Charles Ellicott Commentary Jeremiah 20:10

"For I have heard the defaming of many, terror on every side. Denounce, and we will denounce him, [say] all my familiar friends, they that watch for my fall; peradventure he will be persuaded, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him." — Jeremiah 20:10 (ASV)

The defaming of many. — This is another quotation from the Psalms (Psalms 31:13), where the Authorised Version has “the slander of many.”

Fear on every side. — The Magor-missabib still rings in the prophet’s ears, and for himself as for others, is the burden of his cry. It may be noted that this also comes from the same verse of the psalm just quoted.

Report, say they, and we will report it. — A better translation is, do you report. These words are not spoken to the prophet, but are those with which his persecutors encouraged each other to inform against him. (Jeremiah 18:18.)

All my familiars. — Literally, every man of my peace, i.e., the men who used to greet him with the customary “Peace be with thee.” The same phrase is used in the “familiar friends” of Psalms 41:9, but it does not in itself describe the intimacy of friendship, but rather the courtesy and goodwill of acquaintances who thus salute each other.

Watched for my halting. — Compare Psalms 35:15 (where the same word is rendered “adversity”) and Psalms 38:17.

He will be enticed. — This is the same word as the “deceived” of Jeremiah 20:7. They were on the lookout for some rash and hasty word spoken in prophetic zeal, and the prophet, in the bitterness of his soul, looked on their work and that of Jehovah as tending to the same result. Compare the conduct of the Scribes and Pharisees towards our Lord (Matthew 12:10; Matthew 22:15; Mark 12:13).