Missabib is a term found in the prophetic literature of the Old Testament, specifically in the book of Jeremiah. The term is used in a context that conveys a sense of terror and impending judgment. It is derived from the Hebrew word "מִסָּבִיב" (missabib), which means "all around" or "on every side." This term is notably used in Jeremiah 20:3, where the prophet Jeremiah addresses Pashhur, the priest and chief officer in the house of the Lord.

Biblical Context

In Jeremiah 20:1-6, the prophet Jeremiah is confronted by Pashhur, who is angered by Jeremiah's prophecies of doom concerning Jerusalem and the people of Judah. Pashhur strikes Jeremiah and puts him in stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin in the Lord's temple. The following day, when Pashhur releases Jeremiah, the prophet delivers a message from the Lord, renaming Pashhur as "Magor-missabib," which translates to "Terror on Every Side."

Jeremiah 20:3-4 states: "The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, 'The LORD does not call you Pashhur, but Magor-missabib. For this is what the LORD says: I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They will fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on. I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, who will carry them away to Babylon and put them to the sword.'"

Theological Significance

The renaming of Pashhur to "Magor-missabib" serves as a prophetic sign and a divine pronouncement of judgment. It underscores the seriousness of the impending Babylonian invasion and the resultant destruction and exile that would befall Judah. The term "missabib" emphasizes the totality and inescapability of the terror that would surround the people, highlighting the comprehensive nature of God's judgment due to their persistent disobedience and idolatry.

Jeremiah's use of "missabib" reflects the broader theme of divine retribution found throughout the prophetic books, where God warns His people through His prophets, urging them to repent and return to Him. The term also serves as a reminder of the consequences of rejecting God's word and the futility of relying on false assurances of peace and security.

Historical and Literary Context

The book of Jeremiah is set during a tumultuous period in Judah's history, leading up to and including the Babylonian exile. Jeremiah's ministry spanned the reigns of several kings of Judah, and he witnessed the decline of the nation due to its spiritual and moral failures. The use of vivid imagery and symbolic names, such as "Magor-missabib," is characteristic of Jeremiah's prophetic style, intended to capture the attention of his audience and convey the urgency of his message.

In the broader literary context, "missabib" is part of a series of oracles and symbolic actions that illustrate the inevitability of God's judgment while also offering hope for future restoration for those who remain faithful. The term serves as a stark reminder of the reality of divine justice and the need for genuine repentance and faithfulness to God.4036. Magor Missabib -- "terror on every side," an expression ...
Magor Missabib. 4035, 4036. Magor Missabib. 4037 . "terror on every side,"
an expression coined by Jeremiah. Transliteration: Magor ...
/hebrew/4036.htm - 6k

The Hindrances to Mourning
... heart? (Deuteronomy 28:65, 66). Is it any joy for a man to be a
magor-missabib' (Jeremiah 20:4), a terror to himself? Surely of ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/9 the hindrances to mourning.htm

The Third Trumpet.
... find in Jer. C. xx. v.3, 4, "The Lord doth not call thy name Pashur, but
Magor Missabib, (ie fear on every side). "For thus saith ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the third trumpet.htm

Index of Names and Subjects.
... Love, the Divine, 106, 348, 356, etc. Lowth, Bishop: "De Sacra Poesi Hebraeorum,"
33. Magor-Missabib, 192. Man and the new covenant, 367. Marti, 155, 184. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/index of names and subjects.htm

Protest and Agony. (I, iv. 10, 19, vi. 11, xi. 18-xii. 6, xv. 10 ...
... When Pashhur put him in the stocks Jeremiah called him Magor Missabib,
Terror-all-round, for lo, I will make thee a terror to thyself and to all thy friends ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/1 protest and agony i.htm

Parables. (xiii, xviii-xx, xxxv. )
... XX.3. The Lord hath called thy name not Pashhur but Magor-Missabib, Terror-all-round.
4. For thus saith the Lord, Lo, I will make thee a terror to thyself and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/2 parables xiii xviii-xx xxxv.htm

Eutyches and Philip in Profundis
... magor-missabib , a terror to thyself on every side.'. The words of Philip's
curse smote like hail on the ear of the guilty Bishop. ...
/.../chapter lvi eutyches and philip.htm

Footnotes
... A woman in a rural parish calling on her minister to complain about the harshness
of the factor of the landlord said that he was a very Magor-Missabib. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/footnotes.htm

Missabib (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Missabib (1 Occurrence). Jeremiah 20:3 It happened on
the next day, that Pashhur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. ...
/m/missabib.htm - 6k

Magor-missabib (1 Occurrence)
Magor-missabib. Magormissabib, Magor-missabib. Magpiash . Easton's Bible
Dictionary ... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MAGOR-MISSABIB. ...
/m/magor-missabib.htm - 8k

Magormissabib (1 Occurrence)
... come upon him. Pashur was to be carried to Babylon, and there die. Int.
Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MAGOR-MISSABIB. ma'-gor-mis'-a ...
/m/magormissabib.htm - 7k

Missed (13 Occurrences)

/m/missed.htm - 10k

Miss (7 Occurrences)

/m/miss.htm - 10k

Magpiash (1 Occurrence)

/m/magpiash.htm - 6k

Pashur (12 Occurrences)
... On being set free in the morning, Jeremiah went to Pashur (Jeremiah 20:3, 5), and
announced to him that God had changed his name to Magor-missabib, ie, "terror ...
/p/pashur.htm - 14k

Cause-of-fear-on-every-side (1 Occurrence)
... loose. Then Jeremiah said to him, The Lord has given you the name of
Magor-missabib (Cause-of-fear-on-every-side), not Pashhur. (BBE). ...
/c/cause-of-fear-on-every-side.htm - 6k

Terror (137 Occurrences)
... Then Jeremiah said to him, The Lord has given you the name of Magor-missabib
(Cause-of-fear-on-every-side), not Pashhur. (See RSV). ...
/t/terror.htm - 37k

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