Jeremiah 26:21 kjv
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;
Jeremiah 26:21 nkjv
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 to Egypt.
Jeremiah 26:21 niv
When King Jehoiakim and all his officers and officials heard his words, the king was determined to put him to death. But Uriah heard of it and fled in fear to Egypt.
Jeremiah 26:21 esv
And when King Jehoiakim, with all his warriors and all the officials, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt.
Jeremiah 26:21 nlt
When King Jehoiakim and the army officers and officials heard what he was saying, the king sent someone to kill him. But Uriah heard about the plan and escaped in fear to Egypt.
Jeremiah 26 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 26:23 | And they brought out Uriah from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who killed him with a sword and cast his corpse into the common graves. | Explicit account of Uriah's death |
| Jeremiah 20:2 | And Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD. | Similar persecution of Jeremiah |
| Jeremiah 38:4-6 | Therefore the princes said to the king, “Let this man be put to death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such things to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.” ... Therefore the princes said to the king, “Let this man be put to death.” | Princes advocating for Jeremiah's death |
| 1 Kings 18:4, 13 | ...when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and provided them with bread and water. ... "Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid a hundred men of the LORD’s prophets by fifties in a cave and provided them with bread and water?" | Historical example of prophets being hunted |
| Acts 7:52 | “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Just One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers," | Jesus' rebuke of their ancestors' treatment of prophets |
| Matthew 23:37 | “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" | Jesus lamenting Jerusalem's rejection of messengers |
| 2 Chronicles 36:16 | But they constantly mocked the messengers of God, despised his warnings, and ridiculed his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy. | General pattern of Israel's rejection of prophets |
| Romans 8:35-37 | Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. | Encouragement in facing persecution |
| John 15:18-20 | “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. | Jesus warning of worldly persecution |
| Hebrews 11:36 | Others suffered mocking, flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. | Acknowledgment of believers suffering persecution |
| 2 Timothy 3:12 | Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, | Assurance that persecution is common for believers |
| Isaiah 30:10 | They say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; rather speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions." | The desire of the people for comfort, not truth |
| Acts 4:18-20 | But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” | The apostles' resolve to speak God's word despite threats |
| Ezekiel 3:19 | But if you warn the wicked, and he turns not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, then he shall die in his iniquity, but you will have saved your life. | The prophet's responsibility even when rejected |
| Matthew 10:16 | “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. | Jesus' warning to His disciples about danger |
| Luke 1:70 | as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, | God's historical use of prophets |
| Isaiah 44:26 | who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, “She shall be inhabited,” and of the cities of Judah, “They shall be built,” and I will raise up their ruins. | God's vindication of His messengers |
| Psalm 119:85 | The proud devise wicked schemes, but your law I do not forsake. | The contrast between the proud and God's law |
| Revelation 11:7 | And when they finish their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them, and kill them. | Future persecution of God's witnesses |
| Proverbs 29:25 | The fear of man lays a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD is secure. | Trust in God over fear of men |
| Amos 7:10 | Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is unable to bear all his words.” | Another example of a prophet facing royal opposition |
Jeremiah 26 verses
Jeremiah 26 21 Meaning
Jeremiah 26:21 states that when King Jehoiakim and all his officials heard the words of Uriah the Hittite, they sought to kill him. This verse highlights the violent opposition faced by prophets who spoke God's truth in a corrupt era, revealing the danger of challenging the ruling powers and their established norms. Uriah's prophecy, likely similar to Jeremiah's own warnings of judgment upon Jerusalem, directly threatened the kingdom's stability and the king's authority, leading to this severe reaction.
Jeremiah 26 21 Context
This verse is part of the larger narrative of Jeremiah's ministry in Jerusalem, specifically within the "Book of Terror" (Jeremiah chapters 26-29). Chapter 26 recounts Jeremiah's powerful prophecy delivered in the temple courts, declaring that Jerusalem would face destruction and become like Shiloh if the people and their leaders did not repent. This message, known as the "Temple Sermon" or " Jehoiakim's Reckoning," directly challenged the prevailing nationalistic and religious confidence. The priests, prophets, and the people were incensed by Jeremiah's words, seeing them as treasonous and destructive to national morale.
The immediate context is that Uriah the Hittite, a prophet who had spoken similar words of judgment, had fled to Egypt out of fear of King Jehoiakim. However, he was pursued, brought back to Jerusalem, and subsequently killed by Jehoiakim, who then cast his body among the common graves. This action by the king demonstrates the intense hostility and danger faced by anyone who dared to prophesy doom upon the city, even as King Jehoiakim himself was later judged by God.
Jeremiah 26 21 Word Analysis
- And: Conjunction linking this action to the preceding events concerning Uriah's flight.
- heard: (Hebrew: שָׁמַע - shama) To listen, attend, obey. Here, it signifies receiving and comprehending Uriah's prophetic message. The hearing was followed by a negative action.
- words: (Hebrew: דְּבָרִים - devarim) Matters, things, words, commands. Refers to the specific prophecies spoken by Uriah.
- of Uriah: Belonging to Uriah, emphasizing his role as the messenger.
- the Hittite: Identifies Uriah's ethnic background. While it might seem incidental, during that period, national and ethnic lines were significant. Uriah being a Hittite could also be noteworthy as he was not of Israelite lineage, yet was a prophet of the LORD, showing God's sovereign choice.
- that prophet: (Hebrew: הַנָּבִיא - han Navi) The prophet. The definite article emphasizes that Uriah was recognized as a prophet, even by those who opposed him. His prophetic status is undisputed by the narrator.
- and: Conjunction.
- and: Conjunction.
- sought: (Hebrew: בִּקְּשׁוּ - bakesh) To seek, desire, inquire. In this context, it means to actively attempt or plot.
- to kill: (Hebrew: לְהָמִית - lehamit) To cause to die. The ultimate action they intended against Uriah.
- him: Pronoun referring to Uriah the Hittite.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- heard the words of Uriah the Hittite: This signifies the reception of the prophetic message. The emphasis is on the content of the prophecy being something that could provoke such a reaction. The message was clearly alarming and seen as subversive.
- and Jehoiakim the king: Identifying the primary instigator, King Jehoiakim, underscoring the political nature of the persecution. He was the ultimate authority who gave the command or permitted the action.
- and all his officials: Including the ruling class, religious authorities (priests and prophets mentioned in verse 10), and military leaders, showing the widespread opposition from the establishment to God's message.
- sought to kill him: This phrase encapsulates the violent intent of the leadership. It implies a deliberate attempt and possibly a conspiracy against Uriah, motivated by the perceived threat of his prophecy to their power and the nation's perceived security.
Jeremiah 26 21 Bonus Section
Uriah's persecution and death are explicitly linked to his prophecy. The king and officials heard him, and their immediate response was a death sentence. This is in stark contrast to the temporary reprieve Jeremiah received after the intervention of some elders and the scribe Shaphan (Jeremiah 26:16, 24), showing that not everyone agreed with the king's violent response, or at least that there was a legalistic concern for process. However, the king's determination to kill Uriah underscores a deeper hostility towards God's messengers that was pervasive in the latter days of Judah. The mention of Uriah being from "the land of Egypt" is also significant. It suggests he might have been a prophet recognized even in Egypt, or perhaps he was an Israelite who had found refuge there. Regardless, his apprehension and return were ordered by the king, demonstrating royal authority's reach and intent to control all prophetic voices within their sphere of influence. This episode reinforces the theme of faithfulness to God even unto death, as portrayed in other biblical accounts of prophets and later, martyrs.
Jeremiah 26 21 Commentary
Jeremiah 26:21 depicts the grave danger faced by God's spokesmen. Uriah, like Jeremiah, spoke words of judgment against Jerusalem. King Jehoiakim and his officials, rather than heeding the divine warning or at least granting prophetic discourse due process (as attempted by some priests and elders in verses 11-16), actively sought to silence Uriah by killing him. This demonstrates the entrenched corruption and defiance of God's will within the leadership. Their intent to murder a prophet for speaking God's truth underscores their profound spiritual blindness and allegiance to their own authority and perceived national interests over divine command. This event foreshadows the rejection and persecution that characterized prophetic ministry throughout the Old Testament and was amplified in the rejection of Jesus and His apostles. It highlights the principle that opposition to God's word often originates from those in power who feel their authority threatened.