Nowhere in the announcements regarding the punishment of the prophets and priests is direct murder mentioned (see also Jeremiah 6:13–15; Jeremiah 8:10–12; Jeremiah 23:9–39; Ezekiel 22:25–26).
It seems that this accusation may indirectly refer to their misleading of the people which led to the bloodshed with the capturing of the land and city.1 This may be identified as sins of omission, for these spiritual leaders have the death of innocents on their consciences because of their failure to warn them.2 The idolatry of these leaders is figuratively depicted in Ezekiel 22:1–5 and Psalm 106:37–40. In this sense they were indirectly guilty of killing people, because of God’s judgment. On the other hand, it may also refer to literal bloodshed when these leaders tried to kill Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:7–15) and where he warned them not to shed innocent blood.3 Apart from these possibilities, it may also refer to cases where they condemned innocent people and had them killed.4 They commissioned the suppression and silencing of anyone that critiqued the situation in Jerusalem (see also Jeremiah 6:13; Jeremiah 8:10; Jeremiah 23:11–14; Ezekiel 22:25–31; Hosea 5:1–2; Hosea 6:7–11).5 It was the righteous people who resisted and acted against their wicked ways, whose blood is referred to in this verse.
13 This was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous.