Jeremiah 26:2

Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word: STAND IN THE COURT OF THE LORD'S HOUSE - the largest court from which he could be heard by the whole people. COME TO WORSHIP - worship and sacrifice are vain without obedience (). SPEAK ... ALL THE WORDS - (). DIMINISH NOT A WORD - (; ; ;...

He adds, _Thus saith Jehovah, Stand in the court of the house _(literally, but house means the Temple) _of Jehovah _It was not allowed the people to enter into the Temple; hence the Prophet was bidden to abide in the court where he might be heard by all. He was, as we have seen, of the priestly order; but it would have been but of little avail to address the Levites. (159) It was therefore necessary for him to go forth and to announce to the whole people the commands of God which are here recited; and he was to do this not only to the citizens of Jerusalem, but also to all the Jews; and this is expressly required, _speak to all the cities of Judah; _and then it is added, _who come to worship in the Temple of Jehovah _God seems to have designedly anticipated the presumption of those who thought that wrong was done to them, when they were so severely reproved; “What! we have left our wives...

1-6 God's ambassadors must not seek to please men, or to save themselves from harm. See how God waits to be gracious. If they persisted in disobedience, it would ruin their city and temple. Can any thing else be expected? Those who will not be subject to the commands of God, make themselves subject to the curse of God....

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

THUS SAITH THE LORD, STAND IN THE COURT OF THE LORD'S HOUSE,.... 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 what he was to say concerned them all, they having all sinned, and needed repentance and reformation; without which they would be involved in the general calamity of the nation: WHICH COME TO WORSHIP IN THE LORD'S HOUSE; as they did three times in the year, at the feasts of passover, pentecost, and tabernacles; and it was now the last of these, as Bishop Usher thinks, when this prophecy was to be delivered to them: ALL THE WORDS THAT I COMMAND THEE TO SPEAK TO THEM: nothing must be kept back, the whole counsel of God must be declared; not a word suppressed through affection to them, or fear...

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 ...

IN THE COURT. This was Jeremiah's most public utterance. Compare Jeremiah 7:2. CITIES. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Subject), for their inhabitants. DIMINISH NOT. WORD. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 4:2; Deuteronomy 12:32). App-92. The importance of this is seen from the note on Jeremiah 26:18....

For a discussion as to the relation of these _vv_. to chs. 7 10 see introductory note there. Gi. points out that the use of the 3rd person with reference to Jeremiah as well as other features of the ch. indicate the probability that it is a compilation made by Baruch, upon which the following chs. also to 45 evidently draw considerably. We may note that owing to Baruch's habit of dating the events which he mentions, a light is thrown upon them which is often lacking in regard to the prophet's discourses....

STAND IN THE COURT, &C.— The great court, where both men and women worshipped when they brought no sacrifice; for when they did so, they were to carry it into the inner-court, called _The court of Israel._ Jeremiah frequently spoke in the temple, because of the great concourse of people in that place. It is also very probable, that he chose the days of the great festivals. See Lightfoot....