Jeremiah 36:7-17

7 "1Perhaps their supplication will come before the LORD, and everyone will turn from his evil way, for 2great 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, 3reading from the book the words of the LORD in the LORD'S house.
9 Now in the 4fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the 5ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who 6came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a 7fast before the LORD.
10 Then Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD in the 8chamber of 9Gemariah the son of Shaphan the 10scribe, in the upper court, at the 11entry of the New Gate of the LORD'S house, to all the people.
11 Now when 12Micaiah 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 -13Elishama the scribe, and 14Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and 15Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the other officials.
13 Micaiah 16declared to them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read from the book to the people.
14 Then all the officials sent 17Jehudi 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 18took the scroll in his hand and went to them.
15 They said to him, "Sit down, please, and read it to us." So Baruch 19read it to them.
16 When they had heard all the words, they turned in 20fear one to another and said to Baruch, "We will surely 21report all these words to the king."
17 And they asked Baruch, saying, "Tell us, please, 22how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?"

Jeremiah 36:7-17 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 22

  • 1. 1 Kings 8:33; 2 Chronicles 33:12, 13; Jeremiah 26:3; Jeremiah 36:3
  • 2. Deuteronomy 28:15; Deuteronomy 31:16, 17; 2 Kings 22:13, 17; Jeremiah 4:4; Jeremiah 21:5; Lamentations 4:11
  • 3. Jeremiah 1:17; Jeremiah 36:6
  • 4. Jeremiah 36:1
  • 5. Jeremiah 36:22
  • 6. Jeremiah 36:6
  • 7. Judges 20:26; 1 Samuel 7:6; 2 Chronicles 20:3; Esther 4:16; Joel 1:14; Joel 2:15; Jonah 3:5
  • 8. Jeremiah 35:4
  • 9. Jeremiah 36:11, 25
  • 10. 2 Samuel 8:17; Jeremiah 52:25
  • 11. Jeremiah 26:10
  • 12. Jeremiah 36:13
  • 13. Jeremiah 36:20
  • 14. Jeremiah 36:25
  • 15. Jeremiah 26:22
  • 16. 2 Kings 22:10
  • 17. Jeremiah 36:21
  • 18. Jeremiah 36:2; Ezekiel 2:7-10
  • 19. Jeremiah 36:21
  • 20. Jeremiah 36:24; Acts 24:25
  • 21. Jeremiah 13:18; Amos 7:10, 11
  • 22. John 9:10, 15, 26

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Lit "fall"
  • [b]. Lit "from his mouth," and so throughout this context
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