Magor-missabib
The Naming of Pashhur
In Jeremiah 20:1-6, the priest Pashhur son of Immer, who served as chief officer in the temple, had the prophet Jeremiah beaten and placed in stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin. When Jeremiah was released the next day, he delivered a devastating oracle: he renamed Pashhur as Magor-missabib — "Terror on Every Side." This new name was not merely an insult but a prophetic declaration of the fate awaiting Pashhur and all of Judah.
The Meaning of the Name
The Hebrew phrase magor missabib combines two words: magor ("terror" or "fear") and missabib ("all around" or "on every side"). Together they paint a picture of inescapable dread closing in from every direction. Jeremiah prophesied that Pashhur would witness the destruction of everything he valued, that his friends would fall by the sword of their enemies, and that he himself would be carried into exile to Babylon, where he would die and be buried (Jeremiah 20:4-6).
A Recurring Phrase in Jeremiah
While Magor-missabib is used as a personal name only in Jeremiah 20:3, the phrase "terror on every side" appears as a recurring motif throughout Jeremiah's prophecies. It surfaces in Jeremiah 6:25, where the prophet warns the people not to go out into the fields because the enemy's sword brings terror on every side. It appears again in Jeremiah 20:10, where Jeremiah's own enemies whisper the phrase about him. The expression also occurs in Jeremiah 46:5 and 49:29, describing the panic of nations facing God's judgment.
Beyond Jeremiah
The phrase extends beyond the book of Jeremiah. In Psalm 31:13, David writes: "For I hear many whispering, 'Terror on every side!' They conspire against me and plot to take my life." Lamentations 2:22 uses the same expression to describe the horrors of Jerusalem's destruction: "You summoned as if to a festival day terrors on every side." These parallel uses show that the concept of all-encompassing terror was a recognized biblical image for the experience of overwhelming threat.
The Irony of Pashhur's Position
The renaming of Pashhur carries deep irony. As chief officer of the temple, Pashhur was supposed to maintain order and protect the sanctity of God's house. Instead, he used his authority to silence God's prophet. By giving him the name Terror on Every Side, Jeremiah declared that the very institution Pashhur sought to protect would become a source of terror rather than security. The temple establishment that persecuted God's messenger would itself be swept away in the coming destruction.
Biblical Context
Magor-missabib is given as a name to Pashhur in Jeremiah 20:3. The phrase 'terror on every side' recurs in Psalm 31:13, Jeremiah 6:25, 20:10, 46:5, 49:29, and Lamentations 2:22, functioning as a motif for the experience of overwhelming divine judgment.
Theological Significance
Magor-missabib illustrates the principle that opposing God's prophetic word brings devastating consequences. The name also teaches that false security built on human institutions rather than obedience to God will ultimately collapse, leaving only terror in its wake.
Historical Background
Pashhur son of Immer held the position of chief officer (or overseer) in the Jerusalem temple during the final years of Judah's kingdom, around 600-586 BC. The temple establishment was deeply resistant to Jeremiah's message of impending Babylonian conquest. Jeremiah's prophecy was fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BC.