Jeremiah 26:1-8

1 In the beginning of the realm of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word was made of the Lord, and said, (At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, this word of the Lord was made to Jeremiah, and said,)

2 The Lord said these things, Stand thou in the foreyard of the house of the Lord, and thou shalt speak to all the cities of Judah, from which they come for to worship in the house of the Lord, all the words which I command to thee, that thou speak to them; do not thou withdraw a word; (The Lord said these things, Stand thou in the courtyard of the House of the Lord, and thou shalt speak to all people of the cities of Judah, from which they come in order to worship in the House of the Lord, all the words which I command thee, that thou speak to them; do not thou withhold one word;)

3 if peradventure they hear, and be converted, each man from his evil way, and it repent me of the evil, which I thought to do to them, for the malices of their studies. (if perhaps they hear, and each person turn from his evil ways, and then I shall repent for the evil, which I had thought to do to them, for the malice of their deeds.)

4 And thou shalt say to them, The Lord saith these things, If ye hear not me, that ye go in my law which I gave to you, (And thou shalt say to them, The Lord saith these things, If ye do not listen to me, so that ye go in my Law which I gave to you,)

5 that ye hear the words of my servants, (the) prophets, which I rising by night, and (ad)dressing, sent to you, and ye heard not; (and that ye hear the words of my servants, the prophets, which I rising up by night, and directing, sent to you, but ye did not listen to them;)

6 I shall give this house as Shiloh, and I shall give this city into cursing to all folks of earth. (then I shall make this House like Shiloh, and I shall give this city into cursing by all the nations of the earth.)

7 And the priests, and prophets, and all the people heard Jeremy speaking these words in the house of the Lord. (And the priests, and the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the House of the Lord.)

8 And when Jeremy had [ful]filled speaking all things, which the Lord had commanded to him, that he should speak to all the people, the priests, and [the] prophets, and all the people took him, and said, Die he by death (He must die!);

Jeremiah 26:1-8 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.