Jeremiah 26:10

Jer 26:10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king’s house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD’S [house].

Ver. 10. When the princes of Judah heard those things.] Pii viri sunt quibus doluit populi impietas; good men they were, saith Oecolampadius. They might be so, some of them at least; and it was well done of them here to pass an impartial sentence for the innocent prophet against the priests and people. But Pilate did so for a while for our Saviour; and these princes soon after turned Jeremiah’s cruel enemies {Jer 37:15} for his plain dealing. {Jer 34:1-7}

And sat down in the entry of the new gate.] The east gate, saith the Chaldee paraphrast; called the new gate because repaired by Jotham, {2Ki 15:35} saith Lyra.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26:10-15 Court trials were customarily held at a gateway to the city. City gateways at this time were covered and multi-chambered. In this location, where the commerce of the city went in and out, the elders of the city would congregate where they could be called upon to apply their wisdom to legal conflicts. In this case, the officials were fair; they gave each party an opportunity to present its side of the quarrel.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

So called, because it was repaired by Jotham, 2 Kings 15:35.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

princes--members of the Council of State or Great Council, which took cognizance of such offenses.

heard--the clamor of the popular tumult.

came up--from the king's house to the temple, which stood higher than the palace.

sat--as judges, in the gate, the usual place of trying such cases.

new gate--originally built by Jotham ("the higher gate," Kg2 15:35) and now recently restored.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 10. The princes of Judah] The king's court; his cabinet counsellors.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

We have said that the princes were roused by a popular clamor; nor is there a doubt but; that the king had sent them to quell the commotion. It must be especially noticed, that they were engaged in other matters, as it was seldom the case that courtiers spent their time in hearing the prophets. It is indeed true, that the occupations of those are sacred, who have the care of the commonwealth, who dispense justice, and who have to provide for the public safety; but it behoves them so to divide their time, that they may be able to consecrate some portion of it to God. But courtiers think themselves exempted by a sort of privilege, when yet the truth is more necessary for them than even for the common people; for not only the duty of the head of a family lies on each of them, but the Lord has also set them over a whole people. If, then, private men have need of being daily taught, that they may faithfully rule and guide themselves and their families, what ought to be done by those rulers who are as it were the fathers of the commonwealth? But as I have already said, such men usually exempt themselves from the yoke of the faithful.

Hence then it was, that none of the princes were present, when Jeremiah had been commanded to proclaim his message, not only on the day when few came to the Temple, but when they came from all the cities of Judah to sacrifice at Jerusalem. It was, indeed, a very shameful sign of gross contempt, that no one of the king’s counsellors appeared in the Temple, when there were present, from remote places, those whom religion and the desire to sacrifice had brought there. But he says that they came to know the cause of the commotion; for it is said, that they sat at the new gate, which some say was eastward; and they conjecture that it was called new, because it had been renewed; the king’s palace was also towards the east, and the eastern gate was his tribunal. I am disposed to embrace this opinion, that they sat at the eastern gate. It now follows, —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(10) When the princes of Judah heard these things . . .—The princes appear not to have been present when the words were spoken. The report was carried to them as they sat in council with the king, and they came down to the Temple and took their place, to watch and listen what would come next. They went apparently by what was known as the king’s entry into the Temple (2Ki_16:18), the high gate which had been built by Jotham (2Ch_27:3), from which they could command a view of the crowds in the Temple court. (See Note on Jer_22:2). One of them, in all probability, was Ahikam, the son of Shaphan (Jer_26:24). As in Jer_36:19; Jer_36:25, the princes are less bitterly hostile than the priests.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. the princes of Judah … came up from the king’s house] The powers of these persons are not clear. Evidently, however, their employment about the court and the constantly increasing weakness of the monarchy would help them to the acquisition of such authority as we find them here exercising.

came up] See on Jer_22:1.

the new gate] probably the same as the “upper gate” of ch. Jer_20:2, where see note.

of the Lord’s house] The MT. omits “house.” Possibly we should reject both substantives. They are unnecessary after Jer_26:9. LXX MSS., agreeing as to “house,” are divided with regard to “the Lord.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When the princes of Judah heard these things,.... The tumult there was in the temple; these were the princes of the blood, or the nobles of the realm, particularly the courtiers, and who were of the king's privy council; or else the great sanhedrim, consisting of seventy persons, and were the chief court of judicature:

then they came up from the king's house to the house of the Lord; from the royal palace where they resided; by which it should seem that they were the king's courtiers, and counsellors, and officers of state; unless in those times the sanhedrim sat there; from hence they came up to the temple, where Jeremiah and the priests, &c. were, which, being built on a hill, was higher than the king's palace; and therefore are said to "come up" to it:

and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the Lord's house; as a court of judicature, to hear and try the cause between the prophet and his accusers. This gate of the temple is thought to be the higher gate, which Jotham built, Kg2 15:35. The Targum calls it the eastern gate; and so Kimchi says it was; and that it was called the new gate, according to the Rabbins, because there they renewed the constitutions and traditions; though he thinks the better reason is, because newly repaired, or some new building was added to it. Jarchi also says it was the eastern gate; and gives this reason for its being called new; that when Jehoiakim was carried captive, and some of the vessels of the temple, Nebuchadnezzar's army broke the eastern gate, which Zedekiah afterwards repaired, and made new; but if so, it is here called new by a prolepsis; or this account was written after that time.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The princes of Judah - The priests could scourge a man etc., but could not then try him for his life, as the Sanhedrim subsequently did until the Romans deprived them of the power.

The new gate - That built by Jotham 2Ki 15:35, and probably a usual place for trials.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

When the nobles and other civil magistrates heard of the tumult, occasioned by Jeremiah’s unpleasing prophecy, they came from the king’s court, where the nobles and great officers in nations usually are, to the temple; and sat down at the entry of the new gate in the Lord’s house. Some think it was called the new gate because repaired by Jotham, 2Ki 15:35; 2Ch 27:3. Some say it was the eastern, others that it was the western gate. It was certainly the place where their sanhedrim, who were to judge of false prophets, were wont to sit.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10. Princes of Judah — Probably the judicial officers who were about the palace — the germ of the sanhedrin of later times. They evidently had the power of life and death.

The new gate — Cannot be identified. The Targum says, “east gate.” It was built by Jotham, (2Ki_15:35,) and, according to Jer_36:10, was by the inner court.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The princes. The term will include the members of the various branches of the royal family, who acted as judges, (see on Jer_21:12) and the "elders," or heads of families (see ver. 17). Without the presence of the former, Jeremiah could only have had a mock-trial. Came up, etc.. (see on Jer_22:1) Of the Lord"s house; better simply, of the Lord. The gate is the same which is referred at Jer_20:2.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When - When the nobles, and other civil magistrates, heard of the tumult, they came from the king's court, where the nobles and great officers of nations usually are, to the temple. At the entry - It was the place where their sanhedrim, who were to judge of false prophets, were wont to sit.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

the New Gate

the name of the gate through which people went into the temple

you heard with your own ears

"you heard"

this house and this city

"the people who worship in Yahweh's temple and those who live in the city of Jerusalem"

translationWords

kingdom of Judah

gate

die

Yahweh

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

And the princes of Judah heard that the false prophets and the priests had seized Jeremiah.

at the entrance of the new gate of the Lord Others annotated: When Jehoiachin went in exile and some of the vessels of the house of our God went with him, Nebuchadnezzar’s army breached the eastern gate, and Zedekiah subsequently repaired it and renewed it. It is therefore called ‘new.’

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.