Verse-by-Verse Bible CommentaryJeremiah 26:12
Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people, saying, "The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. Jump to: Clarke Commentary • Coffman Commentaries • Gill's Exposition • Geneva Study Bible • Commentary Critical and Explanatory • Calvin's Commentary • Trapp's Commentary • Poole's Annotations • Whedon's Commentary • Constable's Expository Notes • Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged • Ellicott's Commentary • Treasury of Knowledge Other Authors
Adam Clarke CommentaryThe Lord sent me to prophesy - My commission is from him, and my words are his own. I sought not this painful office. I did not run before I was sent. Copyright Statement Bibliography Coffman's Commentaries on the BibleJEREMIAH'S COURAGEOUS DEFENSE "Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, Jehovah sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of your God; and Jehovah will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you. But as for me, behold, I am in your hands: do with me as is good and right in your eyes. Only know ye for certain that, if ye put me to death, ye will bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof; for of a truth Jehovah hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears." Like the Blessed Saviour himself, Jeremiah submitted to the powers of the government, but warned them of the consequences. The words of the prophet were fully truthful and convincing. No person unmotivated with a hatred of God's Word could deny the righteous defense of this godly prophet; and the princes and elders promptly defiled that any death penalty was deserved. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Gill's Exposition of the Whole BibleThen 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 had prophesied against the city of Jerusalem and against the temple, and that they should both come to ruin, unless the people repented and reformed; but then he urges, that he was sent by the Lord on this errand, and that every word that he had said, and they had heard, he was ordered to say by the Lord; and therefore what was he, that he should withstand God? he surely was not to be blamed for doing what the Lord commanded him to do; besides, all this was threatened only in case they continued obstinate and impenitent; wherefore he renews his exhortations to them in Jeremiah 26:13. Copyright Statement Bibliography Geneva Study BibleThen Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD h sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.(h) He both shows the cause of his doings plainly and also threatens them that nothing would help, though they should put him to death, but heap greater vengeance on their heads. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole BibleLord sent me — a valid justification against any laws alleged against him. against … against — rather, “concerning.” Jeremiah purposely avoids saying, “against,” which would needlessly irritate. They had used the same Hebrew word (Jeremiah 26:11), which ought to be translated “concerning,” though they meant it in the unfavorable sense. Jeremiah takes up their word in a better sense, implying that there is still room for repentance: that his prophecies aim at the real good of the city; for or concerning this house … city [Grotius]. Copyright Statement Bibliography Calvin's Commentary on the BibleJeremiah pleads only his own calling and the command of God; and thus he confutes the preposterous charge which they most impudently brought against him. There is no doubt but that he might have spoken at large, but he deemed it enough to include the substance of his defense. Had he made a long discourse, the main point might have been more obscure. He now clearly makes known the state of the question on both sides. The priests by their own authority condemned Jeremiah, because he reduced to nothing [as they thought] God’s promises, for he had threatened destruction to the city and to the temple; but Jeremiah on the other side answers, that he had declared nothing but what God had enjoined. There was need of proof, when the priests held that God was inconsistent with himself in denouncing destruction on that city, which he had undertaken to defend and protect. But the confutation of this was ready at hand, — that God had never bound himself to hypocrites and ungodly men; nay, the whole glory of the city and the majesty of the Temple were dependent on his worship; nor is there any doubt but that Jeremiah had alleged these things. But as it was the main thing, he was satisfied with stating that he had been sent by God. Thus he indirectly condemned their vain boastings, — that God was on their side; but he says, “I come not except by God’s command.” Now, though he declares briefly and distinctly that he had been sent by God, he yet presents himself as ready to prove everything; and as I have already said, there is no doubt but that he answered and discussed that frivolous question on which the priests so much insisted. It is further worthy of being noticed, that he addressed both the princes and the people; and thus he intimated that the priests and the prophets were deaf, and not worthy of being spoken to; for it was their determination proudly to despise God, and to carry on war, as it were avowedly, with his servants; for he would have otherwise no doubt gladly endeavored to restore them to the way of safety. But as he saw that they had closed the door against themselves, he passed them by. This is the reason why he says, that he spoke to the princes and to the people, having passed by those, on whom he must have spent labor in vain. And surely when they said that he was worthy of death, they proved by such a presumption that they would not be taught by him; and also their cruelty prevented them from being teachable. But the Prophet had regard to the very source of evil, because their object was obstinately to resist God and all his prophets. By saying, that he was sent to prophesy all that they had heard, he made them judges, though he did not address them together with the princes; for we have seen that the latter were in the king’s palace, and had been sent for when there was a fear of some commotion. But there is no doubt but that the address was repeated again. Jeremiah then made them judges and arbitrators, when he said that he retracted nothing, but that what they had heard, he had faithfully declared according to the command of God. It follows, — Copyright Statement Bibliography John Trapp Complete CommentaryJeremiah 26:12 Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Ver. 12. The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house.] In this apology of the prophet thus answering for himself with a heroic spirit, five noble virtues, fit for a martyr, are by an expositor well observed: (1.) His prudence in alleging his divine mission; (2.) His charity in exhorting his enemies to repent; (3.) His humility in saying, "Behold, I am in your hand," &c.; (4.) His magnanimity and freedom of speech, in telling them that God would revenge his death; (5.) His spiritual security and fearlessness of death in so good a cause, and with so good a conscience. Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy BibleThe priests having given Jeremiah his charge, he makes his defence. The sum of which was, he acknowledgeth that he had prophesied against the temple, and against the city, and tacitly acknowledgeth their power to take cognizance of seditious persons and false prophets, and doth not deny but such persons deserved to die; but denieth that he was a false prophet, or guilty of any design to stir up sedition, for he had said nothing but what God had sent him to speak; and therefore could not prophesy what was false, nor was to be charged with any seditious design. Copyright Statement Bibliography Whedon's Commentary on the Bible12. The Lord sent me — How simple and how perfect this justification! The prophets, men of his own class, join with the priests in calling for Jeremiah’s condemnation; a circumstance which must have had great weight with the people. Yet his answer is sufficient. It exculpates him, and virtually condemns them; for they, so far from giving free course to the word of God, actually hindered it. Copyright Statement Bibliography Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable
Jeremiah responded with a threefold defense. He said that he had simply preached a message that Yahweh had sent him to deliver; he had not spoken presumptuously (cf. Deuteronomy 18:20). [Note: The Apostle Paul similarly defended his message in his epistle to the Galatians.] Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - UnabridgedThen spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. The Lord sent me - a valid justification against any laws alleged against him. To prophesy against this house and against - rather, concerning [ 'el (Hebrew #413)]. Jeremiah purposely avoids saying "against," which would needlessly irritate. They had used the same Hebrew word (Jeremiah 26:11), which ought to be translated concerning, though they meant it in the unfavourable sense. Jeremiah takes up their word in a better sense, implying that there is still room for repentance: that his prophecies aim at the real good of the city: for or concerning this house ... city. (Grotius). Copyright Statement Bibliography Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12) The Lord sent me to prophesy . . .—The answer of the accused is that of all true prophets and preachers of the word, “The Lord God hath spoken, and he can but prophesy” (Amos 3:8). He must “obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29). And in this instance the prophet has nothing in the way of credentials but the message itself. He worked no signs or wonders. Copyright Statement Bibliography Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeThen spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.
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