ירמיהו, פרק כ״ו, פסוק ט״ז

A dramatic shift in public opinion takes place after Jeremiah delivers his defense. The atmosphere of the confrontation reaches a turning point as the government officials and the general public unite. Together, they confront the priests and the other prophets, who are acting as the prosecutors in this situation [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This represents a significant change of heart for the common people. At first, the public had sided with the prosecuting priests and prophets. However, once they listened to Jeremiah and realized that he was operating under a genuine mission from God, they reversed their position and aligned themselves with the officials [מצודת דוד].

The newly formed coalition declares that Jeremiah should not be put to death, reasoning that he spoke to them on behalf of God. The primary approach among commentators is that this serves as a clear admission that Jeremiah did not invent these warnings on his own. Instead, the crowd acknowledges that he delivered a true and authentic message from God.

Yet, there is another perspective that highlights a subtle distinction in the crowd's legal phrasing. According to this view, the officials and the people are merely admitting that Jeremiah cannot be executed legally through a formal trial, given that his prophecy is true. Despite this legal concession, the people still harbored a desire to kill him outside the boundaries of the justice system. They wanted to eliminate him in order to prevent the disaster they believed his prophecy would ultimately bring upon them [מלבי״ם].