JER 26

Jeremiah 26:13

WEB

Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey Yahweh your God’s voice; then Yahweh will relent from the evil that he has pronounced against you.

BSB

So now, correct your ways and deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, so that He might relent of the disaster He has pronounced against you.

KJV

Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.

Matthew Henry

Verses 7–15

Jeremiah 26:7–15

One would have hoped that such a sermon as that in the foregoing verses, so plain and practical, so rational and pathetic, and delivered in God's name, would work upon even this people, especially meeting them now at their devotions, and would prevail with them to repent and reform; but, instead of awakening their convictions, it did but exasperate their corruptions, as appears by this account of the effect of it.

I. Jeremiah is charged with it as a crime that he had preached such a sermon, and is apprehended for it as a criminal. The priests, and false prophets, and people, heard him speak these words, Jer 26:7. They had patience, it seems, to hear him out, did not disturb him when he was preaching, nor give him any interruption till he had made an end of speaking all that the Lord commanded him to speak, Jer 26:8. So far they dealt more fairly with him than some of the persecutors of God's ministers have done; they let him say all he had to say, and yet perhaps with a bad design, in hopes to have something worse yet to lay to his charge; but, having no worse, this shall suffice to ground an indictment upon: He hath said, This house shall be like Shiloh, Jer 26:9. See how unfair they are in representing his words. He had said, in God's name, If you will not hearken to me, then will I make this house like Shiloh; but they leave out God's hand in the desolation (I will make it so) and their own hand in it in not hearkening to the voice of God, and charge it upon him that he blasphemed this holy place, the crime charged both on our Lord Jesus and on Stephen: He said, This house shall be like Shiloh. Well might he complain, as David does (Psa 56:5), Every day they wrest my words; and we must not think it strange if we, and what we say and do, be thus misrepresented. When the accusation was so weakly grounded, no marvel that the sentence passed upon it was unjust: Thou shalt surely die. What he had said agreed with what God had said when he took possession of the temple (Kg1 9:6-8), If you shall at all turn from following after me, then this house shall be abandoned; and yet he is condemned to die for saying it. It is not out of any concern for the honour of the temple that they appear thus warm, but because they are resolved not to part with their sins, in which they flatter themselves with a conceit that the temple of the Lord will protect them; therefore, right or wrong, Thou shalt surely die. This outcry of the priests and prophets raised the mob, and all the people were gathered together against Jeremiah in a popular tumult, ready to pull him to pieces, were gathered about him (so some read it); they flocked together, some crying one thing and some another. The people that were at first present were hot against him (v. 8), but their clamours drew more together, only to see what the matter was.

II. He is arraigned and indicted for it before the highest court of judicature they had. Here, 1. The princes of Judah were his judges, Jer 26:10. Those that filled the thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David, the elders of Israel, they, hearing of this tumult in the temple, came up from the king's house, where they usually sat near the court, to the house of the Lord, to enquire into this matter, and to see that nothing was done disorderly. They sat down in the entry of the new gate of the Lord's house, and held a court, as it were, by a special commission of Oyer and Terminer. 2. The priests and prophets were his prosecutors and accusers, and were violently set against him. They appealed to the princes, and to all the people, to the court and the jury, whether this man were not worthy to die, Jer 26:11. The corrupt priests and counterfeit prophets have always been the most bitter enemies of the prophets of the Lord; they had ends of their own to serve, which they thought such preaching as this would be an obstruction to. When Jeremiah prophesied in the house of the king concerning the fall of the royal family (Jer 22:1, etc.), the court, though very corrupt, bore it patiently, and we do not find that they persecuted him for it; but when he comes into the house of the Lord, and touches the copyhold of the priests, and contradicts the lies and flatteries of the false prophets, then he is adjudged worthy to die. For the prophets prophesied falsely, and the priests bore rule by their means, Jer 5:31. Observe, When Jeremiah is indicted before the princes the stress of his accusation is laid upon what he said concerning the city, because they thought the princes would be most concerned about that. But concerning the words spoken they appeal to the people, "You have heard what he hath said; let it be given in evidence."

III. Jeremiah makes his defence before the princes and the people. He does not go about to deny the words, nor to diminish aught from them; what he has said he will stand to, though it cost him his life; he owns that he had prophesied against this house and this city, but, 1. He asserts that he did this by good authority, not maliciously nor seditiously, not out of any ill-will to his country nor any disaffection to the government in church or state, but, The Lord sent me to prophesy thus: so he begins his apology (Jer 26:12), and so he concludes it, for this is that which he resolves to abide by as sufficient to bear him out (Jer 26:15): Of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you, to speak all these words. As long as ministers keep closely to the instructions they have from heaven they need not fear the opposition they may meet with from hell or earth. He pleads that he is but a messenger, and, if he faithfully deliver his message, he must bear no blame; but he is a messenger from the Lord, to whom they were accountable as well as he, and therefore might demand regard. If he speak but what God appointed him to speak, he is under the divine protection, and whatever affront they offer to the ambassador will be resented by the Prince that sent him. 2. He shows them that he did it with a good design, and that it was their fault if they did not make a good use of it. It was said, not by way of fatal sentence, but of fair warning; if they would take the warning, they might prevent the execution of the sentence, Jer 26:13. Shall I take it ill of a man that tells me of my danger, while I have an opportunity of avoiding it, and not rather return him thanks for it, as the greatest kindness he could do me? "I have indeed (says Jeremiah) prophesied against this city; but, if you will now amend your ways and your doings, the threatened ruin shall be prevented, which was the thing I aimed at in giving you the warning." Those are very unjust who complain of ministers for preaching hell and damnation, when it is only to keep them from that place of torment and to bring them to heaven and salvation. 3. He therefore warns them of their danger if they proceed against him (Jer 26:14): "As for me, the matter is not great what become of me; behold, I am in your hand; you know I am; I neither have any power, nor can make any interest, to oppose you, nor is it so much my concern to save my own life: do with me as seems meet unto you; if I be led to the slaughter, it shall be as a lamb." Note, It becomes God's ministers, that are warm in preaching, to be calm in suffering and to behave submissively to the powers that are over them, though they be persecuting powers. But, for themselves, he tells them that it is at their peril if they put him to death: You shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, Jer 26:15. They might think that killing the prophet would help to defeat the prophecy, but they would prove wretchedly deceived; it would but add to their guilt and aggravate their ruin. Their own consciences could not but tell them that, if Jeremiah was (as certainly he was) sent of God to bring them this message, it was at their utmost peril if they treated him for it as a malefactor. Those that persecute God's ministers hurt not them so much as themselves.

Cross-references: Jer 26:7 · Jer 26:8 · Jer 26:9 · Ps 56:5 · 1Kgs 9:6 · Jer 26:10 · Jer 26:11 · Jer 22:1 · Jer 5:31 · Jer 26:12 · Jer 26:15 · Jer 26:13 · Jer 26:14

Hebrew interlinear

H6258

עַתָּהʻattâh/at-taw'/

adv — at this time

Derivation: from 6256;

at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or expletive

KJV: henceforth, now, straightway, this time, whereas.

עַתָּ֫ה

adv — now

עַתָּ֫ה 435, עָ֑֫תָּה, adv. of time, now

H3190

יָטַבyâṭab/yaw-tab'/

v — be, make well

Derivation: a primitive root;

to be (causative) make well, literally (sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful, right)

KJV: be accepted, amend, use aright, benefit, be (make) better, seem best, make cheerful, be comely, be content, diligent(-ly), dress, earnestly, find favour, give, be glad, do (be, make) good(-ness), be (make) merry, please ( well), shew more (kindness), skilfully, × very small, surely, make sweet, thoroughly, tire, trim, very, be (can, deal, entreat, go, have) well (said, seen).

יָטַב

vb — be good

[יָטַב] vb. be good, well, glad, pleasing

Qal

1. be glad, joyful

2. be well placed

3. impers. be well for or with, go well with

4. be pleasing

Hithp.

1. make glad, rejoice

2. do good to, deal well with

3. do well or thoroughly

4. make a thing good, right, beautiful

5. do well, right, ethically

H1870

דֶּרֶךְderek/deh'-rek/

n-m — road, trodden, course, mode

Derivation: from 1869;

a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb

KJV: along, away, because of, by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever).

דֶּ֫רֶךְ

n.m — way

דֶּ֫רֶךְ 715 n.m. way, road, distance, journey, manner

1. way, road, path

2. journey

3. of direction, almost or quite = toward

4. way, manner

5. fig. of course of life, or action, undertakings

6.

a. of moral action and character

b. of duty

c. specif.: in good sense

d. oftener in bad sense

e. way of י׳

H4611

מַעֲלָלmaʻălâl/mah-al-awl'/

n-m — act

Derivation: from 5953;

an act (good or bad)

KJV: doing, endeavour, invention, work.

מַעֲלָל

n.m — deed

[מַעֲלָל] 41 n.m. deed, practice

H8085

שָׁמַעshâmaʻ/shaw-mah'/

v — hear, tell

Derivation: a primitive root;

to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)

KJV: × attentively, call (gather) together, × carefully, × certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, × diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), × indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, × surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.

שָׁמַע

vb — hear

שָׁמַע 1152 vb. hear

Qal 1052

1. subj. pers. hum.

2. י׳ (God) subj.

Niph. 42

1. be heard, of voice, sound

2. be heard of

3. be regarded, obeyed

4. = (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice.

Pi. he caused the people to hear

Hiph. 63

1. of man

2. י׳ subj.

H6963

קוֹלqôwl/kole/

n-m — voice, sound

Derivation: or קֹל; from an unused root meaning to call aloud;

a voice or sound

KJV: aloud, bleating, crackling, cry ( out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, hold peace, (pro-) claim, proclamation, sing, sound, spark, thunder(-ing), voice, yell.

קוֹל

n.m — sound

קוֹל 506 n.m. sound, voice

קֹל

n.[m.] — lightness

קֹל n.[m.] lightness, frivolity;—Je 3:9

H3068

יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâh/yeh-ho-vaw'/

n-pr — Existent, Jeho-vah

Derivation: from 1961;

(the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God

KJV: Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

יהוה

n.pr.dei — God

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

I. יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

II.

1. יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

2. the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

3. יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

H430

אֱלֹהִיםʼĕlôhîym/el-o-heem'/

n-m — gods, God, magistrates

Derivation: plural of 433;

gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative

KJV: angels, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × mighty.

אֱלֹהִים

n.m.pl — gods

אֱלֹהִים 2570 n.m.pl.

1. pl. in number.

a. rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power

b. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels

c. angels

d. gods

2. pl. intensive

a. god or goddess

b. godlike one

c. works of God, or things belongng to him

d. God

3. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God

4. אֱלֹהִים = God

H5162

נָחַםnâcham/naw-kham'/

v — sigh, breathe, sorry, pity, console, rue, avenge

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly; by implication, to be sorry, i.e. (in a favorable sense) to pity, console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself)

KJV: comfort (self), ease (one's self), repent(-er,-ing, self).

נחם

vb — be sorry

[נחם] vb. Niph. be sorry, console oneself, etc.

Niph.

1. be sorry, moved to pity, have compassion, for others

2. be sorry, rue, suffer grief, repent, of one’s own doings

3. comfort oneself, be comforted

4. comfort oneself, ease oneself, by taking vengeance

Pielcomfort, console

Pual; be comforted, consoled

Hithpa.—

1. be sorry, have compassion

2. rue, repent of

3. comfort oneself, be comforted

4. ease oneself, by taking vengeance

H413

אֵלʼêl/ale/

prep — near, with, among, to

Derivation: (but only used in the shortened constructive form אֶל ); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e.

near, with or among; often in general, to

KJV: about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, × hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).

אֶל

prep — motion to

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).

1. of motion to or unto a person or place

2. Where the limit is actually entered, into

3. Of direction towards anything

4. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

5. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

6. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

7. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

8. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

9. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

H7451

רַעraʻ/rah/

a n-m n-f — bad, evil

Derivation: from 7489;

bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)

KJV: adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), exceedingly, × great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).

רַע

n.m — evil

רַע 126 n.m. evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity

1. evil, distress, adversity

2. evil, injury, wrong

3. ethical evil

רַע

adj — bad

רַע 228 adj. bad, evil

1. bad, disagreeable, malignant

2. bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery

3. evil, displeasing

4. bad of its kind

5. bad, , i.e. of low value

6. מִן comp., worse than

7. sad, unhappy

8. devise evil (hurtful) device

9. bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper

10. ethically bad, evil, wicked

רָעָה

n.f — evil

רָעָה 310 n.f. evil, misery, distress, injury

1. evil, misery, distress

2. evil, injury, wrong

3. ethical evil

H834

אֲשֶׁרʼăsher/ash-er'/

r — who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

Derivation: a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.

KJV: × after, × alike, as (soon as), because, × every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), × if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), × though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.

אֲשֶׁר

part. of relation — who

אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.

בַאֲשֶׁר

adv — in which

בַאֲשֶׁר

a. in (that) which

b. adv. in (the place) where

c. conj. in that, inasmuch as

d. on account of whom?

כַּאֲשֶׁר

conj — according as

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

1. according to that which, according as, as

2. with a causal force, in so far as, since

3. with a temporal force, when

מֵאֲשֶׁר

adv — who

מֵאֲשֶׁר

a. from (or than) that which

b. adv. from (the place) where

c. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

H1696

דָבַרdâbar/daw-bar'/

v — arrange, speak, subdue

Derivation: a primitive root;

perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue

KJV: answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, × well, × work.

דָבַר

vb — speak

[דָבַר] 1142 vb. speak (original mng. dub.)

Qal speak

Niph. reciprocal sense, speak with one another, talk

Pi. speak

Pu. in the day when she may be spoken for

Hithp. speaking this word

Hiph. either leads subject, or puts to flight, fig. for subdues

H5921

עַלʻal/al/

prep — above, over, upon, against

Derivation: properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following);

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, × as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, × both and, by (reason of), × had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, × with.

כִּי עַל כֵּן

forasmuch as

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

עַל

subst — above

עַל, עָ֑ל

I. subst. height

II. As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1. Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

a.

(a). of clothing, etc., which any one wears

(b). With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

b. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

c. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

d. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

e. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

f. Of the ground or basis, on which a thing is done

2. It expresses excess

3. It denotes elevation or pre-eminence

4. It expresses addition

5. It expresses the idea of being extended, or suspended over anything, without however being in contact with it, above, over

6. From the sense of inclining or impending over, על comes to denote contiguity or proximity, Engl. by (or sts. on)

7. In connection with verbs of motion (actual or fig.)

8. By writers of the silver age, על is sts. used with the force of a dative

9. With other particles:

III. As conj.

a. עַל אֲשֶׁר because that

b. עַל כִּי similar in meaning, but less frequent

c. עַל alone:

(a). because

(b). notwithstanding that, although

IV. Compounds:

1. with כְּ (rare and late)

a. as concerning, as upon

b. the like of their deeds is the like of (that which) he will repay

2. מֵעַל from upon, from over, from by

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