Jeremiah 26:2

Jeremiah 26:2-3 . Stand in the court of the Lord’s house — The great court where both men and women ordinarily worshipped, says Dr. Lightfoot, when they brought no sacrifice; for when they did so, they were to bring it into the inner court, otherwise called the court of Israel, or of the priests, as the same learned author has observed in his treatise concerning the temple service. And speak unto all the cities of Judah — Here it is evident that ערו , cities, are put for their inhabitants; and we may conjecture from hence, that this transaction passed at one of the great festivals, when the people of Judah were assembled, out of all their cities, to worship at Jerusalem. All the words that I command thee — Not in the least varying from them, either to please men or to save thyself harmless. Diminish not a word — Either out of fear, favour, or flattery: declare not only the truth, but the whole truth, and give them faithful warning. Thus must all God’s ambassadors keep close to their instructions, and neither add to, nor diminish from, the word of the truth of the gospel, but must faithfully make known the whole counsel of God. If so be they will hearken and turn, &c. — Not that God was ignorant of their obstinacy, or did not foreknow that they would harden their hearts, and remain impenitent; yet it was for the glory of his justice, mercy, and holiness, to afford them both time for, and the means of, repentance.

And he did give them time, for it was at least six years after this before the captivity of Jehoiakim, and seventeen before that of Zedekiah took place; and as for means, God favoured them not only with such as were ordinary, but such as were extraordinary, namely, with the ministry of this prophet.

Verse 2. - Jeremiah is to take his stand in the court of the Lord's house ; i.e. the outer court, where the people assembled (comp. Jeremiah 19:14 ), and preach unto all the cities of Judah ; i.e. to the pilgrims who had come from the provincial towns (comp. Jeremiah 11:12 ). His discourse is not to be an eloquent appeal to the feelings, but a strict and peremptory announcement; he is to diminish (or, subtract ) not a word (comp. Deuteronomy 4:2 ; Deuteronomy 12:32 ; Revelation 22:19 ). Jeremiah 26:2

2 . the court of the Lord’s house ] probably the outer court, as that in which the people would assemble; so ch. Jeremiah 19:14 . the cities of ] LXX omit; introduced perhaps to harmonize with Jeremiah 11:6 . keep not back a word ] The temptation in the way of suppression would be through natural shrinking from the danger involved. Cp. Deuteronomy 4:2 ; Deuteronomy 12:32 .

Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the {a} court of the LORD'S house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command thee to speak to them; diminish not a word: (a) That is, in that place of the temple to which the people resort out of all Judah to sacrifice. (b) To the intent that they should pretend no ignorance, as in Ac 20:27.

(2) Stand in the court of the Lord’s house. —The occasion was probably one of the Feasts, and drew worshippers from all parts of the kingdom. As in Jeremiah 7:1 , the prophet had to stand in the crowded court of the Temple and utter his warning. Some critics have supposed, indeed, that in Jeremiah 7-11 we have the full text of the discourse, while here there is only an epitome of the discourse itself, and a narrative of the circumstances connected with it. The command, “diminish not a word,” reminds us of Deuteronomy 4:2 ; Deuteronomy 12:32 ; Revelation 22:19 . There was something in the message that the prophet felt himself called to deliver from which he would naturally have shrunk. Benson CommentaryJeremiah 26:2-3. Stand in the court of the Lord’s house — The great court where both men and women ordinarily worshipped, says Dr. Lightfoot, when they brought no sacrifice; for when they did so, they were to bring it into the inner court, otherwise called the court of Israel, or of the priests, as the same learned author has observed in his treatise concerning the temple service. And speak unto all the cities of Judah — Here it is evident that ערו, cities, are put for their inhabitants; and we may conjecture from hence, that this transaction passed at one of the great festivals, when the people of Judah were assembled, out of all their cities, to worship at Jerusalem.

All the words that I command thee — Not in the least varying from them, either to please men or to save thyself harmless. Diminish not a word — Either out of fear, favour, or flattery: declare not only the truth, but the whole truth, and give them faithful warning. Thus must all God’s ambassadors keep close to their instructions, and neither add to, nor diminish from, the word of the truth of the gospel, but must faithfully make known the whole counsel of God. If so be they will hearken and turn, &c. — Not that God was ignorant of their obstinacy, or did not foreknow that they would harden their hearts, and remain impenitent; yet it was for the glory of his justice, mercy, and holiness, to afford them both time for, and the means of, repentance. And he did give them time, for it was at least six years after this before the captivity of Jehoiakim, and seventeen before that of Zedekiah took place; and as for means, God favoured them not only with such as were ordinary, but such as were extraordinary, namely, with the ministry of this prophet.Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary26:1-6 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?

Jeremiah 26 is a narrative of the danger to which Jeremiah was exposed by reason of the prophecy contained in Jeremiah 7 and should be read in connection with it. Jeremiah 26:4-6 contain a summary of the prediction contained in Jeremiah 7 , and that again is but an outline of what was a long address.