The Cost of Prophetic Preaching (26:1-24) 293Since only soul and body remain to me, now that I am deprived of every-
thing else, even these, which alone of many goods are left me, I deliver up
to you and to your power. You may use and even abuse me in your own way
as you think best; with impunity make your decision upon me, whatever it
may be; speak and give a sign-I shall obey.
(ad Herennium 4:29; Loeb)On the expression "right in your eyes" (yasar be<enekem) and discussion on
shifts in Jeremianic discourse from abstractions or general principles to spe-
cific cases at hand, see Nate for 27: 5.- Only know for sure that if you put me to death, then you will bring inno-
cent blood upon yourselves and to this city and to its inhabitants. On the heels
of one rhetorical argument comes another. Jeremiah's warning about the con-
sequences of adverse court action is also an argumentative move, called de-
scriptio by later classical rhetoricians (ad Herennium 4:39, 51; cf. Lundbom
1991 b: 19-20), who said it could be used in both prosecution and defense. In
the former it works to provoke indignation; in the latter pity. The ad Heren-
nium proposes this descriptio for a person's defense:
For if you inflict a heavy penalty upon the defendant, men of the jury, you
will at once by a single judgment have taken many lives. His aged father,
who has set the entire hope of his last years on this young man, will have no
reason for wishing to stay alive. His small children, deprived of their fa-
ther's aid, will be exposed as objects of scorn and contempt to their father's
enemies. His entire household will collapse under this undeserved calam-
ity. But his enemies, when once they have won the bloody palm by this
most cruel of victories, will exult over the miseries of these unfortunates,
and will be found insolent on the score of deeds as well as of words.
(ad Herennium 4:39; Loeb)Only know for sure. Hebrew >ak yadoa< tede<a. The expression "know for
sure" occurs also in 42:19 and 22; see additionally Josh 23:13. Note here the
strong adversative >ak ("only").
in truth, Yahweh sent me. A reaffirmation of what Jeremiah stated at the be-
ginning of his testimony, only with an added "in truth." The issue is now true
and false prophecy. What will the court decide? Calvin says Jeremiah has made
his hearers the judges.
- Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets,
'There should be no sentence of death for this man, because in the name of Yah-
weh our God he has spoken to us.' Jeremiah's moving testimony was not wasted
on the assembled. The people have now switched sides, joining with the
princes in calling for acquittal. They accept Jeremiah's testimony that he has
spoken in the name of Yahweh. And they accept his call for people to amend
their ways, so the judgment of Yahweh can be averted. It seems that there were