1In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this Word came from Jehovah, saying, 2Thus says Jehovah: Stand in the court of Jehovah's house and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to bow down in Jehovah's house, all the Words that I command you to speak to them; do not diminish a word. 3It may be that they will listen, and each man turn from his evil way, that I may be moved to compassion from the evil which I purpose to do to them because of the evil of their doings. 4And you shall say to them, Thus says Jehovah: If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My Law which I have set before you, 5to listen to the words of My servants the prophets whom I sent to you, both rising up early and sending them (but you have not listened); 6then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth. 7So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of Jehovah. 8And it happened when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that Jehovah had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, You shall die the death! 9Why have you prophesied in the name of Jehovah, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be wasted, without inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of Jehovah. 10When the rulers of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house to the house of Jehovah, and sat down in the entrance of the New Gate of Jehovah's house. 11And the priests and the prophets spoke to the rulers and to all the people, saying, Sentence this man to death, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears. 12Then Jeremiah spoke to all the rulers and to all the people, saying, Jehovah sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. 13Now therefore, make your ways and your doings good, and obey the voice of Jehovah your God. And Jehovah will show compassion regarding the evil that He has spoken against you. 14As for me, behold, I am in your hand. Do with me as seems good and right to you. 15But know for certain that if you put me to death, you shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon its inhabitants; for truly Jehovah has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears. 16Then the rulers and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets, This man is not worthy of death; for he has spoken to us in the name of Jehovah our God. 17Then some of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying, 18Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus says Jehovah of Hosts: Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the mountain of the house like the high places of a forest. 19Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah execute him to death? Did he not fear Jehovah, and entreat Jehovah, and Jehovah had compassion regarding the evil which He had spoken against them? So we are doing great evil against our souls. 20And there was also a man who prophesied in the name of Jehovah, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath Jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah. 21And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the rulers, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled and went into Egypt. 22And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt; Elnathan the son of Achbor, and men with him into Egypt. 23And they brought Urijah out of Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and threw his dead body into the graves of the common people. 24But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 2 JEREMIAH DECLARED WORTHY OF DEATH, BUT BY THE INTERPOSITION OF AHIKAM SAVED; THE SIMILAR CASES OF MICAH AND URIJAH BEING ADDUCED IN THE PROPHET'S FAVOR. (Jer. 26:1-24)
in the court--the largest court, from which he could be heard by the whole people.
come to worship--Worship is vain without obedience (
1Sam 15:21-22).
all the words-- (
Ezek 3:10).
diminish not a word-- (
Deut 4:2;
Deut 12:32;
Pro 30:6;
Acts 20:27;
2Cor 2:17;
2Cor 4:2;
Rev 22:19). Not suppressing or softening aught for fear of giving offense; nor setting forth coldly and indirectly what can only by forcible statement do good.
3 if so be--expressed according to human conceptions; not as if God did not foreknow all contingencies, but to mark the obstinacy of the people and the difficulty of healing them; and to show His own goodness in making the offer which left them without excuse [CALVIN].
5 prophets--the inspired interpreters of the law (
Jer 26:4), who adapted it to the use of the people.
6 like Shiloh--(see on
Jer 7:12;
Jer 7:14;
1Sam 4:10-12;
Ps 78:60).
curse-- (
Jer 24:9;
Isa 65:15).
8 priests--The captain (or prefect) of the temple had the power of apprehending offenders in the temple with the sanction of the priests.
prophets--the false prophets. The charge against Jeremiah was that of uttering falsehood in Jehovah's name, an act punishable with death (
Deut 18:20). His prophecy against the temple and city (
Jer 26:11) might speciously be represented as contradicting God's own words (
Ps 132:14). Compare the similar charge against Stephen (
Acts 6:13-
Acts 6:14).
10 princes--members of the Council of State or Great Council, which took cognizance of such offenses.
heard--the clamor of the popular tumult.
came up--from the king's house to the temple, which stood higher than the palace.
sat--as judges, in the gate, the usual place of trying such cases.
new gate--originally built by Jotham ("the higher gate,"
2Kgs 15:35) and now recently restored.
12 Lord sent me--a valid justification against any laws alleged against him.
against . . . against--rather, "concerning." Jeremiah purposely avoids saying, "against," which would needlessly irritate. They had used the same Hebrew word (
Jer 26:11), which ought to be translated "concerning," though they meant it in the unfavorable sense. Jeremiah takes up their word in a better sense, implying that there is still room for repentance: that his prophecies aim at the real good of the city; for or concerning this house . . . city [GROTIUS].
13 (
Jer 26:3,
Jer 26:19).
14 Jeremiah's humility is herein shown, and submission to the powers that be (
Rom 13:1).
15 bring . . . upon yourselves--So far will you be from escaping the predicted evils by shedding my blood, that you will, by that very act, only incur heavier penalties (
Matt 23:35).
16 princes . . . all the people--The fickle people, as they were previously influenced by the priests to clamor for his death (
Jer 26:8), so now under the princes' influence require that he shall not be put to death. Compare as to Jesus, Jeremiah's antitype, the hosannas of the multitude a few days before the same people, persuaded by the priests as in this case, cried, Away with Him, crucify Him (
Matt 21:1-
Matt 21:11;
Matt 27:20-
Matt 27:25). The priests, through envy of his holy zeal, were more his enemies than the princes, whose office was more secular than religious. A prophet could not legally be put to death unless he prophesied in the name of other gods (therefore, they say, "in the name of the Lord"), or after his prophecy had failed in its accomplishment. Meanwhile, if he foretold calamity, he might be imprisoned. Compare Micaiah's case (1Ki. 22:1-28).
17 Compare Gamaliel's interposition (
Acts 5:34, &c.).
elders--some of the "princes" mentioned (
Jer 26:16) those whose age, as well as dignity, would give weight to the precedents of past times which they adduce.
18 (
Mic 3:12).
Morasthite--called so from a village of the tribe Judah.
Hezekiah--The precedent in the reign of such a good king proved that Jeremiah was not the only prophet, or the first, who threatened the city and the temple without incurring death.
mountain of the house--Moriah, on which stood the temple (peculiarly called "the house") shall be covered with woods instead of buildings. Jeremiah, in quoting previous prophecies, never does so without alteration; he adapts the language to his own style, showing thereby his authority in his treatment of Scripture, as being himself inspired.
19 Hezekiah, so far from killing him, was led "to fear the Lord," and pray for remission of the sentence against Judah (
2Chr 32:26).
Lord repented-- (
Exod 32:14;
2Sam 24:16).
Thus--if we kill Jeremiah.
20 As the flight and capture of Urijah must have occupied some time, "the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim" (
Jer 26:1) must not mean the very beginning, but the second or third year of his eleven years' reign.
And . . . also--perhaps connected with
Jer 26:24, as the comment of the writer, not the continuation of the speech of the elders: "And although also a man that prophesied . . . Urijah . . . (proving how great was the danger in which Jeremiah stood, and how wonderful the providence of God in preserving him), nevertheless the hand of Ahikam," &c. [GLASSIUS]. The context, however, implies rather that the words are the continuation of the previous speech of the elders. They adduce another instance besides that of Micah, though of a different kind, namely, that of Urijah: he suffered for his prophecies, but they imply, though they do not venture to express it, that thereby sin has been added to sin, and that it has done no good to Jehoiakim, for that the notorious condition of the state at this time shows that a heavier vengeance is impending if they persevere in such acts of violence [CALVIN].
22 Jehoiakim sent . . . into Egypt--He had been put on the throne by Pharaoh of Egypt (
2Kgs 23:34). This explains the readiness with which he got the Egyptians to give up Urijah to him, when that prophet had sought an asylum in Egypt. Urijah was faithful in delivering his message, but faulty in leaving his work, so God permitted him to lose his life, while Jeremiah was protected in danger. The path of duty is often the path of safety.
23 graves of the common people--literally, "sons of the people" (compare
2Kgs 23:6). The prophets seem to have had a separate cemetery (
Matt 23:29). Urijah's corpse was denied this honor, in order that he should not be regarded as a true prophet.
24 Ahikam--son of Shaphan the scribe, or royal secretary. He was one of those whom King Josiah, when struck by the words of the book of the law, sent to inquire of the Lord (
2Kgs 22:12,
2Kgs 22:14). Hence his interference here in behalf of Jeremiah is what we should expect from his past association with that good king. His son, Gedaliah, followed in his father's steps, so that he was chosen by the Babylonians as the one to whom they committed Jeremiah for safety after taking Jerusalem, and on whose loyalty they could depend in setting him over the remnant of the people in Judea (
Jer 39:14;
2Kgs 25:22).
people to put him to death--Princes often, when they want to destroy a good man, prefer it to be done by a popular tumult rather than by their own order, so as to reap the fruit of the crime without odium to themselves (
Matt 27:20).