Jeremiah 26:16

Then the officials and all the people told the priests and prophets, “This man is not worthy of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God!”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Officials and all the people address the priests and prophets to defend Jeremiah against execution. This declaration follows Jeremiah's warning that killing him will bring innocent blood upon the city and its inhabitants.

The words — וַיֹּאמְרוּ (va-yo-me-ru) translates literally as "and they said," marking the formal introduction of the crowd's defense. הַשָּׂרִים (ha-sa-rim) means "the officials," identifying the primary speakers who initiate the legal appeal.

The thread — The crowd's assertion that the prophet is not worthy of death echoes the legal arguments in Acts 5:34 and Acts 23:29. Those passages similarly record leaders halting execution when a defendant claims divine commission or lacks capital charges.

Why it lands — The text records a public reversal from condemnation to protection based on prophetic authority. Readers observe how official and popular testimony can halt judicial execution when a speaker claims divine mandate.

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

וַיֹּאמְר֤וּva/i.yo.me.Ruand/ they said הַשָּׂרִים֙ha./sa.Rimthe/ officials וְכָל־ve./kholand/ all הָעָ֔םha./'Amthe/ people אֶל־'el-to הַכֹּהֲנִ֖יםha./ko.ha.Nimthe/ priests וְאֶל־ve./'el-and/ to הַנְּבִיאִ֑יםha./ne.vi.'Imthe/ prophets אֵין־'ein-not לָאִ֤ישׁla./'Ish[belongs] to the/ man הַזֶּה֙ha./Zeh<the>/ this מִשְׁפַּט־mish.pat-a sentence of מָ֔וֶתMa.vetdeath כִּ֗יKifor בְּשֵׁ֛םbe./Shemin/ [the] name of יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ'e.lo.Hei./nuGod/ our דִּבֶּ֥רdi.Berhe has spoken אֵלֵֽינוּ׃'e.Lei./nuto/ us

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.

Cross-references

Acts 5:34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a short time.
Acts 23:9 A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
Acts 23:29 I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.
Acts 25:25 But I found he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he has now appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.
Jeremiah 36:19 Then the officials said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah must hide yourselves and tell no one where you are.”
Jeremiah 36:25 Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.
Esther 4:14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Proverbs 16:7 When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.
Jeremiah 26:11 Then the priests and prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man is worthy of death, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears!”
Jeremiah 38:7 Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,