John all that anyone can do is share their understanding of what God has had written in the scriptures by the prophets and scribes. Whether or not we are right is a moot point and there are people who will argue until the cows come home as to what the right understanding is. I will comment on your post in sections and provide my understanding, hopefully with enough detail, to make my position clear on the scriptures referenced in that section of your post.
The bible is silent as to whether or not the physical death of mankind was part of God’s purposes for mankind from the beginning of time/creation as the abyss/”the deep” is first mentioned in Genesis 1:2 in the statement: - “and darkness covered/“was upon” the face of the deep.” The abyss was the place where people who were destined for the punishment of the second death would go to, upon their physical death, to await their punishment. (Isaiah 24:21-22)
Now it is my understanding that sin and the consequences of the second death go hand in hand, but God’s heart is that no man should die the second death and if a wicked man repents of his sins where in Ezekiel 18:4 tells us that the “the souls of those who sins will experience the second death”, we are also told in Ezekiel 18:21-23: -
Ezekiel 18:21-23: - 21 "But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die, {i.e. the inference here is that he will not die the second death}. 22 None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. 23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" says the Lord God, "and that he should not turn from his ways to live?
The best understanding I have come up with for
מ֥וֹת תָּמֽוּת (reading from right to left) of Genesis 2:17 is: - if we sin, i.e. eat of the tree of knowledge in the case of Adam in Genesis, that we become a candidate for the second death in the distant future at the time of the judgement found in Revelation 20:11-15. The reason I say that we are a candidate for the second death is that, as mentioned in Ezekiel 18:21-23 above, if we repent of our sins, then God revokes our candidacy fo the second death and gives us the gift of life if we remain in Him.
Paul in Romans 5:12 wrote the following: -
Romans 5:12: - 12 Therefore, just as through one man, sin entered the world, and death, {i.e. the second death}, through sin, and thus death, {i.e. the second death}, spread to all men, because all have sinned
It is my view that the second death is mentioned throughout the whole scriptures.
John, first off
Here is Jeremiah 20:8 in table format: - (source Biblehub.com)
Strong's
Hebrew
Transiterated
English
Morphology
1961 [e]
וַיְהִ֣י ׀
way-hî
And it came to pass
Conj-w | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms
3615 [e]
כְּכַלּ֣וֹת
kə-ḵal-lō-wṯ
when had made an end
Prep-k | V-Piel-Inf
3414 [e]
יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ
yir-mə-yā-hū,
Jeremiah
N-proper-ms
1696 [e]
לְדַבֵּר֙
lə-ḏab-bêr
of speaking
Prep-l | V-Piel-Inf
853 [e]
אֵ֣ת
’êṯ
-
DirObjM
3605 [e]
כָּל־
kāl-
all
N-msc
834 [e]
אֲשֶׁר־
’ă-šer-
that
Pro-r
6680 [e]
צִוָּ֣ה
ṣiw-wāh
had commanded [him]
V-Piel-Perf-3ms
3068 [e]
יְהוָ֔ה
Yah-weh,
Yahweh
N-proper-ms
1696 [e]
לְדַבֵּ֖ר
lə-ḏab-bêr
to speak
Prep-l | V-Piel-Inf
413 [e]
אֶל־
’el-
to
Prep
3605 [e]
כָּל־
kāl-
all
N-msc
5971 [e]
הָעָ֑ם
hā-‘ām;
the people
Art | N-ms
8610 [e]
וַיִּתְפְּשׂ֨וּ
way-yiṯ-pə-śū
that seized
Conj-w | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp
853 [e]
אֹת֜וֹ
’ō-ṯōw
him
DirObjM | 3ms
3548 [e]
הַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים
hak-kō-hă-nîm
the priests
Art | N-mp
5030 [e]
וְהַנְּבִאִ֛ים
wə-han-nə-ḇi-’îm
and the prophets
Conj-w, Art | N-mp
3605 [e]
וְכָל־
wə-ḵāl
and all
Conj-w | N-msc
5971 [e]
הָעָ֥ם
hā-‘ām
the people
Art | N-ms
559 [e]
לֵאמֹ֖ר
lê-mōr
saying
Prep-l | V-Qal-Inf
4191 [e]
מ֥וֹת
mō-wṯ
surely
V-Qal-InfAbs
4191 [e]
תָּמֽוּת׃
tā-mūṯ.
You will die
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
Taking the last two rows of the above table, I would suggest that it is saying the following: -
Strong's
Hebrew
Transiterated
English
Morphology
4191 [e]
מ֥וֹת
mō-wṯ
“You will die
V-Qal-InfAbs
4191 [e]
תָּמֽוּת׃
tā-mūṯ.
the second death”
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
(Notice John that you have provided the Hebrew root word for the actual Hebrew text words and not the actual Hebrew words found in the Hebrew text in Jeremiah 26:8)
Why did they say this? Because they believed that he was not prophesying on behalf of God because of what he was saying. Read it below within the context of what is recorded in Jeremiah 26: -
Jeremiah 26:7-11: - 7 So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. 8 Now it happened, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, "You will die the second death! 9 Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, 'This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without an inhabitant'?" And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of the Lord and sat down in the entry of the New Gate of the Lord's house. 11 And the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and all the people, saying, "This man deserves to die! For he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears."
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and all the people, saying: "The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city with all the words that you have heard. 13 Now therefore, amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; then the Lord will relent concerning the doom that He has pronounced against you. 14 As for me, here I am, in your hand; do with me as seems good and proper to you. 15 But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will surely bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing."
16 So the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, "This man does not deserve to die. For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God."
The priests and the prophets believed that Jeremiah was sinning, in that he was, in their view, speaking against God, and as such, he would die the second death. Because he was speaking against God, they then said that he should be killed because of what he had said about The temple and Jerusalem.
The elders of the land then rose to Jeremiah’s defence and spoke of the prophet Micah’s prophecy concerning the Temple and Jerusalem.
To be continued when time permits.