26:1 the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim Jehoiakim began to reign in 609 bc (see note on 22:18). This likely refers to the year he took the throne, from autumn 609 to April 608 bc (see note on Ezek 25:1).

26:2 the courtyard of the house of Yahweh Compare Jer 7:2 and note.

26:3 Perhaps they will listen The purpose of the message is to encourage repentance. Compare vv. 16–19.

I will relent of the disaster Compare 18:8 and note.

26:5 the words of my servants the prophets whom See 25:4 and note.

26:6 Shiloh Israel’s main religious center before the monarchy. See note on 7:12.

26:8 and all the people Everyone in the temple area who heard his message believed that it was treasonous and considered Jeremiah a false prophet because of it.

You will die The penalty for false prophecy was death (see Deut 18:15–22).

26:9 Why have you prophesied in the name of Yahweh, saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be in ruins, without inhabitant’? Reflects the people’s belief that Jeremiah’s very act of speaking such a message could bring about the disaster he predicted.

This house will be like Shiloh In paraphrasing Jeremiah’s words, the people conveniently leave out the first part of the conditional statement—if you will not listen—and focus on the consequence, as if Jeremiah had pronounced only a blasphemous prediction of the destruction of the temple. Compare John 2:19–20; Matt 26:61.

26:10 in the entrance of the New Gate of The gate complex functioned as a local court (see Amos 5:10–15). The royal officials heard the commotion in the temple and assembled at the gate for trial.

the New Gate of Yahweh’s Also mentioned in 36:10. Since the royal palace was on the south side of the temple, the New Gate is probably the gate on the south side of the inner court. It may be the same as the Upper Gate rebuilt by King Jotham (2 Kgs 15:35).

26:11 against this city The people focus only on Jeremiah’s declaration that the city would be desolate. They ignore that the city’s destruction was a by-product of the overthrow of the temple for religious apostasy. The charge is officially treason, not blasphemy.

26:13 obey the voice of Jeremiah’s defense is that Yahweh sent him and that his message is conditional on their repentance. His vindication acknowledges that a true prophet preaches judgment and repentance (Jer 26:19).

26:15 innocent blood Refers to wrongful deaths brought about by a corrupt legal system. Jeremiah has regularly included shedding innocent blood in his lists of injustices (see 2:34; 7:6; 19:4; 22:3, 17; compare note on Ezek 22:9).

26:16 This man does not deserve a sentence of death The royal officials bring an acquittal in opposition to the wishes of the religious leaders. Since their reasoning is that Jeremiah spoke in the name of Yahweh, the conflict emphasizes the difficulty in recognizing true and false prophecy when both sides are claiming to speak on behalf of the same God.

26:17 the elders of the land Refers to local leaders, the heads of clans or tribes. Moses appointed elders to help oversee the judicial aspects of local government (see Num 11:16–30).

26:18 Micah the Morashtite The biblical prophet (see Mic 1:1 and note).

Hezekiah, the king of Judah Reigned 715–687 bc (see 2 Kgs 18–20). Known for his religious reforms and his penitent attitude, which helped avert destruction from Jerusalem in 701 bc.

Zion will be plowed as a field This quote from Mic 3:12 predicts judgment on Judah and Jerusalem for their injustice and their complacent assumption that Yahweh would save Zion no matter what. The themes of Jeremiah’s preaching are the same as the warning preached by Micah a century earlier (see Mic 3:9–12).

26:19 he entreated the face of Yahweh Hezekiah interceded with Yahweh in Isa 37:14–20 (see note on Isa 32:1).

are about to do great disaster Acknowledges a need for communal repentance, but the story about King Jehoiakim in the following verses (Jer 26:20–24) illustrates that they cannot expect him to intercede on their behalf as Hezekiah had done.

26:20 Uriah, the son of Shemaiah This prophet is otherwise unknown. His story is added here to emphasize the grave danger Jeremiah was in.

Kiriath-Jearim A city about eight miles northwest of Jerusalem.

26:21 King Jehoiakim See note on 22:18. Since the current incident is said to be at the beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign, the execution of Uriah (also rendered “Urijah”) must have been fairly recent. The ease with which Uriah is recovered from Egypt (vv. 22–23) suggests that he was killed while Jehoiakim was still a vassal of Egypt (609–605 bc).

26:22 Elnathan, the son of Achbor One of the officials present when the contents of Jeremiah’s scroll were reported in 36:11–13. He may have been the son of one of the officials of Josiah mentioned in 2 Kgs 22:12. Despite his role in retrieving Uriah (also rendered “Urijah”) for execution, he may have been sympathetic to Jeremiah’s message since he attempts to prevent the king from burning the scroll in Jer 36:25.

26:23 the burial sites of the sons of Apparently a reference to the Kidron Valley (see 2 Kgs 23:6).

26:24 Ahikam the son of Shaphan Jeremiah owed his vindication in this incident to the influence of Ahikam, who had also served Josiah and had been part of Josiah’s religious reforms (see 2 Kgs 22:12–14). His father, Shaphan, was the scribe responsible for bringing the scroll of the Law to Josiah’s attention (2 Kgs 22:3–14). The support of the family of Shaphan was instrumental in Jeremiah’s survival during this period (see Jer 36:10, 25; 39:14; 40:5–16).