Lexical Summary Magor Missabib: Terror on Every Side Original Word: מָגוֹר מִסָּבִיב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Magor-missabib From magowr and cabiyb with the preposition inserted; affright from around; Magor-mis-Sabib, a symbolic name of Pashur -- Magor-missabib. see HEBREW magowr see HEBREW cabiyb NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom magor and sabib Definition "terror on every side," an expression coined by Jeremiah NASB Translation Magor-missabib (1). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Conceptual Background Magor-missabib carries the vivid sense of “terror on every side,” a phrase used frequently by Jeremiah to describe the paralyzing dread that would envelop Judah under divine judgment. In Jeremiah 20:3 the expression becomes a divinely assigned name, transforming a descriptive warning into a personal indictment of Pashhur, the priestly official who had persecuted the prophet. Biblical Context (Jeremiah 20:1-6) After Jeremiah was beaten and placed in stocks by Pashhur ben Immer, the word of the LORD came: “The LORD has called your name, ‘Terror on Every Side’” (Jeremiah 20:3). Verses 4-6 clarify the prophecy: Pashhur and his household would be delivered to Babylon, his allies would fall by the sword, and his treasures would become spoil. The renaming punctures Pashhur’s false sense of security inside the temple precincts and identifies him with the very calamity he denied. Historical Setting The event falls in the reign of Jehoiakim (approximately 609-598 B.C.), a period marked by rising Babylonian power and internal apostasy in Judah. Temple authorities often allied themselves with political optimism and dismissed Jeremiah’s calls to repentance. By branding the chief overseer with Magor-missabib, the LORD exposed institutional religion’s complicity in national sin. Theological Themes 1. Divine Sovereignty over Names: Throughout Scripture, the LORD assigns names that reveal destiny (Genesis 17:5; Matthew 1:21). Here, Magor-missabib embodies judgment certain to come. Prophetic Significance Jeremiah had already employed “terror on every side” to warn the nation (Jeremiah 6:25). By turning the phrase into a proper name, the LORD intensified its force and localized its fulfillment. Pashhur became a living signpost: if judgment touches the inner court, how much more the outer city and land (Jeremiah 20:4). The prophecy was later ratified when Babylon carried temple officials into exile (2 Kings 25:18-21). Ministerial Application • Integrity in Spiritual Leadership: Those who shepherd God’s people must embrace truth, not suppress it for convenience or popularity (2 Corinthians 4:2). Summary Magor-missabib crystallizes the certainty of divine judgment and the peril of resisting God’s word. By converting a prophetic catch-phrase into Pashhur’s new identity, Jeremiah displayed both the immediacy and the personal nature of the LORD’s warnings. The narrative urges every generation to heed prophetic truth, uphold faithful ministry, and seek refuge not in externals but in the Lord Himself. Forms and Transliterations מִסָּבִֽיב׃ מסביב׃ mis·sā·ḇîḇ missāḇîḇ missaVivLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 20:3 HEB: אִם־ מָג֥וֹר מִסָּבִֽיב׃ פ NAS: you, but rather Magor-missabib. KJV: thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib. INT: for lo Magor-missabib 1 Occurrence |
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