Jeremiah 36:5-15

5 Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, "I am 1restricted; I cannot * go into the house of the LORD.
6 "So you go and 2read from the scroll which you have 3written at my dictation the words of the LORD to the people in the LORD'S house on a 4fast day. And also you shall read them to all the people of Judah who come from their cities.
7 "5Perhaps their supplication will come before the LORD, and everyone will turn from his evil way, for 6great is the anger and the wrath that the LORD has pronounced against this people."
8 Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, 7reading from the book the words of the LORD in the LORD'S house.
9 Now in the 8fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the 9ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who 10came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a 11fast before the LORD.
10 Then Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD in the 12chamber of 13Gemariah the son of Shaphan the 14scribe, in the upper court, at the 15entry of the New Gate of the LORD'S house, to all the people.
11 Now when 16Micaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard all the words of the LORD from the book,
12 he went down to the king's house, into the scribe's chamber. And behold, all the officials were sitting there -17Elishama the scribe, and 18Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and 19Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the other officials.
13 Micaiah 20declared to them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read from the book to the people.
14 Then all the officials sent 21Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying, "Take in your hand the scroll from which you have read to the people and come." So Baruch the son of Neriah 22took the scroll in his hand and went to them.
15 They said to him, "Sit down, please, and read it to us." So Baruch 23read it to them.

Jeremiah 36:5-15 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 23

  • 1. Jeremiah 32:2; Jeremiah 33:1; 2 Corinthians 11:23
  • 2. Jeremiah 36:8
  • 3. Jeremiah 36:4
  • 4. Jeremiah 36:9; Zechariah 8:19
  • 5. 1 Kings 8:33; 2 Chronicles 33:12, 13; Jeremiah 26:3; Jeremiah 36:3
  • 6. Deuteronomy 28:15; Deuteronomy 31:16, 17; 2 Kings 22:13, 17; Jeremiah 4:4; Jeremiah 21:5; Lamentations 4:11
  • 7. Jeremiah 1:17; Jeremiah 36:6
  • 8. Jeremiah 36:1
  • 9. Jeremiah 36:22
  • 10. Jeremiah 36:6
  • 11. Judges 20:26; 1 Samuel 7:6; 2 Chronicles 20:3; Esther 4:16; Joel 1:14; Joel 2:15; Jonah 3:5
  • 12. Jeremiah 35:4
  • 13. Jeremiah 36:11, 25
  • 14. 2 Samuel 8:17; Jeremiah 52:25
  • 15. Jeremiah 26:10
  • 16. Jeremiah 36:13
  • 17. Jeremiah 36:20
  • 18. Jeremiah 36:25
  • 19. Jeremiah 26:22
  • 20. 2 Kings 22:10
  • 21. Jeremiah 36:21
  • 22. Jeremiah 36:2; Ezekiel 2:7-10
  • 23. Jeremiah 36:21

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. Lit "shut up"
  • [b]. Lit "from my mouth"
  • [c]. Lit "in the ears of," and so throughout this context
  • [d]. Lit "in the ears of," and so throughout this context
  • [e]. Lit "fall"
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