Jeremiah 26:5-6
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God didn't just send prophets; He sent them "urgently," which highlights how persistent and early He was in reaching out to His people before judgment fell. This wasn't a casual invitation, but a desperate, repeated plea from heaven, underscored by the sorrowful "though you have not listened."
and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
In the opening of Jehoiakim's reign, Jeremiah is commanded to stand before the people and deliver a stark warning about their disobedience and the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple if they don't repent. This verse emphasizes that God has repeatedly sent prophets, including Jeremiah himself, with urgent messages, but the people have consistently refused to listen. The context shows God appealing to their consciences, highlighting their persistent rejection of His messengers and their divine word.
Ever feel like God is trying to get your attention, over and over again? The Bible shows us God is serious about communicating with us.
The verse highlights God's persistent effort to reach His people. He didn't just send prophets once; He sent them 'rising up early, and sending them.' This phrase paints a picture of continuous, earnest action.
Diligent and Early:
God's sending of prophets wasn't a casual afterthought. It was a deliberate, consistent outreach. 'Rising up early' speaks to eagerness and diligence – doing it before the day even properly begins, showing the importance God placed on delivering His message.
A Message for Their Own Good:
This wasn't about God wanting to condemn them. He was sending His servants to warn them of impending destruction and to offer a path to repentance and safety. The urgency reflects His deep desire for their well-being, not His delight in judgment.
When God speaks, what happens when we don't listen? This verse makes it clear: disobedience has serious consequences.
Jeremiah 26:5 directly contrasts God's persistent sending of His prophets with the people's refusal to listen. This isn't just about missing out on good advice; it's about rejecting God Himself.
Prophets as God's Voice:
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These prophets were not just random speakers; they were 'my servants the prophets.' They carried God's direct message. Therefore, to 'hearken to the words of my servants the prophets' was synonymous with hearkening to God Himself. Conversely, ignoring the prophets meant ignoring God's authority and His will.
The Path of Ruin:
The context of Jeremiah 26 shows that the people's failure to listen led directly to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. Their stubbornness closed the door to God's mercy and sealed their fate. The verse implies that the people should have listened, but their choice led them down a path of ruin.
Understand the original words
nabiy · Hebrew Noun
An authorized messenger of God who receives divine revelation and communicates it to others, often calling for repentance, warning of judgment, or announcing salvation.
bayith · Hebrew Noun
The physical structure in Jerusalem where God’s presence dwelt among His people, serving as the center of worship, sacrifice, and covenantal relationship. In this context, it represents the false security the people felt despite their disobedience.
Shiloh · Hebrew Noun
A site in Ephraim that formerly housed the Ark of the Covenant; it became a symbol of divine judgment and destruction after it was abandoned or destroyed due to Israel's corruption. It serves as a historical warning to Judah of the possibility of God removing His presence.
qelalah · Hebrew Noun
A state of being under divine judgment or separation from God’s favor, often involving public ruin, shame, or destruction as a consequence of covenant breaking.
Jeremiah's warning in this chapter wasn't just abstract theological pronouncements; it was a desperate plea in the face of a looming empire, a consequence of generations of ignoring God's messengers.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Israel
The northern kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire, marking a significant decline in Israel's national sovereignty and a warning of what could befall Judah.
c. 626 BC
Jeremiah Begins Prophesying
Jeremiah receives his call to prophesy during the reign of King Josiah, a period of religious reform but also underlying political instability.
c. 622 BC
Josiah's Reforms
The discovery of the Book of the Law in the Temple sparks a widespread religious reform movement in Judah under King Josiah. This event highlights the people's past neglect of God's word.
609 BC
Death of King Josiah
King Josiah is killed in battle at Megiddo while opposing Egyptian advances. His death plunges Judah into political turmoil and spiritual decline.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieges Jerusalem and deports a group of prominent citizens, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's Babylonian captivity.
c. 600-597 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Temple Sermon
Jeremiah delivers his famous sermon in the Temple courtyard, denouncing the people's disobedience and warning of impending destruction unless they repent. This sermon is the basis for the charges against him in chapter 26.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar again deports Jerusalem's elite, including King Jehoiachin, to Babylon. This further weakens the kingdom.
This passage, also in Jeremiah, describes God sending prophets 'again and again' early in the morning, highlighting the persistent and urgent nature of God's attempts to reach His people, just as mentioned in your verse.
2 Chronicles 36:15-16This historical account echoes Jeremiah's theme by showing God sending messengers (prophets) repeatedly, only for the people to mock them and scorn their warnings, ultimately leading to their destruction. It illustrates the tragic outcome of refusing to listen to God's prophets.
Luke 11:47-51Jesus speaks powerfully about the rejection of prophets throughout history, from Abel to Zechariah, and condemns those who build tombs for the prophets they themselves would have persecuted. This shows the long-standing pattern of humanity's resistance to God's messengers.
Matthew 23:37In this verse, Jesus laments over Jerusalem, saying, 'How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!' This beautifully captures the heart of God's persistent love and desire for His people, despite their repeated refusal.
gillJeremiah 26:5: "To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;"
To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets,.... The interpretations they give of the law; the doctrines they deliver; the exhortations, cautions, and reproofs given by them in the name of the Lord, whose servants they were; and therefore should be hearkened to; since hearkening to them is hearkening to the Lord himself, in whose…
pooleJeremiah 26:5: "To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;"
My servants the prophets; those prophets who in prophesying were my servants, revealing my will unto you. Hearkening here is the same with hearkening unto God’s laws mentioned Jeremiah 26:4 . Whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them; whom I have made my business to send unto you; and to whom you ought therefore to have…
God didn't just send prophets; He sent them "urgently," which highlights how persistent and early He was in reaching out to His people before judgment fell. This wasn't a casual invitation, but a desperate, repeated plea from heaven, underscored by the sorrowful "though you have not listened."
In the opening of Jehoiakim's reign, Jeremiah is commanded to stand before the people and deliver a stark warning about their disobedience and the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple if they don't repent. This verse emphasizes that God has repeatedly sent prophets, including Jeremiah himself, with urgent messages, but the people have consistently refused to listen. The context shows God appealing to their consciences, highlighting their persistent rejection of His messengers and their divine word.
In the opening of Jehoiakim's reign, Jeremiah is commanded to stand before the people and deliver a stark warning about their disobedience and the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple if they don't repent. This verse emphasizes that God has repeatedly sent prophets, including Jeremiah himself, with urgent messages, but the people have consistently refused to listen. The context shows God appealing to their consciences, highlighting their persistent rejection of His messengers and their divine word.
"and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.’”" — God didn't just send prophets; He sent them "urgently," which highlights how persistent and early He was in reaching out to His people before judgment fell. This wasn't a casual invitation, but a des…
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Last reviewed October 2026
