The Meaning of Jeremiah 29:26 Explained

Jeremiah 29:26

KJV: The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.

YLT: Jehovah hath made thee priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, for there being inspectors of the house of Jehovah, for every one mad and making himself a prophet, and thou hast put him unto the torture and unto the stocks.

Darby: Jehovah hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that there should be officers in the house of Jehovah, over every madman and self-made prophet, that thou shouldest put him in the stocks and in the shackles.

ASV: Jehovah hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in the house of Jehovah, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in the stocks and in shackles.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The LORD  hath made  thee priest  in the stead of Jehoiada  the priest,  that ye should be officers  in the house  of the LORD,  for every man  [that is] mad,  and maketh himself a prophet,  that thou shouldest put  him in prison,  and in the stocks. 

What does Jeremiah 29:26 Mean?

Context Summary

Jeremiah 29:1-32 - Shepherds That Mislead God's Flock
It is God's purpose to care for His people through shepherds (pastors) who are responsible to Him. Jesus our Lord is the Branch into which we may be grafted. He is our King who saves us and clothes us with His own spotless righteousness. God finds us in Him, Philippians 3:9. Because He reigns, we are saved and dwell in safety. When we are brought into contact with false shepherds, whether the failure be in doctrine or example, let us ask for the broken heart of Jeremiah 23:9.
God is everywhere present; as the latter paragraph indicates, He is near at hand to overhear the blasphemy of those who deride religion, and to be a very present help in time of trouble. If He fills heaven and earth, can He not fill thy heart? If His Word is like fire, let it cleanse thee! If it is as a hammer, let it pulverize thy pride! Let those of us who essay to teach and preach, not steal our words from our neighbors, or utter our own, but receive them from the source of all truth. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 29

1  Jeremiah sends a letter to the captives in Babylon to be quiet there,
8  and not to believe the dreams of their prophets;
10  and that they shall return with grace after seventy years
15  He foretells the destruction of the rest for their disobedience
20  He shows the fearful end of Ahab and Zedekiah, two false prophets
24  Shemaiah writes a letter against Jeremiah
30  Jeremiah foretells his doom

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 29:26 mean?

Yahweh has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest so that there should be officers [in] the house of Yahweh over every man [who] is demented and considers himself a prophet that you should put him in prison and in the stocks
יְהוָ֞ה נְתָנְךָ֣ כֹהֵ֗ן תַּ֚חַת יְהוֹיָדָ֣ע הַכֹּהֵ֔ן לִֽהְי֤וֹת פְּקִדִים֙ בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה לְכָל־ אִ֥ישׁ מְשֻׁגָּ֖ע וּמִתְנַבֵּ֑א וְנָתַתָּ֥ה אֹת֛וֹ אֶל־ הַמַּהְפֶּ֖כֶת וְאֶל־ הַצִּינֹֽק

יְהוָ֞ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
נְתָנְךָ֣  has  made  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
כֹהֵ֗ן  priest 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
תַּ֚חַת  instead 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
יְהוֹיָדָ֣ע  of  Jehoiada 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹויָדָע  
Sense: father of Benaiah, David’s mighty warrior.
הַכֹּהֵ֔ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
לִֽהְי֤וֹת  so  that  there  should  be 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
פְּקִדִים֙  officers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: פָּקִיד  
Sense: commissioner, deputy, overseer, officer.
בֵּ֣ית  [in]  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לְכָל־  over  every 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אִ֥ישׁ  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מְשֻׁגָּ֖ע  [who]  is  demented 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁגַע  
Sense: to be mad.
וּמִתְנַבֵּ֑א  and  considers  himself  a  prophet 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.
וְנָתַתָּ֥ה  that  you  should  put 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
הַמַּהְפֶּ֖כֶת  prison 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַהְפֶּכֶת  
Sense: stocks.
וְאֶל־  and  in 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַצִּינֹֽק  the  stocks 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: צִינׄק  
Sense: pillory, stocks.