Jeremiah 36:16

16 Therefore when they had heard all the words, they wondered each man to his neighbour, and they said to Baruch, Ought we to tell to the king all these words?

Jeremiah 36:16 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 36:16

Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words
In the roll or book read by Baruch; they heard them read patiently, which was what the king afterwards would not do: they were afraid both one and another;
both good and bad; for there were some of both sorts among them: or, "a man to his friend" ^F18; they looked at one another, and knew not what to say to each other, as men amazed and astonished; they trembled at what they heard, the threatenings were so terrible, and the calamity threatened so great; and they consulted together what they should do with this roll, or what course they should take to avert the threatened vengeance, and particularly whether they should acquaint the king with it or not; and which they thought the safest and most prudent part to do: and said unto Baruch, we will surely tell the king of all these words;
this they said, not to terrify Baruch, or out of any ill will to him; but partly for their own security, lest they should incur the king's displeasure, should he come to the knowledge of it any other way; and chiefly hoping it might have some effect upon him, to cause a reformation; though of this they were dubious, and rather feared it would exasperate him; and therefore desired that Baruch and Jeremiah would hide themselves, ( Jeremiah 36:19 ) ; this was the sense of some of them, of those that were good men among them, and wished things were otherwise than they were.

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 (wher la vya) "vir ad socium suum", Montanus; "ad proximum suum", Vatablus; "ad amicum suum", Pagninus; "erga socium suum", Schmidt.

Jeremiah 36:16 In-Context

14 Therefore all the princes sent to Baruch Jehudi, the son of Nethaniah, son of Shelemiah, son of Cushi, and said, Take in thine hand the book, of which thou readest in audience of the people, and come thou. Therefore Baruch, the son of Neriah, took the book in his hand, and came to them. (And so all the officers sent Jehudi, the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, and he said, Bring the book in thy hand, from which thou readest before the people, and come thou. And so Baruch, the son of Neriah, brought the book in his hand, and came to them.)

15 And they said to him, Sit thou, and read these things in our ears; and Baruch read (it) in the ears of them. (And they said to him, Sit thou, and read these things to us; and so Baruch read from the book to them.)

16 Therefore when they had heard all the words, they wondered each man to his neighbour, and they said to Baruch, Ought we to tell to the king all these words?

17 And they asked him, and said, Show thou to us, how thou hast written all these words of his mouth. (And they asked him, and said, Tell thou us, how thou hast written all these words from his mouth.)

18 Forsooth Baruch said to them, Of his mouth he spake, as reading to me, all these words; and I wrote in a book with ink. (And Baruch said to them, He spoke all these words out of his mouth, as if reading to me, and I wrote them down with ink in a book.)