Jeremiah 26:15

But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves, upon this city, and upon its residents; for truly the LORD has sent me to speak all these words in your hearing.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jeremiah addresses the Judahite officials and assembly gathered to judge him after he delivered a warning of divine judgment. He speaks from a posture of voluntary surrender, having just placed himself in their hands in the preceding verse.

The words — The Hebrew אַךְ (ʾakh) serves as an emphatic "certainly," while תֵּדְעוּ (tēdēʿû) is the second-person plural future "you will know." Together they establish the warning as an unavoidable certainty rather than a conditional possibility.

The thread — The warning against shedding innocent blood aligns with Numbers 35:33, which states that bloodshed pollutes the land, and Jeremiah 7:6, which ties the same prohibition to the city's survival. Proverbs 6:17 also catalogs "hands that shed innocent blood" as a divine abomination, reinforcing the biblical pattern that unjust execution brings national guilt.

Why it lands — The text states that executing a divinely sent prophet transfers guilt to the killers, the city, and its inhabitants. It requires the reader to acknowledge that rejecting a God-authorized message carries collective consequences that override immediate political or religious pressure.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

אַ֣ךְ׀'akhonly יָדֹ֣עַya.Do.a'certainly <to know>תֵּדְע֗וּte.de.'Uyou will know כִּ֣יkithat אִם־'im-except מְמִתִ֣יםme.mi.Tim[are] about to put to death אַתֶּם֮'a.Temyou אֹתִי֒'o.T/i<obj.>/ me כִּי־ki-for דָ֣םdamblood נָקִ֗יna.Kiinnocent אַתֶּם֙'a.Temyou נֹתְנִ֣יםno.te.Nim[are] about to put עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם'a.lei./Khemon/ yourselves וְאֶל־ve./'el-and/ to הָעִ֥ירha./'Irthe/ city הַזֹּ֖אתha./Zot<the>/ this וְאֶל־ve./'el-and/ to יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָyo.she.Vei./hainhabitants/ its כִּ֣יkifor בֶאֱמֶ֗תve./'e.Metin/ truth שְׁלָחַ֤נִיshe.la.Cha./nihe has sent/ me יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahweh עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם'a.lei./Khemto/ you לְדַבֵּר֙le./da.Berto/ speak בְּאָזְנֵיכֶ֔םbe./'a.ze.nei./Khemin/ ears/ your אֵ֥ת'et<obj.>כָּל־kol-all הַדְּבָרִ֖יםha./de.va.Rimthe/ words הָאֵֽלֶּה׃ סha./'E.leh<the>/ these

King James Version

But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.

Cross-references

Numbers 35:33 Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
Proverbs 6:17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
Jeremiah 7:6 if you no longer oppress the foreigner and the fatherless and the widow, and if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place or follow other gods to your own harm,
Jeremiah 22:3 This is what the LORD says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place.
Matthew 26:25 Then Judas, who would betray Him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said it yourself.”
Acts 7:60 Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Revelation 16:6 For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.”
Genesis 4:10 “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.
Genesis 42:22 And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”
Deuteronomy 19:10 Thus innocent blood will not be shed in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.