Jeremiah 26 Study Notes

26:12-15 Jeremiah defended himself with great courage, unusual brevity, and straightforward accounting for his twenty years of ministry among them (cp. 25:3, three years earlier). His message originated with God, and he faithfully delivered that message.

26:16 Jeremiah’s defense convinced the officials and all the people.

26:17-18 Micah the Moreshite alludes to Mc 1:1. The quoted verse is almost identical to Mc 3:12. Moresheth was a village twenty-three miles southwest of Jerusalem. Micah’s warnings were heeded, and the nation was delivered because the people responded with repentance. This argument from the past was effective, and Jeremiah was released.

26:19 The example of Micah and Hezekiah convince them that they dare not harm Jeremiah.

26:20-23 These verses show that Uriah son of Shemaiah did not fare as well as Micah did. Why some faithful servants are delivered and others are not is in God’s hands.

26:20 Kiriath-jearim was about eight miles northwest of Jerusalem where the ark of the covenant was kept after it was returned by the Philistines (1Sm 7:1-2).

26:22 Elnathan son of Achbor might have been one of the sons of Achbor son of Micaiah, an official of King Josiah (2Kg 22:12,14). Elnathan tried to stop King Jehoiakim from burning Jeremiah’s scroll (Jr 36:25).

26:23 Uriah was brought . . . out of Egypt by King Jehoiakim of Judah. As a vassal nation under Egypt, Jehoiakim had rights of extradition in accordance with international treaties.

26:24 Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah. Shaphan was the scribe of King Josiah’s reform (2Kg 22:3-14). Gemariah, another son of Shaphan, argued that King Jehoiakim should not burn Jeremiah’s scroll (Jr 36:10,25). A third son of Shaphan, Gedaliah, was appointed governor of Judah after the fall of Jerusalem (39:14; 40:5-16).