Jeremiah 26:2 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 26:2 mean?

The LORD commands Jeremiah to stand in the temple courtyard and deliver his full message to the people coming from Judah’s cities to worship. Jeremiah must leave out none of the words God gives him.

The key phrase is “diminish not a word.” The Hebrew תִּגְרַע (tigra), translated “diminish,” means to subtract or take away. Together with “a word,” the command forbids leaving out even part of the message. The setting makes that demand especially pointed: Jeremiah is speaking at the temple to worshipers, and the message that follows warns that the temple itself can face judgment.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 26:2

• “LORD” — יהוה (YHWH): This is God’s personal name, conventionally represented by “LORD” in the KJV. Its repetition connects the speaker, the courtyard, and the temple: Jeremiah brings the LORD’s message into the LORD’s own house.

• “court” — חָצֵר (chatser): This means a courtyard or enclosed open area. Jeremiah is to speak in the temple courtyard, where arriving worshipers can hear him.

• “cities” — עָרֵי (arei): This is the form meaning “cities of.” In “all the cities of Judah,” the cities stand for their inhabitants. The following description, “which come to worship,” makes clear that Jeremiah addresses people arriving from across Judah.

• “worship” — לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת (lehishtachavot): This means to bow down or prostrate oneself in homage. Here the word describes the purpose of the people’s temple visit: they have come to bow before the LORD.

Why Jeremiah 26:2 matters

• The warning is addressed to people actively worshiping. “Which come to worship in the LORD’S house” identifies the hearers as temple visitors. Their presence at the temple is the setting for the warning, not a reason to withhold it.

• The courtyard gives the message a wider audience. “All the cities of Judah” extends the intended hearing beyond Jerusalem to worshipers representing communities throughout Judah.

• The next verse explains the purpose of the full message. Jeremiah 26:3 presents the possibility that the people will listen and turn from their evil ways, so that the LORD will withhold the threatened disaster. The warning Jeremiah must deliver is meant to produce that response.