Come, and let us devise devices. — The priests and people thus far appear to have listened to the prophet, but at the threatening words of the preceding verse their anger becomes hatred, and their hatred seeks to kill (Jeremiah 18:23). We are reminded of the oft-recurring statement in the Gospels that priests and elders “took counsel” against our Lord to “put Him to death” (Matthew 12:14; Matthew 27:1; Mark 3:6; Luke 6:11; et al.).
For the law shall not perish... — The words meant apparently (1) that they had enough guidance in the Law, in the priests, and in the prophets who met their wishes, and (2) that they might trust in the continuance of that guidance in spite of the threatenings of destruction that the prophet had just spoken. The words are suggestive as showing the precise nature of the guidance expected from each. The priests interpret the Law, the wise give the counsel of experience, the prophet speaks what claims to be the word, or message, of the Lord. A striking parallel is found in Ezekiel 7:26.
Come, and let us smite him with the tongue. — We probably find the result of the conspiracy in the measures taken by Pashur in Jeremiah 20:1-3. He had “heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things,” and we may well believe that his informants were some of those who thus announced their intentions. There is no sufficient reason for the marginal reading, “for the tongue.”