fire' represents an uncontainable divine compulsion. It's the Holy Spirit's work, a righteous zeal for God's glory and a deep concern for the people, that makes silence unbearable. This inner fire ensured that Jeremiah, despite his despair, could not ultimately abandon his mission. God’s truth, once experienced, demands expression.
Was Jeremiah forced to speak, or did he choose to? The tension between divine power and human agency is profound here.
This passage reveals a fascinating dynamic: Jeremiah, as a conscious agent, decided to stop speaking. He had the capacity to make that resolution. However, he was compelled by an inner divine force that made his decision impossible to maintain.
Not Passive Robots
Theologians note that prophets weren't mere passive conduits. The Spirit didn't extinguish their minds but elevated and purified them. Jeremiah wrestled with his decision, showing his human agency. Yet, the overwhelming power of God's word, described as a burning fire, ultimately ensured his obedience. God's Spirit works with our will, not against it, though sometimes the divine impetus feels irresistible.
Submission Through Struggle
Jeremiah's experience teaches us that true obedience isn't about never struggling or never doubting. It’s about ultimately submitting to God’s will, even when it feels agonizing. The fire within compelled him, not erasing his feelings of weariness or despair, but overriding his desire to quit. This powerful inner working of God's Spirit confirms that His purposes will always prevail through His chosen messengers.
Jeremiah's profound struggle reflects the immense pressure on prophets who delivered God's word during Judah's final, tumultuous decades. Facing national doom and intense personal persecution, his internal battle highlights the divine compulsion to speak truth even when met with rejection and suffering.
Late 7th Century BC
Jeremiah's Call to Prophecy
Jeremiah is called by God to be a prophet despite his youth and reluctance, tasked with warning Judah about impending judgment.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Jehoiakim, under Babylonian pressure, allows a group of Jewish nobles, including Daniel, to be taken to Babylon.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, King Jehoiachin and many more prominent citizens are exiled to Babylon, including the prophet Ezekiel.
c. 589-586 BC
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieges Jerusalem, ultimately leading to the city's destruction and the third, largest deportation.
Jeremiah's Ministry Years— this verse
Jeremiah Faces Rejection and Persecution
Throughout his ministry, Jeremiah endures constant opposition, ridicule, imprisonment, and threats to his life for delivering God's unpopular message.
Peter and John echo Jeremiah's sentiment, declaring they 'cannot but speak the things [they] have seen and heard,' even under threat, showing this internal compulsion to share God's message is a recurring theme for His messengers.
1 Corinthians 9:16Paul directly connects to this idea of an unstoppable compulsion, stating 'if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!' highlighting the inescapable burden of the prophetic call.
Ezekiel 3:14This passage describes a similar experience where Ezekiel, after encountering opposition, felt the 'Spirit lifted me up and took me away,' and he went 'in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me,' showing God's powerful enabling despite the prophet's weariness.
Psalm 39:3The psalmist expresses a very similar struggle, 'My heart became hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue,' reflecting the deep internal conflict and the eventual eruption of speech that Jeremiah experienced.
clarkeJeremiah 20:9: "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."
I wilt not make mention of him - I will renounce the prophetic office, and return to my house. As a burning fire shut up in my bones - He felt stings of conscience for the hasty and disobedient resolution he had formed; he felt ashamed of his own weakness, that did not confide in…
calvinJeremiah 20:8-9: "For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily."
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.
Et dixi (itaque dixi, copula enim illativam valet) non recordabor et non loquar amplius in nomine ejus; et fuit in corde meo quasi…
Jeremiah’s struggle isn't just about wanting to quit; it's about the sheer physical and emotional torment of holding back God's message. The phrase "weary with forbearing" reveals that suppressing the divine word felt like trying to contain a raging internal fire, an agonizing burden that he literally "could not stay" or hold in any longer.
The prophet Jeremiah is exhausted and deeply discouraged by the rejection and ridicule he faces from the people for delivering God's messages. He's been mocked and feels like a failure, leading him to a moment where he resolves to stop speaking God's word altogether. However, this passage reveals that even when he tries to silence the message, it burns within him like an uncontrollable fire, forcing him to continue his prophetic duty.
The prophet Jeremiah is exhausted and deeply discouraged by the rejection and ridicule he faces from the people for delivering God's messages. He's been mocked and feels like a failure, leading him to a moment where he resolves to stop speaking God's word altogether. However, this passage reveals that even when he tries to silence the message, it burns within him like an uncontrollable fire, forcing him to continue his prophetic duty.
"If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot." — Jeremiah’s struggle isn't just about wanting to quit; it's about the sheer physical and emotional torment of holding back God's message. The phrase "weary with forbearing" reveals that suppressing…
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Last reviewed October 2026