Jeremiah 26:11
26:11 Then the priests and the prophets made their charges before the officials and all the people. They said, 1 “This man should be condemned to die 2 because he prophesied against this city. You have heard him do so 3 with your own ears.”
Jeremiah 26:16
26:16 Then the officials and all the people rendered their verdict to the priests and the prophets. They said, 4 “This man should not be condemned to die. 5 For he has spoken to us under the authority of the Lord our God.” 6
1 tn Heb “the priests and prophets said to the leaders and the people….” The long sentence has been broken up to conform better with contemporary English style and the situational context is reflected in “laid their charges.”
2 tn Heb “a sentence of death to this man.”
3 tn Heb “it.”
4 tn Heb “Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets…”
5 sn Contrast v. 11.
6 tn Heb “For in the name of the Lord our God he has spoken to us.” The emphasis is on “in the name of…”
sn The priests and false prophets claimed that they were speaking in the Lord’s name (i.e., as his representatives and with his authority [see 1 Sam 25:9; 1 Kgs 21:8 and cf. the study note on Jer 23:27]) and felt that Jeremiah’s claims to be doing so were false (see v. 9). Jeremiah (and the Lord) charged that the opposite was the case (cf. 14:14-15; 23:21). The officials and the people, at least at this time, accepted his claims that the Lord had sent him (vv. 12, 15).