Jeremiah 18:20 is a question and a complaint. Jeremiah asks God whether good should be repaid with evil, then reminds God that he has spoken on behalf of the very people now digging a trap for him. The prophet is pleading his case before the Lord, asking God to remember his faithfulness toward a nation that is returning evil for his good.
The verse is spoken by the prophet Jeremiah to God, during a time when Judah’s leaders and people had turned against him. He is addressing the LORD directly, in the form of a prayer.
Should evil be recompensed for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.
Jeremiah 18:20 (WEB)
What Jeremiah 18:20 Means
The first part of the verse, “Should evil be recompensed for good?”, is a rhetorical question. Jeremiah is not really asking whether God would do such a thing. He is voicing a sense of injustice and inviting God to see it. The word “recompensed” means paid back or returned, as a wage is paid or a debt settled. Jeremiah feels that his people owe him gratitude, not a trap.
The second part, “they have dug a pit for my soul,” uses the picture of a hidden hole set to catch an animal or a traveler. It describes a plot against his life. The last part reminds God that Jeremiah had stood before him to speak good for these same people and to turn away God’s anger. The verse does not promise that Jeremiah’s enemies will be spared or that justice will look any particular way. It is an honest appeal, and the answer comes in the verses that follow.
The Context of Jeremiah 18:20
The book of Jeremiah is traditionally attributed to the prophet himself, who served in Jerusalem during the final decades before Babylon destroyed the city in 586 BC. He spoke to the kings, priests and people of Judah, calling them back to faithfulness and warning of judgment. Many of his messages were unwelcome, and he was often mocked, beaten and imprisoned for speaking them.
Just before verse 20, the people plot against him, saying they will not listen to his words and will strike him with their tongues. Verse 20 is his response, and verses 21 to 23 contain a sharp call for judgment on his enemies. Read in this setting, the verse is not a calm reflection but a raw cry from a man who has been treated with betrayal. That helps explain why the words sound so frank and even harsh.
Key Phrases in Jeremiah 18:20
Romans 12:19
Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.”
(WEB)
Paul echoes the same tension Jeremiah feels, urging believers not to take revenge but to leave justice to God. Reading it alongside Jeremiah 18:20 shows that the desire for vindication is not wrong to bring to God, but the timing and the method belong to him.
Psalm 35:7
For without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me. Without cause they have dug a pit for my soul.
(WEB)
This psalm also describes enemies who hide traps for the innocent. It is a prayer that stands beside Jeremiah’s complaint, showing that God’s people have long taken such betrayals to him directly and honestly.
A Short Prayer From Jeremiah 18:20
Lord, you see the hurt I carry when people I have served turn against me. I bring my sense of unfairness to you without pretending it is small. Remember the good I have tried to do, and help me keep my heart from hardening into bitterness. Teach me to trust your justice more than my own plans for repayment. Guard my soul from the traps others set for me, and keep me close to you in the waiting. Amen.
