Jeremiah 26:8-18

8 cumque conplesset Hieremias loquens omnia quae praeceperat ei Dominus ut loqueretur ad universum populum adprehenderunt eum sacerdotes et prophetae et omnis populus dicens morte morietur

9 quare prophetavit in nomine Domini dicens sicut Silo erit domus haec et urbs ista desolabitur eo quod non sit habitator et congregatus est omnis populus adversum Hieremiam in domum Domini

10 et audierunt principes Iuda verba haec et ascenderunt de domo regis in domum Domini et sederunt in introitu portae Domini novae

11 et locuti sunt sacerdotes et prophetae ad principes et ad omnem populum dicentes iudicium mortis est viro huic quia prophetavit adversum civitatem istam sicut audistis auribus vestris

12 et ait Hieremias ad omnes principes et ad universum populum dicens Dominus misit me ut prophetarem ad domum istam et ad civitatem hanc omnia verba quae audistis

13 nunc ergo bonas facite vias vestras et studia vestra et audite vocem Domini Dei vestri et paenitebit Dominum mali quod locutus est adversum vos

14 ego autem ecce in manibus vestris sum facite mihi ut bonum et rectum est in oculis vestris

15 verumtamen scitote et cognoscite quod si occideritis me sanguinem innocentem traditis contra vosmet ipsos et contra civitatem istam et habitatores eius in veritate enim misit me Dominus ad vos ut loquerer in auribus vestris omnia verba haec

16 et dixerunt principes et omnis populus ad sacerdotes et prophetas non est viro huic iudicium mortis quia in nomine Domini Dei nostri locutus est ad nos

17 surrexerunt ergo viri de senioribus terrae et dixerunt ad omnem coetum populi loquentes

18 Michas de Morasthim fuit propheta in diebus Ezechiae regis Iudae et ait ad omnem populum Iudae dicens haec dicit Dominus exercituum Sion quasi ager arabitur et Hierusalem in acervum lapidum erit et mons domus in excelsa silvarum

Jeremiah 26:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 26

This chapter gives an account of Jeremiah's preaching; of his being apprehended by the people; of his defence of himself, and acquittance upon it. The time when, place where, and persons to whom the prophet delivered his discourse, are pointed at in Jer 26:1,2; the substance of it was, that if the people of the Jews would repent of their sins and turn from them, the Lord would avert the evil he had threatened them with; but if not, he would make their temple like Shiloh, and their city a curse to all the earth, Jer 26:3-6; upon hearing which the people seized him, and vowed he should die, because he had prophesied of the destruction of their city and temple, Jer 26:7-9; which the princes hearing of, came from the king's house to one of the gates of the temple, and sat as a court of judicature; to whom the priests and prophets accused Jeremiah of the above things as worthy of death, Jer 26:10,11; and before whom the prophet made his defence, alleging his mission and orders from the Lord; and therefore, instead of recanting, repeats his exhortation; and as for himself, he was not careful what they did to him; but advises them not to shed innocent blood, since it would bring evil upon them, Jer 26:12-15; upon which the princes acquit him, and declare him innocent, Jer 26:16; and this is confirmed by a like instance of Micah the prophet, in the times of Hezekiah, who prophesied of the destruction of Jerusalem, and yet was not put to death, Jer 26:17-19; and by a contrary instance of Uriah, in the then present reign of Jehoiakim, who had been put to death for the like, but wrongly, Jer 26:20-23; and, in the issue, Jeremiah, through the good office of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, particularly, was saved from being put to death, Jer 26:24.