TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.
Complete Jewish Bible
The officials and all the people then said to the cohanim and prophets, "This man does not deserve a death sentence, because he has spoken to us in the name of ADONAI our God."
Berean Standard Bible
Then the officials and all the people told the priests and prophets, “This man is not worthy of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God!”
American Standard Version
Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets: This man is not worthy of death; for he hath spoken to us in the name of Jehovah our God.
World English Bible Messianic
Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets: This man is not worthy of death; for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then saide the princes and all the people vnto the Priestes, and to the prophets, This man is not worthie to die: for he hath spoken vnto vs in the Name of the Lord our God.
Young's Literal Translation
And the heads and all the people say unto the priests and unto the prophets, `There is not for this man a judgment of death, for in the name of Jehovah our God he hath spoken unto us.'
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Commentary on Jeremiah 26 verses 16–24
16 ¶ Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.
17 Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,
18 Micah the Morasthite 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, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.
20 And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:
21 And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;
22 And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.
23 And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, 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.
24 Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.
Here is, I. The acquitting of Jeremiah from the charge exhibited against him. He had indeed spoken the words as they were laid in the indictment, but they are not looked upon to be seditious or treasonable, ill-intended or of any bad tendency, and therefore the court and country agree to find him not guilty. The priests and prophets, notwithstanding his rational plea for himself, continued to demand judgment against him; but the princes, and all the people, are clear in it that this man is not worthy to die (Jer 26:16); for (say they) he hath spoken to us, not of himself, but in the name of the Lord our God. And are they willing to own that he did indeed speak to them in the name of the Lord and that that Lord is their God? Why then did they not amend their ways and doings, and take the method he prescribed to prevent the ruin of their country? If they say, His prophecy is from heaven, it may justly be asked, Why did you not then believe him? Mat 21:25. Note, It is a pity that those who are so far convinced of the divine original of gospel preaching as to protect it from the malice of others do not submit to the power and influence of it themselves.
II. A precedent quoted to justify them in acquitting Jeremiah. Some of the elders of the land, either the princes before mentioned or the more intelligent men of the people, stood up, and put the assembly in mind of a former case, as is usual with us in giving judgment; for the wisdom of our predecessors is a direction to us. The case referred to is that of Micah. We have extant the book of his prophecy among the minor prophets. 1. Was it thought strange that Jeremiah prophesied against this city and the temple? Micah did so before him, even in the reign of Hezekiah, that reign of reformation, Jer 26:18. Micah said it as publicly as Jeremiah had now spoken to the same purport, Zion shall be ploughed like a field, the building shall be all destroyed, so that nothing shall hinder but it may be ploughed; Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the mountain of the house on which the temple is built shall be as the high places of the forest, overrun with briers and thorns. That prophet not only spoke this, but wrote it, and left it on record; we find it, Mic 3:12. By this it appears that a man may be, as Micah was, a true prophet of the Lord, and yet may prophesy the destruction of Zion and Jerusalem. When we threaten secure sinners with the taking away of the Spirit of God and the kingdom of God from them, and declining churches with the removal of the candlestick, we say no more than what has been said many a time, and what we have warrant from the word of God to say. 2. Was it thought fit by the princes to justify Jeremiah in what he had done? It was what Hezekiah did before them in a like case. Did Hezekiah, and the people of Judah (that is, the representatives of the people, the commons in parliament), did they complain of Micah the prophet? Did they impeach him, or make an act to silence him and put him to death? No; on the contrary, they took the warning he gave them. Hezekiah, that renowned prince, of blessed memory, set a good example before his successors, for he feared the Lord (Jer 26:19), as Noah, who, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, was moved with fear. Micah's preaching drove him to his knees; he besought the Lord to turn away the judgment threatened and to be reconciled to them, and he found it was not in vain to do so, for the Lord repented him of the evil and returned in mercy to them; he sent an angel, who routed the army of the Assyrians, that threatened to plough Zion like a field. Hezekiah got good by the preaching, and then you may be sure he would do no harm to the preacher. These elders conclude that it would be of dangerous consequence to the state if they should gratify the importunity of the priests and prophets in putting Jeremiah to death: Thus might we procure great evil against our souls. Note, It is good to deter ourselves from sin with the consideration of the mischief we shall certainly do to ourselves by it and the irreparable damage it will be to our own souls.
III. Here is an instance of another prophet that was put to death by Jehoiakim for prophesying as Jeremiah had done, Jer 26:20, etc. Some make this to be urged by the prosecutors, as a case that favoured the prosecution, a modern case, in which speaking such words as Jeremiah had spoken was adjudged treason. Others think that the elders, who were advocates for Jeremiah, alleged this to show that thus they might procure great evil against their souls, for it would be adding sin to sin. Jehoiakim, the present king, had slain one prophet already; let them not fill up the measure by slaying another. Hezekiah, who protected Micah, prospered; but did Jehoiakim prosper who slew Urijah? No; they all saw the contrary. As good examples, and the good consequences of them, should encourage us in that which is good, so the examples of bad men, and the bad consequences of them, should deter us from that which is evil. But some good interpreters take this narrative from the historian that penned the book, Jeremiah himself, or Baruch, who, to make Jeremiah's deliverance by means of the princes the more wonderful, takes notice of this that happened about the same time; for both were in the reign of Jehoiakim, and this in the beginning of his reign, Jer 26:1. Observe, 1. Urijah's prophecy. It was against this city, and this land, according to all the words of Jeremiah. The prophets of the Lord agreed in their testimony, and one would have thought that out of the mouth of so many witnesses the word would be regarded. 2. The prosecution of him for it, Jer 26:21. Jehoiakim and his courtiers were exasperated against him, and sought to put him to death; in this wicked design the king himself was principally concerned. 3. His absconding thereupon: When he heard that the king had become his enemy, and sought his life, he was afraid, and fled, and went in to Egypt. This was certainly his fault, and an effect of the weakness of his faith, and it sped accordingly. He distrusted God, and his power to protect him and bear him out; he was too much under the power of that fear of man which brings a snare. It looked as if he durst not stand to what he had said or was ashamed of his Master. It was especially unbecoming him to flee into Egypt, and so in effect to abandon the land of Israel and to throw himself quite out of the way of being useful. Note, There are many that have much grace, but they have little courage, that are very honest, but withal very timorous. 4. His execution notwithstanding. Jehoiakim's malice, one would think, might have contented itself with his banishment, and it might suffice to have driven him out of the country; but those are bloodthirsty that hate the upright, Pro 29:10. It was the life, that precious life, that he hunted after, and nothing else would satisfy him. So implacable is his revenge that he sends a party of soldiers into Egypt, some hundreds of miles, and they bring him back by force of arms. It would not sufficiently gratify him to have him slain in Egypt, but he must feed his eyes with the bloody spectacle. They brought him to Jehoiakim, and he slew him with the sword, for aught I know with his own hands. Yet neither did this satisfy his insatiable malice, but he loads the dead body of the good man with infamy, would not allow it the decent respects usually and justly paid to the remains of men of distinction, but cast it into the graves of the common people, as if he had not been a prophet of the Lord; thus was the shield of Saul vilely cast away, as though he had not been anointed with oil. Thus Jehoiakim hoped both to ruin his reputation with the people, that no heed might be given to his predictions, and to deter others from prophesying in like manner; but in vain; Jeremiah says the same. There is no contending with the word of God. Herod thought he had gained his point when he had cut off John Baptist's head, but found himself deceived when, soon after, he heard of Jesus Christ, and said, in a fright, This is John the Baptist.
IV. Here is Jeremiah's deliverance. Though Urijah was lately put to death, and persecutors, when they have tasted the blood of saints, are apt to thirst after more (as Herod, Act 12:2, Act 12:3), yet God wonderfully preserved Jeremiah, though he did not flee, as Urijah did, but stood his ground. Ordinary ministers may use ordinary means, provided they be lawful ones, for their own preservation; but those that had an extraordinary protection. God raised up a friend for Jeremiah, whose hand was with him; he took him by the hand in a friendly way, encouraged him, assisted him, appeared for him. It was Ahikam the son of Shaphan, one that was a minister of state in Josiah's time; we read of him, Kg2 22:12. Some think Gedaliah was the son of this Ahikam. He had a great interest, it should seem, among the princes, and he used it in favour of Jeremiah, to prevent the further designs of the priests and prophets against him, who would have had him turned over into the hand of the people, not those people (Jer 26:16) that had adjudged him innocent, but the rude and insolent mob, whom they could persuade by their cursed insinuations not only to cry, Crucify him, crucify him, but to stone him to death in a popular tumult; for perhaps Jehoiakim had been so reproached by his own conscience for slaying Urijah that they despaired of making him the tool of their malice. Note, God can, when he pleases, raise up great men to patronize good men; and it is an encouragement to us to trust him in the way of duty that he has all men's hearts in his hands.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 16–24. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jeremiah
(Verse 16) And the leaders and all the people said to the priests and prophets: This man does not deserve death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God. The people, who had previously been deceived by the priests and false prophets, join forces with the city's leaders and speak up for Jeremiah, stating that he is not guilty of deserving death, but rather that he has prophesied in the name of the Lord and according to His word. For the uneducated masses easily change their opinion when given a valid reason. But the pain of the accusers, especially of the priests and false prophets, cannot be changed. And therefore, with them accusing and persevering in their accusation, the people are changed: which the Lord had given them hope of mercy, if they would do good in their ways and listen to the voice of the Lord their God, so that the Lord would change his judgment.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Jeremiah 26:16 stands as a pivotal moment in Jeremiah's prophetic ministry, where, despite facing a death sentence for his audacious prophecy against Jerusalem and the Temple, the civil authorities and a significant portion of the populace surprisingly declare him innocent. Their verdict hinges on the crucial recognition that Jeremiah's message, however unsettling or unpopular, was not of human origin but delivered "in the name of the LORD our God," thereby affirming his divine commission and protecting him from the wrath of the priests and false prophets who sought his demise. This verse powerfully illustrates the tension between human authority and divine mandate, showcasing God's sovereign protection over His faithful messengers and the inherent authority of His truth.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The primary literary device powerfully at play in Jeremiah 26:16 is Irony. The narrative unfolds with a profound reversal of expectations. Initially, "all the people" are depicted as joining the priests and prophets in seizing Jeremiah and demanding his death, yet it is these very "princes and all the people" who ultimately declare him innocent. Furthermore, the religious leaders—the priests and prophets—who, by their very office, should have been the first to discern and uphold God's true word, are the ones advocating for the prophet's execution. Conversely, the civil authorities and the general populace, often depicted in Jeremiah as prone to idolatry, spiritual blindness, and disobedience, surprisingly recognize and affirm the divine authority behind Jeremiah's challenging and condemning message. This dramatic inversion of roles and outcomes creates a powerful ironic statement about spiritual discernment, the surprising ways in which God's truth can be vindicated, and the often-unforeseen channels through which His will is accomplished.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 26:16 profoundly illustrates God's sovereign protection over His faithful messengers and the inherent, self-authenticating authority of His word. Despite facing a death sentence from powerful religious and civil factions, Jeremiah is miraculously acquitted because the people, in a moment of unexpected discernment, recognize the divine source of his message. This pivotal moment underscores that true prophecy, even when unpopular, condemning, or seemingly dangerous, carries an undeniable weight that can penetrate hardened hearts and sway minds, demonstrating that God's truth is ultimately self-authenticating and cannot be silenced. It also highlights the constant tension between human resistance to divine truth and God's unwavering commitment to making His will known and protecting those who courageously speak for Him. The verse serves as a powerful reminder that God's plan cannot be thwarted by human opposition, and His word will accomplish its intended purpose, even through the most unlikely means.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 26:16 offers profound and enduring lessons for believers today, challenging us to cultivate a deep spiritual discernment that transcends popular opinion or personal comfort. It calls us to rigorously test all messages claiming divine authority against the unadulterated, revealed word of God, rather than accepting them based on charisma, tradition, or perceived institutional backing. Jeremiah's unwavering courage in the face of death threats serves as a powerful and convicting example: true faithfulness often requires speaking God's truth boldly, even when it is unpopular, challenging, or places us at personal risk. This verse serves as a potent reminder that our ultimate allegiance is to God and His infallible word, not to human opinion, societal pressure, or even religious institutional demands. Furthermore, it offers immense encouragement that God is sovereign over all circumstances, capable of turning the hearts of people and protecting His servants, even when all odds seem overwhelmingly against them. It invites us to trust implicitly in His providence and the inherent, transformative power of His message to accomplish His divine purposes, regardless of the immediate human response or the apparent consequences.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What was the specific charge against Jeremiah that led to this trial?
Answer: Jeremiah was charged with prophesying against Jerusalem and the sacred Temple, declaring that they would become a desolate ruin, like Shiloh (Jeremiah 26:6). This was considered a capital offense, likely blasphemy and treason, as it directly challenged the prevailing belief in the Temple's inviolability and undermined the king's authority and the nation's security. The priests and false prophets perceived it as a direct threat to their power, their comfortable status quo, and the nation's stability, hence their demand for his execution.
Why did the princes and people contradict the priests and prophets?
Answer: The princes and the general populace, after hearing Jeremiah's impassioned defense, were convinced by his earnest and courageous claim that he was genuinely sent by the LORD (Jeremiah 26:12-15). According to Deuteronomic law (Deuteronomy 18:20-22), a true prophet speaking authentically in the name of the LORD was not to be condemned or put to death. Their decision reflects a remarkable moment of discernment, perhaps influenced by a lingering respect for true prophecy, a recognition of Jeremiah's integrity, or even a pragmatic understanding that defying a true prophet of Yahweh could bring disaster. This discernment overrode the religious establishment's self-serving condemnation, demonstrating God's ability to work through unexpected channels.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 26:16, though an Old Testament narrative of prophetic vindication, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate prophetic figure, Jesus Christ, and His ultimate, yet tragically different, vindication. Like Jeremiah, Jesus spoke God's truth with unparalleled authority, often in challenging and unpopular ways, directly confronting the religious establishment of His day. He, too, prophesied the destruction of the Temple (Matthew 24:1-2), a message that mirrored Jeremiah's and was similarly perceived as blasphemous and treasonous by those in power. Jesus, like Jeremiah, was ultimately brought before a council of religious leaders and civil authorities, accused of crimes worthy of death. However, unlike Jeremiah's acquittal by human verdict, Jesus was condemned to death, fulfilling the prophetic pattern of the innocent suffering for the guilty. Yet, even in His condemnation and crucifixion, Jesus's words were supremely vindicated, not by a human court, but by His glorious resurrection from the dead, proving unequivocally that He truly spoke "in the name of the LORD our God" and was indeed the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. His suffering, death, and ultimate triumph establish Him as the perfect Prophet, Priest, and King, whose words carry eternal authority and whose sacrifice brings not just a temporary reprieve, but ultimate and eternal salvation for all who believe (Hebrews 9:11-14). The divine protection Jeremiah received points to the greater, redemptive divine purpose in Christ's life, death, and resurrection, which secured not just a moment of justice, but eternal redemption for all humanity.