Jeremiah 36:16-26

16 When they heard all its words, they were alarmed and said to Baruch: "We must at once report all this to the king!"
17 Then they asked Baruch, "Tell us, how did you write all these words? Did they come from Jeremiah?"
18 Baruch replied, "He dictated all the words to me, and I wrote them with ink in the scroll."
19 The officials then said to Baruch, "You and Jeremiah had better go and hide. And don't let anyone know where you are."
20 After leaving the scroll in the room of Elishama the scribe, they went to the king's court and told him everything.
21 The king sent Jehudi to take the scroll, and he retrieved it from the room of Elishama the scribe. Then Jehudi read it to the king and all his royal officials who were standing next to the king.
22 Now it was the ninth month, and the king was staying in the winterized part of the palace with the firepot burning near him.
23 And whenever Jehudi read three or four columns of the scroll, the king would cut them off with a scribe's knife and throw them into the firepot until the whole scroll was burned up.
24 Neither the king nor any of his attendants who heard all these words were alarmed or tore their clothes.
25 Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll, but he wouldn't listen to them.
26 The king commanded Jerahmeel, the king's son, along with Seraiah, Azriel's son, and Shelemiah, Abdeel's son, to arrest the scribe Baruch and the prophet Jeremiah. But the LORD hid them.

Jeremiah 36:16-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 36

This chapter gives an account of an impious action of King Jehoiakim's burning the roll of Jeremiah's prophecies read unto him, and the consequence of it. The order to write this roll, the time when, the contents and use of it, are in Jer 36:1-3; the writing of it by Baruch, the order of the prophet to read it to the people on such a day, with the view he had in so doing, Jer 36:4-7; the reading of it by Baruch to the people first, Jer 36:8-10; then to the princes, being sent for by them, upon a report made to them, Jer 36:11-15; the king being acquainted with it, Jehudi was sent to fetch the roll, who read it to the king, Jer 36:16-21; who having heard part of it, burnt it, notwithstanding the intercession of some of his princes to the contrary, Jer 36:22-25; and who also ordered the apprehension of Jeremiah and Baruch, who could not be found, Jer 36:26; upon this a new roll is ordered to be written, Jer 36:27,28; which was done with some additions to it, respecting the destruction of the land, and the people in it, by the Chaldeans; and particularly the death of the king, and his want of burial, Jer 36:29-32.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. November–December, Kislev
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