Bible Strands
Jeremiah 26:21
King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and officials heard his words, and the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah found out about it, he fled in fear and went to Egypt.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — King Jehoiakim and his military and civil officials hear Uriah’s prophecy against Jerusalem and the land, and the king immediately seeks Uriah’s death. Uriah learns of the plot and flees to Egypt.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַיִּשְׁמַע (va/i.yish.ma') translates literally as "and he heard," marking the moment the royal court registers the prophet’s message. The noun גִבּוֹרָיו (gi.bo.ra.v) means "his warriors" or "mighty men," identifying the armed retinue who stand with the king.
The thread — The prophet’s flight mirrors the instruction to flee persecution in Matthew 10:23, while the royal conspiracy to silence a messenger parallels King Asa’s imprisonment of a seer in 2 Chronicles 16:10. The king’s directive to his officials to pursue the prophet anticipates the similar royal orders in Jeremiah 36:26.
Why it lands — The text records a ruler’s immediate move to execute a messenger and a prophet’s immediate move to escape, requiring the reader to observe how political power responds to unflattering divine word and how the threatened messenger preserves his life through flight.
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
King James Version
And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;
Cross-references
- Matthew 10:23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell you, you will not reach all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
- 2 Chronicles 16:10 Asa was angry with the seer and became so enraged over this matter that he put the man in prison. And at the same time Asa oppressed some of the people.
- Jeremiah 36:26 Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, as well as Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them.
- Matthew 14:5 Although Herod wanted to kill John, he was afraid of the people, because they regarded John as a prophet.
- 1 Kings 19:1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
- Psalms 119:109 I constantly take my life in my hands, yet I do not forget Your law.
- Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.
- Matthew 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
- Matthew 10:39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
- Matthew 16:25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.