Jeremiah 26 23

Jeremiah 26:23 kjv

And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

Jeremiah 26:23 nkjv

And they brought Urijah from Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

Jeremiah 26:23 niv

They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.)

Jeremiah 26:23 esv

and they took Uriah from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down with the sword and dumped his dead body into the burial place of the common people.

Jeremiah 26:23 nlt

They took him prisoner and brought him back to King Jehoiakim. The king then killed Uriah with a sword and had him buried in an unmarked grave.

Jeremiah 26 verses

Jeremiah 26 23 Meaning

The verse signifies that after Ebed-Melech, a Cushite eunuch in the king's house, rescued Jeremiah from a cistern, King Jehoiakim, in a swift and decisive action, dispatched men to retrieve Jeremiah from the Gilgal place. This demonstrates God's providential intervention through human agents, protecting His prophet from imminent death, and underscores Jehoiakim's outward, though perhaps self-serving, responsiveness to the plight of Jeremiah, influenced by the intervention of others.

Jeremiah 26 23 Context

Jeremiah chapter 26 details the prophet's confrontation with the religious establishment of Jerusalem. In chapter 26, Jeremiah stands in the court of the house of the LORD and declares that if the people do not repent and reform their ways, the Temple itself will become like Shiloh, a place destroyed and desolate. This prophecy, delivered during the reign of Jehoiakim, led to his arrest and accusation of blasphemy and treason, potentially inciting rebellion by predicting the Temple's destruction. However, certain elders intervened, reminding the assembly of Micah’s prophecy, which had a similar outcome but resulted in repentance and averted judgment. This led to Jeremiah’s acquittal. Following this public trial and deliverance, the narrative shifts in chapter 27 and picks up with a specific incident in chapter 28 concerning Hananiah the false prophet. Chapter 26 verse 23 picks up from the previous chapter's events but recounts a separate, though related, incident where Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern to die by officials, but was rescued by Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian eunuch. The events in 38:7-13 lead up to this verse where Jehoiakim, alerted to Jeremiah's rescue and presumably influenced by the need to maintain royal prerogative or appease potential unrest, sends for Jeremiah. The Gilgal location likely refers to a stone gateway or a fortified area outside the city. This incident occurs against the backdrop of the Babylonian siege, a period of intense national crisis and political turmoil in Judah.

Jeremiah 26 23 Word Analysis

• And (וְ - ve): A conjunction indicating connection or continuation. Here it links the action of Jehoiakim to the preceding events.

• Jehoiakim (יְהוֹיָקִים - yehoyaqim): King of Judah (609-598 BCE). His name means "Yahweh will establish." He was a puppet king appointed by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt, and he opposed Jeremiah’s message of submission to Babylon, leading to an unfavorable reign.

• sent (שָׁלַח - shalach): To send forth, dispatch, extend. It denotes the act of commissioning or ordering someone to go.

• and (וְ - ve): Conjunction.

• brought (קָרָא - qara'): This verb can mean "to call" or "to meet" or "to fetch." In this context, it signifies "to fetch" or "to bring forth" from where he was located.

• them (אֹתָם - otam): A plural object pronoun. This refers to Jeremiah, as he was brought out of the cistern. Although Jeremiah is singular, the verb's usage in conjunction with "chamber" can imply being brought with others or to a location for others. More likely, it refers to the return of Jeremiah himself, perhaps a linguistic nuance. It is most directly referring to Jeremiah's singular person being brought, despite the plural pronoun, as common in Hebrew to express bringing to a place rather than just the object itself. Some translations interpret it as bringing them (Jeremiah and his companion, perhaps, or simply the outcome) from that place. Given the immediate context of Ebed-Melech bringing Jeremiah out, "them" could refer to Jeremiah and his retrieved status.

• out (מִן - min): From. A preposition indicating separation or origin.

• of (מִן - min): From.

• the chamber (מִן־הַלִּשְׁכָּה - min-hallishkah): The room, cell, or chamber. Refers to a specific location within the king’s premises or governmental offices.

• of (הַ — ha): The definite article "the".

• the king (הַמֶּלֶךְ - hammelekh): The monarch. Indicates the king's property or control.

• which (אֲשֶׁר - asher): A relative pronoun, introducing a subordinate clause.

• was (הָיָה - hayah): Verb "to be" in the imperfect tense.

• in (בְּ־ - b'-): In, at, with. Preposition.

• the (הַ — ha): The definite article "the".

• chamber (לִשְׁכָּה - lishkah): The room or compartment. Specifies the location where Jeremiah was held after being brought out. It signifies a secure, potentially transitional space within the royal compound, perhaps for interrogation or temporary confinement before further decisions were made.

• the king's house (בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ - beith hammelekh): The palace or royal residence. This is where Jeremiah was brought after his rescue from the cistern and then from Gilgal. This points to his presentation before the king or royal authority.

Jeremiah 26 23 Bonus Section

The Cushite, Ebed-Melech, represents a marginalized group who displays courage and faith by acting on behalf of God's prophet. His intercession and the king's subsequent action reflect a complex interplay of power, faith, and self-preservation within the political landscape of besieged Jerusalem. This event underscores that God uses anyone, regardless of their social standing or ethnicity, to accomplish His purposes, a theme that resonates throughout Scripture, particularly in the ministry of Jesus and the early church, where the Gospel was taken to all nations. Ebed-Melech's act is also a stark contrast to the inaction or malice of the princes and priests who had sought Jeremiah's death, demonstrating that true loyalty to God often manifests in unexpected places and individuals. The relocation to "the chamber of the king" suggests that Jeremiah was now under direct royal scrutiny, transitioning from a punishment of death by a faction to a matter of state concern.

Jeremiah 26 23 Commentary

Jehoiakim's immediate action to bring Jeremiah from Gilgal highlights a crucial moment in the prophet's ministry. While the king had previously shown a willingness to execute Jeremiah based on the people's demands (Jer 26:11), here, the intervention of Ebed-Melech seems to have prompted a more personal and perhaps politically astute response. The king, perhaps concerned about the implications of Jeremiah's disappearance or the actions taken against him without his explicit command, ensures the prophet is brought to him. The phrasing "brought them out of the chamber of the king" implies that Jeremiah was being held in a chamber connected to the king's compound, indicating he was under royal, albeit possibly temporary or questioned, custody. This intervention is a demonstration of God working through secular authority to protect His messenger. It shows that while earthly powers are often adversaries to God’s servants, they can also be instruments in His hands. The king’s order was not necessarily an act of favor but likely a reaction to the unauthorized handling of a potentially valuable national asset or a recognized figure, even a troublesome one. It sets the stage for further interrogation and divine pronouncements to the king.