Jeremiah 26:21
in Jeremiah 26King 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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 Uriah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt.
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;
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This verse in Jeremiah 26
Commentary
6 notes on this verseNote, There are many that have much grace, but they have little courage, that are very honest, but withal very timorous. His execution notwithstanding. Jehoiakim's malice, one would think, might have contented itself with his banishment, and it might suffice to have driven him out of the country; but those are bloodthirsty that hate the upright, Prov. xxix.
This site's exposition
Now there was another man prophesying
on Jeremiah 26:20-23
A second case stands beside the first: “Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim” prophesied “the same things that Jeremiah did.” When he fled to Egypt, Jehoiakim sent “Elnathan son of Achbor” to bring him back. Hezekiah heard Micah and turned, and Jehoiakim hears the same warning and kills the messenger.
This site's exposition
he fled in fear and went to Egypt
Uriah fled in fear, and Matthew Henry notes that some who have much grace have little courage. Jehoiakim was bent on his death even with the prophet gone to Egypt. Henry cites Proverbs 29:10 on the bloodthirsty who hate the upright.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 20 onwards) There was also a prophet man in the name of the Lord, Uriah, the son of Shemai from Kiriath-Jearim, and he prophesied against this city and against this land, according to all the words of Jeremiah. And King Jehoiakim and all his powerful men and officials heard these words, and the king sought to put him to death. But Uriah heard about it and was afraid, so he fled and went to Egypt.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
His mighty men - The commanders of his army; the princes are the civil officers.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Also a man was prophesying The one who said this did not say this. I.e., those who related the incident of Micah did not relate the incident concerning Uriah. Up to here are the words of the righteous.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע | vaiyishma' | and he heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| הַמֶּֽלֶךְ־ | hamelekh- | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יְ֠הוֹיָקִים | yehoyakim | Jehoiakim | H3079 → | 37 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| גִּבּוֹרָ֤יו | giborav | warriors his | H1368 → | 158 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַשָּׂרִים֙ | hasarim | the officials | H8269 → | 421 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דְּבָרָ֔יו | devarav | words his | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| וַיְבַקֵּ֥שׁ | vayvakesh | and he sought | H1245 → | 225 times |
| הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| הֲמִית֑וֹ | hamito | to put to death him | H4191 → | 839 times |
| וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע | vaiyishma' | and he heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אוּרִיָּ֙הוּ֙ | ʾuriyahu | Uriah | H223 → | 39 times |
| וַיִּרָ֔א | vaiyira' | and he was afraid | H3372 → | 315 times |
| וַיִּבְרַ֖ח | vaiyivrach | and he fled | H1272 → | 63 times |
| וַיָּבֹ֥א | vaiyavo' | and he went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| מִצְרָֽיִם׃ | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣עand he heard
vaiyishma'H8085 →1159 times
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ־the king
hamelekh-H4428 →2525 times
יְ֠הוֹיָקִיםJehoiakim
yehoyakimH3079 →37 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
גִּבּוֹרָ֤יוwarriors his
giboravH1368 →158 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
הַשָּׂרִים֙the officials
hasarimH8269 →421 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דְּבָרָ֔יוwords his
devaravH1697 →1440 times
וַיְבַקֵּ֥שׁand he sought
vayvakeshH1245 →225 times
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
הֲמִית֑וֹto put to death him
hamitoH4191 →839 times
וַיִּשְׁמַ֤עand he heard
vaiyishma'H8085 →1159 times
אוּרִיָּ֙הוּ֙Uriah
ʾuriyahuH223 →39 times
וַיִּרָ֔אand he was afraid
vaiyira'H3372 →315 times
וַיִּבְרַ֖חand he fled
vaiyivrachH1272 →63 times
וַיָּבֹ֥אand he went
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
מִצְרָֽיִם׃Egypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 10:23When 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.
it leads to
- Matthew 16:28
Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
- John 11:53–54
So from that day on they plotted to kill Him.
- Acts 8:1
And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
- Matthew 16:28
Through
Jeremiah 36:26Instead, 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…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 19:14
“I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am…
- Psalms 91:1
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
- 1 Kings 17:3
“Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.
- 1 Kings 19:10
“I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am…
- 1 Kings 19:1–3
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
- 1 Kings 19:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Jeremiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.