John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 26:12

"Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, Jehovah sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard." — Jeremiah 26:12 (ASV)

Jeremiah pleads only his own calling and the command of God; and in this way he refutes the preposterous charge which they most impudently brought against him. There is no doubt that he could have spoken at length, but he considered it enough to include the substance of his defense. If he had made a long discourse, the main point might have been more obscure.

He now clearly states the issue from both sides. The priests, by their own authority, condemned Jeremiah because he (as they thought) nullified God’s promises, for he had threatened destruction to the city and to the temple. Jeremiah, on the other hand, answers that he had declared nothing except what God had commanded.

Proof was needed, since the priests maintained that God would be inconsistent with Himself if He pronounced destruction on that city, which He had promised to defend and protect. But the refutation of this was readily available: God had never bound Himself to hypocrites and ungodly men. Indeed, the whole glory of the city and the majesty of the Temple depended on His worship. Nor is there any doubt that Jeremiah had stated these things. But since this was the main point, he was content with stating that he had been sent by God.

In this way, he indirectly condemned their empty boasts—that God was on their side; but he says, “I come only by God’s command.” Now, although he briefly and clearly declares that he had been sent by God, he still presents himself as ready to prove everything. And as I have already said, there is no doubt that he answered and discussed that frivolous question on which the priests so much insisted.

It is also worth noting that he addressed both the princes and the people. In this way, he implied that the priests and the prophets were deaf and not worthy of being addressed. For they were determined to proudly despise God and to wage war, openly as it were, against His servants. Otherwise, he would undoubtedly have gladly tried to restore them to the way of safety.

But since he saw that they had closed the door on themselves, he bypassed them. This is why he says that he spoke to the princes and to the people, having bypassed those on whom he would have labored in vain.

And certainly, when they said that he deserved to die, they proved by such arrogance that they would not be taught by him; their cruelty also prevented them from being teachable. But the Prophet considered the very source of evil, because their aim was to obstinately resist God and all His prophets.

By saying that he was sent to prophesy all that they had heard, he made them judges, even though he did not address them together with the princes. For we have seen that the princes were in the king’s palace and had been summoned when there was a fear of some commotion.

But there is no doubt that the address was repeated. Jeremiah then made them judges and arbitrators when he said that he retracted nothing, but that what they had heard, he had faithfully declared according to God’s command.