Jeremiah 26:2

2 "This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard of the Lord's temple and speak all the words I have commanded you to speak to all Judah's cities that are coming to worship there. Do not hold back a word.^[a]

Jeremiah 26:2 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 26:2

Thus saith the Lord, stand in the court of the Lord's house,
&c.] It, the great court of Israel, where the people used to meet together for worship: and speak unto all the cities of Judah;
the inhabitants of them; not only to those that dwelt at Jerusalem but in the rest of the cities of Judah; for what he was to say concerned them all, they having all sinned, and needed repentance and reformation; without which they would be involved in the general calamity of the nation: which come to worship in the Lord's house;
as they did three times in the year, at the feasts of passover, pentecost, and tabernacles; and it was now the last of these, as Bishop Usher thinks, when this prophecy was to be delivered to them: all the words that I command thee to speak to them:
nothing must be kept back, the whole counsel of God must be declared; not a word suppressed through affection to them, or fear of them; God commanded, and must be obeyed, let the consequence be what it will: diminish not a word;
soften not any expression or alter any word, by putting one more smooth for one rough; or change the accent, or abate of the vehemency of delivering it; but both for matter manner, and form let it be as directed, without any subtraction and diminution, change or alteration: a rule which every minister of the word ought to attend to; seeking not to please men, but God that sends him and Christ whose minister he is.

Jeremiah 26:2 In-Context

1 At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord:

2 "This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard of the Lord's temple and speak all the words I have commanded you to speak to all Judah's cities that are coming to worship there. Do not hold back a word.

3 Perhaps they will listen and return-each from his evil way of life-so that I might relent concerning the disaster that I plan to do to them because of the evil of their deeds.

4 You are to say to them: This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to Me by living according to My law that I set before you

5 and by listening to the words of My servants the prophets I have been sending you time and time again, though you did not listen,

Footnotes

• [a] Dt 4:2; Ec 3:14