Jeremiah 36:21-31

21 Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the secretary. And Jehudi read it to the king and all the officials who stood beside the king.
22 It was 1the ninth month, and the king was sitting in 2the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before him.
23 As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot.
24 Yet 3neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, 4nor did they tear their garments.
25 Even when 5Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah 6urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.
26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the 7king's son and Seraiah the son of Azriel and 8Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize 9Baruch the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet, but the LORD hid them.
27 Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words that Baruch wrote at Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
28 "Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned.
29 And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, 'Thus says the LORD, You have burned this scroll, saying, 10"Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut off from it man and beast?"
30 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: 11He shall have none 12to sit on the throne of David, 13and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night.
31 14And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity. I will bring upon them and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the people of Judah all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, but they would not hear.'"

Jeremiah 36:21-31 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.

Cross References 14

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.