Jeremiah 26:7-16

26:7 The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah say these things in the Lord’s temple. 26:8 Jeremiah had just barely finished saying all the Lord had commanded him to say to all the people. All at once some ¹  of the priests, the prophets, and the people grabbed him and shouted, “You deserve to die! ²  26:9 How dare you claim the Lord’s authority to prophesy such things! How dare you claim his authority to prophesy that this temple will become like Shiloh and that this city will become an uninhabited ruin!” ³  Then all the people crowded around Jeremiah.

26:10 However, some of the officials ⁴  of Judah heard about what was happening ⁵  and they rushed up to the Lord’s temple from the royal palace. They set up court ⁶  at the entrance of the New Gate of the Lord’s temple. ⁷  26:11 Then the priests and the prophets made their charges before the officials and all the people. They said, ⁸  “This man should be condemned to die ⁹  because he prophesied against this city. You have heard him do so ¹⁰  with your own ears.”

26:12 Then Jeremiah made his defense before all the officials and all the people. ¹¹  “The Lord sent me to prophesy everything you have heard me say against this temple and against this city. 26:13 But correct the way you have been living and do what is right. ¹²  Obey the Lord your God. If you do, the Lord will forgo destroying you as he threatened he would. ¹³  26:14 As to my case, I am in your power. ¹⁴  Do to me what you deem fair and proper. 26:15 But you should take careful note of this: If you put me to death, you will bring on yourselves and this city and those who live in it the guilt of murdering an innocent man. For the Lord has sent me to speak all this where you can hear it. That is the truth!” ¹⁵ 

26:16 Then the officials and all the people rendered their verdict to the priests and the prophets. They said, ¹⁶  “This man should not be condemned to die. ¹⁷  For he has spoken to us under the authority of the Lord our God.” ¹⁸ 

[26:8]  ¹ tn The translation again represents an attempt to break up a long complex Hebrew sentence into equivalent English ones that conform more to contemporary English style: Heb “And as soon as Jeremiah finished saying all that…the priests…grabbed him and said…” The word “some” has been supplied in the translation, because obviously it was not all the priests, the prophets, and all the people, but only some of them. There is, of course, rhetorical intent here to show that all were implicated, although all may not have actually participated. (This is a common figure called synecdoche where all is put for a part – all for all kinds or representatives of all kinds. See E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 614-19, and compare usage in Acts 10:12; Matt 3:5.)

[26:8]  ² tn Or “You must certainly die!” The construction here is again emphatic with the infinitive preceding the finite verb (cf. Joüon 2:423 §123.h, and compare usage in Exod 21:28).

[26:9]  ³ tn Heb “Why have you prophesied in the Lord’s name, saying, ‘This house will become like Shiloh and this city will become a ruin without inhabitant?’” It is clear from the context here and in 7:1-15 that the emphasis is on “in the Lord’s name” and that the question is rhetorical. The question is not a quest for information but an accusation, a remonstrance. (For this figure see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 953-54, who calls a question like this a rhetorical question of remonstrance or expostulation. For good examples see Pss 11:1; 50:16.) For the significance of “prophesying in the Lord’s name” see the study note on 14:14. The translation again utilizes the indirect quote to eliminate one level of embedded quotation.

[26:10]  ⁴ sn These officials of Judah were officials from the royal court. They may have included some of the officials mentioned in Jer 36:12-25. They would have been concerned about any possible “illegal” proceedings going on in the temple.

[26:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “these things.”

[26:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “they sat” or “they took their seats.” However, the context is one of judicial trial.

[26:10]  ⁷ tn The translation follows many Hebrew mss and ancient versions in reading the word “house” (= temple) here. The majority of Hebrew mss do not have this word. It is, however, implicit in the construction “the New Gate of the Lord.”

[26:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “the priests and prophets said to the leaders and the people….” The long sentence has been broken up to conform better with contemporary English style and the situational context is reflected in “laid their charges.”

[26:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “a sentence of death to this man.”

[26:11]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “it.”

[26:12]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Jeremiah said to all the leaders and all the people….” See the note on the word “said” in the preceding verse.

[26:13]  ¹² tn Heb “Make good your ways and your actions.” For the same expression see 7:3, 5; 18:11.

[26:13]  ¹³ tn For the idiom and translation of terms involved here see 18:8 and the translator’s note there.

[26:14]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “And I, behold I am in your hand.” Hand is quite commonly used for “power” or “control” in biblical contexts.

[26:15]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “For in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak in your ears all these words/things.”

[26:16]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets…”

[26:16]  ¹⁷ sn Contrast v. 11.

[26:16]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “For in the name of the Lord our God he has spoken to us.” The emphasis is on “in the name of…”