John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 20:13

"Sing unto Jehovah, praise ye Jehovah; for he hath delivered the soul of the needy from the hand of evil-doers." — Jeremiah 20:13 (ASV)

Here the Prophet breaks out into an open expression of joy. He not only gives thanks himself to God that he had been freed from the intrigues and violence of the wicked, but he also summons others and encourages them to sing praises to God. It is as if he were saying that his deliverance was such a great favor that not only should he himself be thankful to God for it, but all should join to celebrate it. This aligns with what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:11, so that thanks might be given by many to God.

The Prophet undoubtedly had experienced God’s help—indeed, the very help he had previously so highly extolled. Therefore, since he had truly found that God was victorious and that his safety had been defended against all the ungodly by God’s invincible power, he expressed his thanks in full confidence and wished all God’s servants to join with him.

So, whenever we find ourselves in dire straits and seem to be, as it were, rejected by God himself, let us still wait patiently until he is pleased to free us from the hand of the wicked. Without preceding misery and distress, we would never sufficiently acknowledge the power of God in preserving us. Thus Jeremiah confesses that he was for a time miserable and oppressed, but that he was eventually delivered, even when the ungodly and wicked thought themselves victorious. Now follows an outcry, which seems to be of a very different character—