Jeremiah 26:22-23

Jeremiah 26:22-23

[22] And Jehoiakim  the king  sent  into Egypt,  namely, Elnathan  the son  of Achbor,  with him into Egypt.  [23] And they fetched forth  Urijah  out of Egypt,  and brought  him unto Jehoiakim  the king;  who slew  him with the sword,  and cast  his dead body  into the graves  of the common  people. 

What does Jeremiah 26:22-23 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The king sent a delegation of representatives to Egypt and brought Uriah back to Jerusalem. Elnathan ben Achbor had been one of Josiah"s officials, and he may have been Jehoiakim"s father-in-law ( 2 Kings 22:12; 2 Kings 22:14; 2 Kings 24:8). He later tried to stop Jehoiakim from destroying Jeremiah"s prophecies ( Jeremiah 36:25).
"The extradition of political refugees was frequently inserted as one of the clauses in the treaties of the second millennium B.C. We may conjecture that there was a suzerain-vassal treaty between Egypt and Judah since Necho placed Jehoiakim on the throne in609 B.C. and required him to pay tribute ( 2 Kings 23:34-35). Such extradition clauses were reciprocal, becoming part of international law." [1]
The king put Uriah to death and gave his body an undistinguished burial, probably in the valley of Kidron (cf. 2 Kings 23:6). The prophet Zechariah is the only other prophet whose execution the Old Testament records ( Matthew 23:35; cf. 2 Chronicles 24:20-22). However, there appear to have been other martyrs among the prophets (cf. Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34). Perhaps the writer included the information about Uriah"s death to help us appreciate the great danger in which Jeremiah stood. God does not protect all His faithful servants from death at the hands of their enemies.