8 It happened, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying, You shall surely die.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
And all the people - That were in company with the priests and the prophets.
Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking,.... For they let him alone till he had done, either out of reverence of him as a priest and prophet; or they were awed by a secret influence on their minds that they might not disturb him:
all that the Lord had commanded him to speak unto all the people; he did as he was ordered, kept back nothing, not fearing the resentment of the people, but fearing God:
that the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, took him; the priests and the prophets were the leading men in this action; they stirred up the people against him, and through their instigation he was seized and laid hold on:
saying, thou shall surely die; signifying that they would bring a charge against him, which they were able to support, and which by the law would be death; unless they meant in the manner of zealots to put him to death themselves, without judge or jury; and which they would have put in execution, had not the princes of the land, or the great sanhedrim, heard of it; and therefore to prevent it came to the temple, as is afterwards related.
priests--The captain (or prefect) of the temple had the power of apprehending offenders in the temple with the sanction of the priests.
prophets--the false prophets. The charge against Jeremiah was that of uttering falsehood in Jehovah's name, an act punishable with death (Deuteronomy 18:20). His prophecy against the temple and city (Jeremiah 26:11) might speciously be represented as contradicting God's own words (Psalm 132:14). Compare the similar charge against Stephen (Acts 6:13-14).
*More commentary available at chapter level.