Jeremiah 29:26
in Jeremiah 29‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada, to be the chief officer in the house of the LORD, responsible for any madman who acts like a prophet—you must put him in stocks and neck irons.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in the house of Jehovah, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in the stocks and in shackles.
KJV
The Lord hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the Lord, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.
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This verse in Jeremiah 29
Commentary
10 notes on this verseFor every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet - Mad, משגע meshugga, in ecstatic rapture; such as appeared in the prophets, whether true or false, when under the influence, the one of God, the other of a demon. See 2Ki 9:11; Hos 9:7.
This site's exposition
You are to tell Shemaiah the
on Jeremiah 29:24-26
Shemaiah the Nehelamite answers Jeremiah's letter with letters of his own. He reminds Zephaniah that the LORD appointed him with charge over “any madman who acts like a prophet,” and asks for Jeremiah in the stocks. The office set to guard against false prophets is turned against the true one.
This site's exposition
any madman who acts like a prophet
Matthew Henry reports that Shemaiah flatters Zephaniah as a new Jehoiada, the priest who led the reform under Joash. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that the Law made the priest a judge, without the right to put a man in stocks. Jeremiah had been put in the stocks at 20:2.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 24 and following) And to Semeias the Nehelamite you shall say. And what follows: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Since you have sent in your name letters to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Sophonias the son of Maasias the priest. And again from the Hebrew: And to all the priests (the Vulgate adds saying).
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Their hearts are wretchedly hardened who can justify the doing of mischief by their having a power to do it. These priests' business was to examine every man that is mad and makes himself a prophet.
Some think that he refers to the famous Jehoiada, that great reformer in the days of Joash; and (says Mr. Gataker) he would insinuate that this Zephaniah is for spirit and zeal such another as he, and raised up, as he was, for the glory of God and the good of the church; and therefore it was expected from him that he should proceed against Jeremiah.
), that they will thus punish him, and by putting him to disgrace possess the people with prejudices against him, ruin his reputation, and so prevent the giving of any credit to his prophecies at Jerusalem, hoping that, if they could gain that point, the captives in Babylon would not be influenced by him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Priest - Zephaniah was the second priest. In the stead - In the stead signifies, that thou shouldest be like the good high priest Jehoiada. Mad - That thou mightest take care of persons, who being mad or frantick make themselves prophets.
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The Lord hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest,.... The same with Seraiah, who might have more names than one, and Jehoiada be one of them, who either was removed, or carried captive; and this Zephaniah, his sagan of deputy, succeeded him.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Jeremiah is in this a type of Christ, against whom the same charge was brought (Joh 10:20). prison--rather, "the stocks" (see on Jer 20:2). stocks--from a root, "to confine"; hence rather, "a narrow dungeon." According to De 17:8, 9, the priest was judge in such cases, but had no right to put into the stocks; this right he had assumed to himself in the troubled state of the times.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יְהוָ֞ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| נְתָנְךָ֣ | netanekha | he has made you | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| כֹהֵ֗ן | khohen | priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| תַּ֚חַת | tachat | in place of | H8478 → | 505 times |
| יְהוֹיָדָ֣ע | yehoyada' | Jehoiada | H3077 → | |
| הַכֹּהֵ֔ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| לִֽהְי֤וֹת | lihyot | to be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| פְּקִדִים֙ | pekidim | overseers | H6496 → | 13 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | to every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אִ֥ישׁ | ʾish | person | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מְשֻׁגָּ֖ע | meshuga' | [who] is mad | H7696 → | |
| וּמִתְנַבֵּ֑א | umitnabe' | and [who] prophesies | H5012 → | 115 times |
| וְנָתַתָּ֥ה | venatatah | and you will put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֹת֛וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמַּהְפֶּ֖כֶת | hamahpekhet | the stock[s] | H4115 → | 4 times |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַצִּינֹֽק׃ | hatzinok | the iron collar | H6729 → |
יְהוָ֞הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
נְתָנְךָ֣he has made you
netanekhaH5414 →2011 times
כֹהֵ֗ןpriest
khohenH3548 →750 times
תַּ֚חַתin place of
tachatH8478 →505 times
יְהוֹיָדָ֣עJehoiada
yehoyada'H3077 →
הַכֹּהֵ֔ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
לִֽהְי֤וֹתto be
lihyotH1961 →3559 times
פְּקִדִים֙overseers
pekidimH6496 →13 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לְכָל־to every
lekholH3605 →5413 times
אִ֥ישׁperson
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מְשֻׁגָּ֖ע[who] is mad
meshuga'H7696 →
וּמִתְנַבֵּ֑אand [who] prophesies
umitnabe'H5012 →115 times
וְנָתַתָּ֥הand you will put
venatatahH5414 →2011 times
אֹת֛וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמַּהְפֶּ֖כֶתthe stock[s]
hamahpekhetH4115 →4 times
וְאֶל־and into
veel-H413 →5510 times
הַצִּינֹֽק׃the iron collar
hatzinokH6729 →
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
John 10:20Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and insane. Why would you listen to Him?”
it leads to
- Mark 3:21
When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.”
Reached by 4 separate paths from here.
- John 7:20
“You have a demon,” the crowd replied. “Who is trying to kill You?”
- John 8:52
“Now we know that You have a demon!” declared the Jews. “Abraham died, and so did the prophets, yet You say that anyone who keeps Your word will never taste death.
- Mark 3:21
Through
Acts 26:24At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 2:13–14
And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
- 1 Corinthians 1:23
but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
- 1 Corinthians 4:10
We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored.
- 2 Corinthians 5:13
If we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.
- 1 Corinthians 2:13–14
Through
Hosea 9:7The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived—let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and…
it leads to
- Acts 26:24–25
At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”
- Acts 26:24–25
Where this verse is studied
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.