Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 26:12

Then spoke Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.

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 Act 5:39.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The answer of Jeremiah is simple and straightforward. Yahweh, he affirmed, had truly sent him, but the sole object of his prophesying had been to avert the evil by leading them to repentance. If they would amend their ways God would deliver them from the threatened doom. As for himself he was in their hands, but if they put him to death they would bring the guilt of shedding innocent blood upon themselves and upon the city.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 12. The Lord sent me to prophesy] My commission is from him, and my words are his own. I sought not this painful office. I did not run before I was sent.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

The priests having given Jeremiah his charge, he makes his defence. The sum of which was, he acknowledgeth that he had prophesied against the temple, and against the city, and tacitly acknowledgeth their power to take cognizance of seditious persons and false prophets, and doth not deny but such persons deserved to die; but denieth that he was a false prophet, or guilty of any design to stir up sedition, for he had said nothing but what God had sent him to speak; and therefore could not prophesy what was false, nor was to be charged with any seditious design.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

12. Lord sent mea validjustification against any laws alleged against him.

against . . . againstrather,”concerning.” Jeremiah purposely avoids saying, “against,”which would needlessly irritate. They had used the same Hebrewword (Jer 26:11), which oughtto be translated “concerning,” though they meant it in theunfavorable sense. Jeremiah takes up their word in a better sense,implying that there is still room for repentance: that his propheciesaim at the real good of the city; for or concerningthis house . . . city [GROTIUS].

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes, and to all the people, saying,…. In his own defence; which, as Jerom observes, was with prudence, humility, and constancy:

the Lord sent me to prophesy against this house, and against this city, all the words that ye have heard; he does not deny but that he had prophesied against the city of Jerusalem and against the temple, and that they should both come to ruin, unless the people repented and reformed; but then he urges, that he was sent by the Lord on this errand, and that every word that he had said, and they had heard, he was ordered to say by the Lord; and therefore what was he, that he should withstand God? he surely was not to be blamed for doing what the Lord commanded him to do; besides, all this was threatened only in case they continued obstinate and impenitent; wherefore he renews his exhortations to them in Jer 26:13.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Jeremiah pleads only his own calling and the command of God; and thus he confutes the preposterous charge which they most impudently brought against him. There is no doubt but that he might have spoken at large, but he deemed it enough to include the substance of his defense. Had he made a long discourse, the main point might have been more obscure. He now clearly makes known the state of the question on both sides. The priests by their own authority condemned Jeremiah, because he reduced to nothing [as they thought] God’s promises, for he had threatened destruction to the city and to the temple; but Jeremiah on the other side answers, that he had declared nothing but what God had enjoined. There was need of proof, when the priests held that God was inconsistent with himself in denouncing destruction on that city, which he had undertaken to defend and protect. But the confutation of this was ready at hand, — that God had never bound himself to hypocrites and ungodly men; nay, the whole glory of the city and the majesty of the Temple were dependent on his worship; nor is there any doubt but that Jeremiah had alleged these things. But as it was the main thing, he was satisfied with stating that he had been sent by God.

Thus he indirectly condemned their vain boastings, — that God was on their side; but he says, “I come not except by God’s command.” Now, though he declares briefly and distinctly that he had been sent by God, he yet presents himself as ready to prove everything; and as I have already said, there is no doubt but that he answered and discussed that frivolous question on which the priests so much insisted.

It is further worthy of being noticed, that he addressed both the princes and the people; and thus he intimated that the priests and the prophets were deaf, and not worthy of being spoken to; for it was their determination proudly to despise God, and to carry on war, as it were avowedly, with his servants; for he would have otherwise no doubt gladly endeavored to restore them to the way of safety. But as he saw that they had closed the door against themselves, he passed them by. This is the reason why he says, that he spoke to the princes and to the people, having passed by those, on whom he must have spent labor in vain. And surely when they said that he was worthy of death, they proved by such a presumption that they would not be taught by him; and also their cruelty prevented them from being teachable. But the Prophet had regard to the very source of evil, because their object was obstinately to resist God and all his prophets.

By saying, that he was sent to prophesy all that they had heard, he made them judges, though he did not address them together with the princes; for we have seen that the latter were in the king’s palace, and had been sent for when there was a fear of some commotion. But there is no doubt but that the address was repeated again. Jeremiah then made them judges and arbitrators, when he said that he retracted nothing, but that what they had heard, he had faithfully declared according to the command of God. It follows, —

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(12) The Lord sent me to prophesy . . .The answer of the accused is that of all true prophets and preachers of the word, The Lord God hath spoken, and he can but prophesy (Amo. 3:8). He must obey God rather than man (Act. 5:29). And in this instance the prophet has nothing in the way of credentials but the message itself. He worked no signs or wonders.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

12. The Lord sent me How simple and how perfect this justification! The prophets, men of his own class, join with the priests in calling for Jeremiah’s condemnation; a circumstance which must have had great weight with the people. Yet his answer is sufficient. It exculpates him, and virtually condemns them; for they, so far from giving free course to the word of God, actually hindered it.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Jeremiah’s Defense and Deliverance

v. 12. Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city, rather, “to” or “concerning this house and this city”; for Jeremiah purposely avoided any expression which might cause irritation, all the words that ye have heard. He was not giving his own personal opinion or voicing any spite which he might have felt, but he had only done his duty.

v. 13. Therefore, now amend your ways and your doings, this appeal showing his disinterested motives, his desire to help his people in this emergency, and obey the voice of the Lord, your God; and the Lord will repent Him of the evil that He has pronounced against you. It was the one condition under which he could promise salvation.

v. 14. As for me, behold, I am in your hand, he was resigned to his fate at their hands; do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you; he bowed in humility and submission to the constituted authority.

v. 16. But know ye for certain that, if ye put me to death, in the hope of thereby getting rid of an unpleasant exhorter and escaping his warnings, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and upon the inhabitants thereof, thereby increasing their guilt and incurring heavier penalties; for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears, Jeremiah feeling it necessary to affirm this truth a second time in order to give emphasis to his warning.

v. 16. Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets, in giving their verdict in this important matter, convinced of the truth of Jeremiah’s statements, This man is not worthy to die, he has not deserved to be executed as a blasphemer, for he hath spoken to us in the name of the Lord, our God. Although they had, in the beginning, clamored for his death, they had quickly been influenced in the opposite direction, after the manner of fickle mobs the world over.

v. 17. Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, either the most venerable and experienced of the princes or aged representatives of the people, who were highly respected for their wisdom, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,

v. 18. Micah, the Morasthite, called so after a village in the tribe of Judah, prophesied in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Zion shall be plowed like a field, after being utterly destroyed, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, a pile of ruins, and the mountain of the house, the hill Moriah, on which the Temple stood, as the high places of a forest, so that the trees of the forest would freely get a foothold there. Cf Mic 3:12. It was thus a historical fact that Jeremiah was not the first prophet or the only one who had prophesied against Jerusalem and the Temple.

v. 19. Did Hezekiah, king of Judah, and all Judah put him at all to death? Did they attempt to escape his unpleasant message by putting him to death? Did he not, instead of venting a possible personal spite in such a manner, fear the Lord and besought the Lord, begging Him to show mercy upon His people, and the Lord repented Him of the evil which He had pronounced against them? Thus, namely by killing Jeremiah as had been suggested, might we procure great evil against our souls, they might bring upon themselves the swift judgment of God. Moreover, the elders have still another historical example to urge in this case.

v. 20. And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urijah, the son of Shemaiah, of Kirjath-jearim, a prophet otherwise unknown, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah, that is, in the same manner, his message having the same content,

v. 21. and when Jehoiakim, the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes, the most powerful men of the nation, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Urijah heard it, being informed of the king’s intention, he was afraid and fled and went into Egypt, where he hoped to find security;

v. 22. and Jehoiakim, the king, who had been placed on the throne by Pharaoh of Egypt, 2Ki 23:34, sent men into Egypt, namely, Einathan, the son of Ach-bor, and certain men with him into Egypt.

v. 23. And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, whose people readily delivered him to their allies, and brought him unto Jehoiakim, the king, who slew him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people, in the Valley of the Kidron, instead of giving it the honorable burial of a prophet of the Lord.

v. 24. Nevertheless, the hand of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, the worthy son of a noble father, 2Ki 22:12-14, and the father of Gedaliah, who followed in his steps, 2Ki 25:22, was with Jeremiah, he brought all his influence to bear in his favor, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death, for this course was sometimes followed by rulers in order to remove the stigma of a judicial murder from themselves. Note: Urijah was faithful in delivering his message, but erred in this, that he forsook his post when danger threatened; so God permitted him to lose his life, while that of Jeremiah was spared. God’s ministers must firmly believe that He can and will protect them in every emergency, according to His will.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Jer 26:12 Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.

Ver. 12. The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house. ] In this apology of the prophet thus answering for himself with a heroic spirit, five noble virtues, fit for a martyr, are by an expositor well observed: (1.) His prudence in alleging his divine mission; (2.) His charity in exhorting his enemies to repent; (3.) His humility in saying, “Behold, I am in your hand,” &c.; (4.) His magnanimity and freedom of speech, in telling them that God would revenge his death; (5.) His spiritual security and fearlessness of death in so good a cause, and with so good a conscience.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 26:12-15

12Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. 13Now therefore amend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will change His mind about the misfortune which He has pronounced against you. 14But as for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your sight. 15Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city and on its inhabitants; for truly the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.

Jer 26:13 This repeats the message of Jer 26:3-6.

Jer 26:15 know for certain This is an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and an IMPERFECT VERB from the same root (BDB 393, KB 390), which denotes intensity.

innocent blood See Jer 7:6; Deu 19:10; Pro 6:16-17.

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

Jer 26:12-15

Jer 26:12-15

JEREMIAH’S COURAGEOUS DEFENSE

Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, Jehovah sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of Jehovah your God; and Jehovah will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you. But as for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as is good and right in your eyes. Only know ye for certain that, if ye put me to death, ye will bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof; for of a truth Jehovah hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.

Like the Blessed Saviour himself, Jeremiah submitted to the powers of the government, but warned them of the consequences. The words of the prophet were fully truthful and convincing. No person unmotivated with a hatred of God’s Word could deny the righteous defense of this godly prophet; and the princes and elders promptly defiled that any death penalty was deserved.

The proceedings at the New Gate were similar to those in any court of law. Formal charges were lodged against Jeremiah (Jer 26:11) and then the prophet was allowed to speak in his own defense (Jer 26:12-15). A legal precedent was cited which seems to justify acquittal (Jer 26:16-19). But then a counter-precedent which would demand the death of the prophet was submitted to the court (Jer 26:20-23). The account closes with an explanation of how Jeremiah escaped death at the hands of his adversaries (Jer 26:24).

1. Indictment and defense (Jer 26:11-15)

The false prophets and priests open the formal trial proceedings with their accusation against Jeremiah. They demand a judgment of death. Apparently they feel that Jeremiah has prophesied falsely in the name of the Lord and therefore was worthy of the death penalty (Deu 18:20). They could not conceive of such threatening prophecy coming from the Lord. To declare that the Lord would destroy the Temple was blasphemy, a capital crime! It seemed to be an open and shut case. Everyone in the court had heard Jeremiahs sermon.

It is to the credit of the princely tribunal that they gave Jeremiah an opportunity to defend himself. Laetsch calls Jeremiahs defense a masterpiece of brevity and convincing argumentation. He does not retract any statement he has made nor does he make any apology. In his defense he makes four points: (1) The Lord sent me with this message (Jer 26:12). (2) If you repent of your sins no calamity will befall you (Jer 26:13). (3) You may do with me as you please (Jer 26:14). He seems to be saying here that he is willing to die for what he has done if the court deem that an appropriate punishment. (4) If I am executed you will be guilty of shedding innocent blood (Jer 26:15). Jeremiah closes his defense as he had begun, by affirming in no uncertain terms the divine origin of his message. This may have been Jeremiahs finest hour. The court could not help but be impressed by the unshaken conviction of this man of God.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

The Lord: Jer 26:2, Jer 26:15, Jer 1:17, Jer 1:18, Jer 19:1-3, Amo 7:15-17, Act 4:19, Act 5:29

Reciprocal: Eze 21:2 – against Act 6:14 – that 2Ti 2:25 – instructing 1Pe 3:15 – and be

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Jer 26:12, Their tirade against Jeremiah did not intimidate him, but he declared that his prophecy against the place was by the order of the Lord,

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

26:12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD {h} sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.

(h) He both shows the cause of his doings plainly and also threatens them that nothing would help, though they should put him to death, but heap greater vengeance on their heads.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

Jeremiah responded with a threefold defense. He said that he had simply preached a message that Yahweh had sent him to deliver; he had not spoken presumptuously (cf. Deu 18:20). [Note: The Apostle Paul similarly defended his message in his epistle to the Galatians.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)