Jeremiah 36:4

4 So Jeremiah summoned Baruch[a] son of Neriah. At Jeremiah's dictation,[b] Baruch wrote on a scroll all the words the Lord had spoken to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 36:4 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 36:4

Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah
One of his disciples, and whom he had before made use of in the purchase of a field of his uncle's son, and to whom he gave the evidence of the purchase, ( Jeremiah 32:12 ) ; he was probably a better penman than the prophet, or a quicker writer; however, he thought proper, for quicker dispatch, to make use of him as his amanuensis: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord,
which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book;
it seems that Jeremiah had not committed any of his prophecies to writing; and yet it cannot be thought that by the mere strength of memory he could repeat every discourse and prophecy he had delivered in the space of two and twenty years; wherefore it must be concluded, that that same Spirit, which first dictated the prophecies to him, brought them fresh to his memory; so that he could readily repeat them to Baruch, who took them down in writing on a roll of parchment.

Jeremiah 36:4 In-Context

2 "Take a scroll, and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah, and all the nations from the time I [first] spoke to you during Josiah's reign until today.
3 Perhaps, when the house of Judah hears about all the disaster I am planning to bring on them, each one of them will turn from his evil way. Then I will forgive their wrongdoing and sin."
4 So Jeremiah summoned Baruch son of Neriah. At Jeremiah's dictation, Baruch wrote on a scroll all the words the Lord had spoken to Jeremiah.
5 Then Jeremiah commanded Baruch, "I am restricted; I cannot enter the temple of the Lord,
6 so you must go and read from the scroll-which you wrote at my dictation-the words of the Lord in the hearing of the people at the temple of the Lord on a day of fasting. You must also read them in the hearing of all the Judeans who are coming from their cities.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Jr 32:12-16; 43:3,6; 45:1-2
  • [b]. Lit From Jeremiah's mouth
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