Back to Jeremiah 26

Jeremiah 26:16

Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets: “This man is not worthy of death; for he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.”

World English Bible · Public Domain

Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets: “This man is not worthy of death; for he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.”

  • KJV King James Version

    Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.

  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets: 'This man is not worthy of death; for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.'

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Cross-references (16)

Passages linked to Jeremiah 26:16 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.

  • Acts 5:34-39 But one stood up in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, honored by all the people, and commanded to put the apostles out for a little while. He said to them, “You men of Israel, be careful concerning these men, what you are about to do. For before these days Theudas rose up, making himself out to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves. He was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed, and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the enrollment, and drew away some people after him. He also perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad. Now I tell you, withdraw from these men, and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will be overthrown. But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it, and you would be found even to be fighting against God!”
  • Acts 23:9 A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ part stood up, and contended, saying, “We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, let’s not fight against God!”
  • Acts 23:29 I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment.
  • Acts 25:25 But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him,
  • Jeremiah 36:19 Then the princes said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah go hide. Don’t let anyone know where you are.”
  • Jeremiah 36:25 Moreover Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the scroll; but he would not listen to them.
  • Esther 4:14 For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
  • Proverbs 16:7 When a man’s ways please Yahweh, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
  • Jeremiah 26:11 Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and to all the people, saying, “This man is worthy of death; for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.”
  • Jeremiah 38:7-13 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon (the king was then sitting in Benjamin’s gate), Ebedmelech went out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying, “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon. He is likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.” Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take from here thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies.” So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from there rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the cords.” Jeremiah did so. So they drew up Jeremiah with the cords, and took him up out of the dungeon; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
  • Matthew 27:23-24 But the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, saying, “Let him be crucified!” So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person. You see to it.”
  • Matthew 27:54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
  • Luke 23:14-15 and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and behold, having examined him before you, I found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him. Neither has Herod, for I sent you to him, and see, nothing worthy of death has been done by him.
  • Luke 23:41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”
  • Luke 23:47 When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous man.”
  • Acts 26:31-32 When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.” Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

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Explain this verse (15 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain Jeremiah shews here that the sentence pronounced on him…

Jeremiah shews here that the sentence pronounced on him by the priests and false prophets was soon changed. They had indeed heard him, and had given some appearance of docility, as it is the case with hypocrites who for a time attend; but they exasperated themselves against God, and as their minds were previously malignant, they were rendered much worse by hearing. So it happened to the priests and false prophets, and in their blind rage they doomed the holy Prophet to death. He now says that he was acquitted by the princes and the king’s counsellors, and also by the votes of the people. The people had, indeed, lately condemned him, but they had been carried away by the vain pomp and splendor of the priests and prophets; when they saw these so incensed against Jeremiah, they could not bring themselves to inquire into the cause. Thus the common people are always blinded by prejudices, so that they will not examine the matter itself. So it was when Jeremiah was condemned. We have said that the people were of themselves quiet and peaceable; but the prophets and priests were the farmers, and hence it was that the people immediately gave their consent. But in the presence of the princes they went in a contrary direction.

This passage, in short, teaches us how mischievous are rulers when there is no regard had for equity or justice; and it also teaches us how desirable it is to have honest and temperate rulers, who defend what is good and just, and aid the miserable and the oppressed. But we see that there is nothing steady or fixed in the common people; for they are carried here and there like the wind, which blows now from this quarter and then from that.

Read full note →

But we must notice this clause, that Jeremiah was not worthy of death, because he had spoken in the name of Jehovah They thus confessed, that whatever came from God ought to have been received, and that men were mad who opposed the servants of God, for they hurried themselves headlong into their own destruction.

We may hence deduce a useful truth, that whatever God has commanded ought, without exception, to be reverently received, and that his name is worthy of such a regard, that we ought to attempt nothing against his servants and prophets. Now, to speak in the name of Jehovah is no other thing than faithfully to declare what God has commanded. The false prophets, indeed, assumed the name of God, but they did so falsely; but the people acknowledge here that Jeremiah was a true prophet, who did not presumptuously thrust in himself, nor falsely pretended God’s name, but who in sincerity performed the duties of his office. It follows, —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Jer 26:16 Then said the princes and all the…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain The judges in this case, with the assent of…
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain Here is, I. The acquitting of Jeremiah from the…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Then said the princes and all the people unto…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 16. This man is not worthy to die]…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain This man ... - literally, There is not to…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain All. The populace easily changes either for better or…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain princes . . . all the people--The fickle people,…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 16. The princes and all the people — The…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 16. The princes, not being prejudiced as were Jeremiah’s…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (16) This man is not worthy to die.—Literally, as…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vers. 16-19. The truth makes an impression upon the…
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 in the name of Yahweh our God
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 26:16 Jeremiah was successful in his defense; he convinced…

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