Ch. Jeremiah 26:1-24. Solemn warning addressed to the people and its results

This ch. as a whole gives us a rapid sketch of the circumstances under which Jeremiah had uttered the prophecies that went before. The more definite he had become in his warnings, the more he excited the wrath of the false prophets and of those who sided with them; and now that he had explicitly announced (Jeremiah 25:11) a seventy years’ captivity, their indignation boiled over, and they sought to compass his death. From the contents of this ch. then we can realise better under what conditions and with what courage the prophet continued his fore-castings of definite calamity in the chapters which follow. “The beginning” will naturally denote some date earlier than the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign, when the crisis came about, and Jeremiah was no longer listened to nor tolerated (ch. 36).

The ch. may be summarized thus. (i) Jeremiah 26:1-6. Jeremiah declares publicly that in the absence of amendment the Temple shall share the fate of Shiloh. (ii) Jeremiah 26:7-15. He is in consequence attacked by priests and prophets, and speaks in his own defence. (iii) Jeremiah 26:16-19. The princes and people rescue and defend him. Micah’s case is adduced in his support. (iv) Jeremiah 26:20-24. Jeremiah’s danger is illustrated by the compiler by means of the story of Uriah.

1–6. For a discussion as to the relation of these vv. to chs. 7–10 see introductory note there.

Gi. points out that the use of the 3rd person with reference to Jeremiah as well as other features of the ch. indicate the probability that it is a compilation made by Baruch, upon which the following chs. also to 45 evidently draw considerably. We may note that owing to Baruch’s habit of dating the events which he mentions, a light is thrown upon them which is often lacking in regard to the prophet’s discourses.

2. the court of the Lord’s house] probably the outer court, as that in which the people would assemble; so ch. Jeremiah 19:14.

the cities of] LXX omit; introduced perhaps to harmonize with Jeremiah 11:6.

keep not back a word] The temptation in the way of suppression would be through natural shrinking from the danger involved. Cp. Deuteronomy 4:2; Deuteronomy 12:32.

3. repent] See on Jeremiah 18:8.

4. my law] See on Jeremiah 8:8. Here the reference, as the following clause indicates, is to the doctrinal rather than the ritual teaching.

I have set before you] See on Jeremiah 9:13.

5. rising up early and sending] See Jeremiah 7:13.

6. Shiloh] See on Jeremiah 7:12.

will make this city a curse to] will make all nations use it as an example when imprecating curses on their enemies. Cp. Jeremiah 24:9 and contrast Genesis 12:3; Genesis 22:18.

7. prophets] The LXX, in order to make the sense clearer, render the Hebrew here, as in Jeremiah 26:8; Jeremiah 26:11; Jeremiah 26:16, “false prophets.”

7–16. See introd. summary to ch.

8. Thou shalt surely die] That prophet who spoke without God’s command was according to Deuteronomy 18:20 to be put to death. The charge against Jeremiah then was of this nature, and the alleged proof, that it was impossible in the nature of things that such a calamity could be allowed to happen to the people of God.

10. the princes of Judah … came up from the king’s house] The powers of these persons are not clear. Evidently, however, their employment about the court and the constantly increasing weakness of the monarchy would help them to the acquisition of such authority as we find them here exercising.

came up] See on Jeremiah 22:1.

the new gate] probably the same as the “upper gate” of ch. Jeremiah 20:2, where see note.

of the Lord’s house] The MT. omits “house.” Possibly we should reject both substantives. They are unnecessary after Jeremiah 26:9. LXX MSS., agreeing as to “house,” are divided with regard to “the Lord.”

11. hath prophesied against this city] Cp. Acts 6:12 ff.

12. Jeremiah’s defence is that the message is from God and therefore true. His conviction is unshaken. Let his accusers beware, lest in putting him to death they be really fighting against God. Cp. Gamaliel in Acts 5:39.

13. your ways and your doings] See on Jeremiah 7:3.

16. The princes, not being prejudiced as were Jeremiah’s accusers, give a fair decision and carry the people with them.

16–19. See introd. summary to ch.

17. the elders of the land] Certain elders support this proceeding by the precedent of Micah. We find frequent mention of the employment of leading men for administrative or judicial purposes (Deuteronomy 19:12; Deuteronomy 21:2 ff.; 1 Samuel 16:4; 1 Kings 21:8; 1 Kings 21:11), or simply as representatives of the people. See Numbers 11:16 (C.B.), also Exodus 3:16; Exodus 3:18; Exodus 4:29; Exodus 17:5 f., Jeremiah 18:12.

18. Micaiah] So MT. reads in its text. Micah in its mg. is of course the Minor Prophet.

Morashtite] native of Morésheth, a small town near Gath, about 23 miles S.W. of Jerusalem.

Zion shall be plowed, etc.] Micah 3:12; the only citation by name of another prophet’s utterance in the whole of prophetic literature.

the mountain of the house] i.e. the Temple, as standing on Mount Moriah.

as the high places of a forest] better, wooded heights. “The temple mount shall be overgrown with low brushwood.” C.B. (Cheyne) on Micah, l.c.

19. Did Hezekiah … put him at all to death? [The words of Micah had been to the full as harsh-sounding as any that had been uttered by Jeremiah. Jeremiah was attacked for predicting the fall of the Temple and city; but Micah had said the same thing and no action was taken against him. The precedent supplied by the case of the former prophet therefore, the elders argue, is in favour of him who is now attacked. The passage is important as shewing that the reforms of Hezekiah were far from being attributable to the influence of Isaiah alone.

intreat the favour] lit. smooth the face, i.e. remove the frown (of an offended deity), appease; an anthropomorphism. Cp. Zechariah 7:2; Zechariah 8:21 f.; Malachi 1:9.

the Lord repented] The LXX here, as in Jeremiah 26:3; Jeremiah 26:13, render ceased, from dislike to any expression savouring to their minds of anthropomorphism. But the word serves at any rate to remind us that “all prophecy is conditional. The prophets declare the great principles of God’s moral government, and apply them to individual cases. But, if the moral conditions of the cases to which these principles are applied be altered, the threatening or the promise is postponed, modified, or recalled.” C.B. (Cheyne) on Micah, l.c. In the present case the destruction here described was never altogether fulfilled. Co. points out the special interest that attaches to the above episode, as indicating what a deep impression the utterances of a prophet made upon the people, even after the lapse of a century.

20. Kiriath-jearim] perhaps Karyet-el-Enab seven miles N.W. of Jerusalem on the road to Joppa (Jaffa).

20–24. See introd. summary to ch. The story is introduced by the compiler (probably Baruch) to illustrate the risk to which Jeremiah was exposed; perhaps also to contrast Jeremiah’s courage and Uriah’s cowardice. Du. suggests that the occurrence took place at the same Feast, but at a moment when the king was himself present, and that Uriah’s words may have specially pointed at him as the protégé of Egypt. Co. holds that, as the incident can hardly have occurred before Jeremiah’s prophecy—otherwise the latter would not have produced such an excitement—it must be considered to have been subsequent to it. He places Jeremiah 26:24, as being the natural ending of the narrative concerning Jeremiah himself, before Jeremiah 26:20-23; but against such transposition we may hold that the point of Jeremiah 26:24 is the contrast between the case of the friendless Uriah and that of Jeremiah. In 21–23 the LXX omit various names and otherwise abbreviate.

21. with all his mighty men] The LXX omit, and the expression is not found elsewhere in the Book.

22. Elnathan … into Egypt] omitted by LXX and perhaps a gloss. Gi. points out that what we read of him in Jeremiah 36:12; Jeremiah 36:25 would make such an act as this on his part unlikely. On the other hand it is difficult for this very reason to understand his name being inserted here by a copyist. If he is to be identified with the E. mentioned in 2 Kings 24:8, he was father-in-law to Jehoiakim.

23. they fetched forth Uriah out of Egypt] As Jehoiakim was a vassal of Egypt (2 Kings 23:34), the extradition of a man accused of treason was easily effected.

common people] For mg. sons of the people cp. Jeremiah 17:19.

24. Ahikam the son of Shaphan] He was one of the five sent by Josiah (2 Kings 22:12) to consult Huldah. His son Gedaliah, as governor of the land (Jeremiah 39:14, Jeremiah 40:5), stood the prophet’s friend subsequently. It was in the chamber of another son of Shaphan, Gemariah, that Baruch read Jeremiah’s Roll in the ears of the people (Jeremiah 36:12).

The exact connexion of this v. with the rest of the story is not clear. It may refer back to the outburst of popular indignation mentioned in Jeremiah 26:8, and so may mean that, in contrast to Uriah’s fate, Jeremiah was on this occasion saved by Ahikam.