Jeremiah 26:10

When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD's house. WHEN THE PRINCES - members of the Council of State, or great council, which took cognizance of such offences. HEARD THESE THINGS - the clamour of the popular tumult. THEY CAME UP - from the king's house to the temple, which stood higher than the palace. SAT - as judges, in the gate, the usual place of trying such cases. THE NEW GATE - originally built by Jotham (, "the higher gate"), and now recently restored....

We have said that the princes were roused by a popular clamor; nor is there a doubt but; that the king had sent them to quell the commotion. It must be especially noticed, that they were engaged in other matters, as it was seldom the case that courtiers spent their time in hearing the prophets. It is indeed true, that the occupations of those are sacred, who have the care of the commonwealth, who dispense justice, and who have to provide for the public safety; but it behoves them so to divide their time, that they may be able to consecrate some portion of it to God. But courtiers think themselves exempted by a sort of privilege, when yet the truth is more necessary for them than even for the common people; for not only the duty of the head of a family lies on each of them, but the Lord has also set them over a whole people. If, then, private men have need of being daily taught, that they...

7-15 The priests and prophets charged Jeremiah as deserving death, and bore false witness against him. The elders of Israel came to inquire into this matter. Jeremiah declares that the Lord sent him to prophesy thus. As long as ministers keep close to the word they have from God, they need not fear. And those are very unjust who complain of ministers for preaching of hell and damnation; for it is from a desire to bring them to heaven and salvation. Jeremiah warns them of their danger if they go on against him. All men may know, that to hurt, or put to death, or to show hatred to their faithful reprovers, will hasten and increase their own punishment....

Verse Jeremiah 26:10. _THE PRINCES OF JUDAH_] The king's court; his cabinet counsellors....

THE PRINCES OF JUDAH - The priests could scourge a man etc., but could not then try him for his life, as the Sanhedrim subsequently did until the Romans deprived them of the power. THE NEW GATE - That built by Jotham 2 Kings 15:35, and probably a usual place for trials....

JEREMIAH'S TRIAL AND DELIVERANCE. EXPOSITION The prophecy in Jeremiah 26:2 is a summary of that contained in Jeremiah 7:1; the narrative, which stands in no connection either with Jeremiah 24:1 or Jeremiah 27:1, relates the consequences of that bold declaration of the word of the Lord. The present position of the chapter is only surprising to those who assume that the works of the prophets were necessarily arranged chronologically. How many violations of chronological order meet us in other books, e.g. in Isaiah. It is only reasonable to

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 court of judicature: THEN THEY CAME UP FROM THE KING'S HOUSE TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD; from the royal palace where they resided; by which it should seem that they were the king's courtiers, and counsellors, and officers of state; unless in those times the sanhedrim sat there; from hence they came up to the temple, where Jeremiah and the priests, c. were, which, being built on a hill, was higher than the king's palace and therefore are said to "come up" to it: AND SAT DOWN IN THE ENTRY OF THE NEW GATE OF THE LORD'S [HOUSE]; as a court of judicature, to hear and try the cause between the proph...

CHAPTER 26 Threatened with Death and His Deliverance _ 1. The temple like Shiloh, and Jerusalem to be a curse (Jeremiah 26:1) _ 2. Threatened with death (Jeremiah 26:8) 3. Jeremiah's defense (Jeremiah 26:12) 4. History remembered and the prophet's deliverance (Jeremiah 26:16) Jeremiah 26:1. We are now taken back to the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim. (Compare with chapter 7.) The Lord still waits in patience for their repentance. With holy boldness the prophet stands in a place w

JEREMIAH 26. DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE FORETOLD: JEREMIAH'S PERIL (608 B.C.). Jeremiah is told to proclaim in the Temple (_cf._ Jeremiah 19:14; probably at some festival) a perilous message (keep not back a word, Jeremiah 26:2), in the hope that it may produce a change (Jeremiah 18:8). Unless the people obey Yahweh, He will destroy the Temple, like that of Shiloh (Jeremiah 7:14) and make the city (an example of) a curse (Jeremiah 29:22). The priests and prophets declare that Jeremiah must die for this blasphemy ...

NEW GATE. The Targum takes this to be the east gate. HOUSE. Some codices, with Aramaean, Syriac, and Vulgate, read this word "house" in the text....