This chapter gives an account of Jeremiah’s preaching; of his being apprehended by the people; of his defence of himself, and acquittance upon it. The time when, place where, and persons to whom the prophet delivered his discourse, are pointed at in Jer. 26:1, Jer.

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah So that the prophecy of this chapter, and the facts and events connected with it, were before the prophecy of the preceding chapter, though here related; that being in the fourth year, this in the beginning of Jehoiakim’s…

Thus saith the Lord, stand in the court of the Lord’s house, &c.] It, the great court of Israel, where the people used to meet together for worship: and speak unto all the cities of Judah; the inhabitants of them; not only to those that dwelt at Jerusalem but in the rest of the cities of Judah; for…

If so be they will hearken And obey; which is expressive not of ignorance and conjecture in God, but of his patience and long suffering, granting space and time for repentance, and the means of it; which disregarded, leave without excuse: and turn every man from his evil way; his series and course…

And thou shalt say unto them What follows is the substance of the prophecy, and the sum of the sermon or discourse he was sent to deliver, without diminishing a word of it: thus saith the Lord, if ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law which I have set before you; first by Moses, by whose…

To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets The interpretations they give of the law; the doctrines they deliver; the exhortations, cautions, and reproofs given by them in the name of the Lord, whose servants they were; and therefore should be hearkened to; since hearkening to them is…

Then will I make this house like Shiloh Where the ark was until it was taken by the Philistines; and then the Lord forsook his tabernacle there, ; and so he threatens to do the like to the temple at Jerusalem, should they continue in their disobedience to him; (See Gill on Jer.

So the priests, and the prophets, and all the people As it was in the temple, in one of the courts of it, that Jeremiah was, and said the above things, it is no wonder to hear of the “priests”, since they were there about their work and service; the “prophets” were the false prophets, as the…

Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking For they let him alone till he had done, either out of reverence of him as a priest and prophet; or they were awed by a secret influence on their minds that they might not disturb him: all that the Lord had commanded him to speak unto…

Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord Made use of his name in declaring a falsehood, as they would have it; this was the crime: had he said what he thought fit to say in his own name, they suggest it would not have been so bad; but to vent his own imaginations in the name of the Lord,…

When the princes of Judah heard these things The tumult there was in the temple; these were the princes of the blood, or the nobles of the realm, particularly the courtiers, and who were of the king’s privy council; or else the great sanhedrim, consisting of seventy persons, and were the chief…

Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes, and to all the people The priests and the prophets they were the accusers; the princes were the court before whom the cause was brought; and the people were the hearers of it; though it does not seem as if they were a sort of jury, or had…

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…

Therefore now amend your ways and your doings Make them good; leave your evil ways, and walk in good ways; forsake your evil works, and do good works: and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and that because he is your God, as well as what his word directs to is good, and for your good: and the…

As for me, behold, I am in your hand In their power, as they were the chief court of judicature; and to whom it belonged to judge of prophets, and to acquit or condemn them, as they saw fit; wherefore he submits to their authority: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you; he was not careful…

But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death Take this along with you, and then do as you will; that if ye take away my life on this account, you may depend upon it; nothing is more certain than this: ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the…

Then rose up certain of the elders of the land The same with the princes; some of the court, who rose up as advocates for the prophet: and spake to all the assembly of the people: to justify the vote of the court, and to confirm the people in a good opinion of it, by giving them examples and…

Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah Or, Micah of Maresha, as the Targum. Mareshah was a city of the tribe of Judah, ; the native place, of this prophet; who appears, by the following quotation, to be the same Micah that stands among the minor prophets; and who is…

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? &c.] No, they did not: neither the king, by his own authority; nor the sanhedrim, the great court of judicature, for the nation; they never sought to take away his life, nor sat in council about it; they never arraigned him, and much…

And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the Lord These are not the words of the same persons continued; because the following instance is against them; but of some other persons in the sanhedrim, who were on the side of the priests and prophets; who in effect said, why tell you us…

And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men Either his courtiers, or his soldiers, or both: and all the princes, heard his words; the words of the Prophet Urijah; not with their own ears very probably, but from the report of others: the king sought to put him to death; as being a messenger…

And Jehoiakim sent men into Egypt To seek for him; and to require the delivery of him upon being found: namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor; the father of this man very probably is the same we read of in Josiah’s time, (2 Kings 22:12, 2 Kings 22:14) ; who is called Abdon in ; and certain men with…

And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt Having found him, they seized him, and brought him away, with the leave of the king of Egypt: which, no doubt, was easily obtained: and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who slew him with the sword; very probably with his own hand; or however it was done…

Nevertheless, the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah Though this instance was urged as a precedent to go by, being lately done; or though the king’s cruelty had been so lately exercised in such a manner; yet this man, who had been one of Josiah’s courtiers and counsellors, ; stood…