Chapter 26

1 Jeremiah by promises and threatening exhorteth to repentance. 8 He is therefore apprehended, 10 and arraigned. 12 His apology. 16 He is quit in judgment, by the example of Micah, 20 and of Urijah, 24 and by the care of Ahikam.

1. Beginning of the reign. This is not a definite date (see on ch. 28:1), but may safely be considered to be at some time approximately between 609 and 605 b.c. Certainly it was before the first siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (see on Dan. 1:1), for the Babylonians are not mentioned in the chapter and Jehoiakim is pictured as being friendly toward Egypt. The message of the Temple Discourse of Jer. 7–10 is summarized briefly here in ch. 26. The reactions to the discourse by the people and the leaders and the final outcome of the entire incident is recorded only here (see on ch. 7:1; see also PK 415–419).

2. Stand in the court. See on ch. 7:2. Verses 2–6 of ch.26 are a summary of ch. 7:1–15. Very likely this incident took place at one of the feasts that drew together worshipers from all parts of the nation.

Diminish not a word. Evidently the divine message was to contain something that Jeremiah would shrink from delivering to the people.

3. If so be. That is, “perhaps.” So severe is the threat that follows (see v. 6) that it is expressed with the hope that it may not have to be carried out.

Repent. See on v. 19.

4. To walk in my law. It was a prophet’s responsibility to teach the people the demands the law of God made upon them, and to endeavor to make it plain to their understanding (see chs. 7:25–28; 25:4–7).

5. Rising up early. See on ch. 7:13.

6. Make this house like Shiloh. The site of the ancient sanctuary was destroyed (see on ch. 7:12, 14).

7. Priests and the prophets. Jeremiah was commissioned by God to bring a warning in a special way to the two orders to which he himself belonged, to the former by birth (see on ch. 1:1) and to the latter by divine appointment (see on ch. 1:5). The false prophets were specially hostile to Jeremiah (ch. 23:9–40).

8. Thou shalt surely die. In their iniquity and self-deception the priests, prophets, and “all the people” determined to silence the accusing voice of the one who was faithful in pointing out their iniquities.

9. Why hast thou prophesied? That the Temple, which was the Israelites’ pride and glory (see on ch. 7:4), should suffer the fate of the old sanctuary of Shiloh was an unbearable thought that rallied “all the people” against the prophet. The people had placed their entire confidence in a strict observance of the outward religious services of the Temple.

10. Princes of Judah heard. Apparently these royal rulers were not present when Jeremiah delivered the divine warning, but were in “the king’s house,” possibly in counsel with the king. When they now came to the Temple they “sat down” to hear what Jeremiah would say next.

11. Worthy to die. Here we have a good example of the kind of vicious initiative and method so characteristic of the Dark Ages, which turned over those falsely charged with heresy and blasphemy to the secular arm of the state for punishment and death.

12. The Lord sent me. Always the response of true prophets and preachers of the Word is that their message is not of their own choosing and devising, but comes through them directly from God (see 2 Sam. 23:1–3; Amos 3:7, 8; 2 Peter 1:20, 21).

13. Amend your ways. Jeremiah’s defense was simply and only the message God had given him. If God’s people reformed their ways, the threatened destruction could even yet be averted.

Lord will repent. See on v. 19.

14. I am in your hand. By this bold disregard of his own personal safety Jeremiah added to the force of his message, and, in fact, by this means preserved his life. The princes were satisfied as to Jeremiah’s sincerity and took measures to protect his life (see PK 418).

15. But know ye for certain. The prophet appeals, not to the priests and prophets, from whom he can expect no justice, but “unto all the princes and to all the people” (see v. 12). It was the princes especially who hesitated to shed the innocent blood of one who spoke not for himself but for God.

16. Not worthy to die. Through his straightforward message Jeremiah evidently swung the balance of public opinion over in his favor, and his life was therefore spared.

17. The elders. So called either because of their official eminence (see 1 Kings 8:1; 20:7) or because of their age. Great respect was given to the opinion of those who possessed both age and wisdom.

18. Micah. Identical with the author of the book of Micah (see Micah 1:1; p. 22).

19. Fear the Lord. While there is no other reference to this specific experience in the Scriptures, it accords with Hezekiah’s character (see 2 Chron. 29:4–10; 32:26).

The Lord repented. See on Gen. 6:6; Ex. 32:14; Num. 23:19; Judges 2:18; Joel 2:13.

Procure great evil. The thought of the Hebrew is that they were, or might be, doing great evil against themselves, if they should take the life of an innocent prophet. The LXX reads, “Whereas we have wrought great evil against our own souls.” This verse parallels the advice of Gamaliel as he stood before the council, “But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God” (see Acts 5:34–39). The result of this counsel given by the elders was to open the way for Jeremiah to continue his ministry. Owing largely to the support given the prophet by Ahikam (see Jer. 26:24), this advice of the elders was acted upon by the rulers of the nation.

20. Urijah. This incident was probably recorded to show that the experience of Jeremiah was not unique.

21. Into Egypt. See the parallel cases of Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:40), Hadad (1 Kings 11:17, 18), and Joseph and Mary (Matt. 2:13–15). The country along the Nile was frequently an asylum for refugees from Judea.

22. Sent men into Egypt. Ancient treaties contained a clause in which both parties promised to return political prisoners to their country of origin.

Elnathan. Probably the king’s father-in-law (see 2 Kings 24:8). Elnathan was one of the princes favorable to Jeremiah (Jer. 36:12).

23. Fetched forth Urijah. For earlier instances of the martyrdom of prophets, see 1 Kings 19:10, 14; 2 Chron. 24:19–22. According to Jewish tradition Isaiah was “sawn asunder” by Manasseh (see Heb. 11:37; EGW, Supplementary Material, on Isa. 1:1). Urijah was treated most shamefully. “His dead body” was denied burial with his fathers, and was “cast … into the graves of the common people” in the Kidron Valley. Later the king who committed this dishonor was himself “buried with the burial of an ass,” without customary funeral honors or mourning (Jer. 22:18, 19).

24. Ahikam. Ahikam’s father was probably the Shaphan who was a well-known scribe in Josiah’s reformation, the one who superintended the restoration of the Temple (see 2 Kings 22:3, 8–14; 2 Chron. 34:8, 14–21). Ahikam’s brothers, Gemariah (Jer. 36:12, 25) and Elasah (ch. 29:3), were of like noble character. It was with Ahikam’s son, Gedaliah (see ch. 40:6), “governor over the cities of Judah,” that Jeremiah found refuge after Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Judea (ch. 40:5, 6).

Ellen G. White comments

1–24PK 415–418; 4T 165–168

2, 3 4T 165

4–6PK 415; 4T 166

8–154T 167

9, 15    PK 417

18, 19  PK 418