Jeremiah 36:15-25

15 They said to him, "Sit down, please, and read it to us." Barukh read it to them.

16 After they had heard all the words, they turned in fear to each other and said to Barukh, "We will certainly tell the king about all these words."

17 Then they asked Barukh, "Tell us now, how did you write all these words? At his dictation?"

18 Barukh answered them, "He said all these words to me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the scroll."

19 At this, the officials said to Barukh, "Go and hide yourselves, you and Yirmeyahu; don't let anyone know where you are."

20 After depositing the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went in to the courtyard and told everything to the king.

21 The king sent Y'hudi to bring the scroll, and he took it from the room of Elishama the secretary. Y'hudi read it to the king and all the officials standing near the king.

22 The king was sitting in his winter house; and since it was the ninth month, he had a fire burning in the stove in front of him.

23 After Y'hudi had read three or four columns from the scroll, he would cut off that portion with a knife and throw it into the fire that was burning in the stove, until the entire scroll had been consumed by the fire in the stove.

24 But even though they heard all these words, neither the king nor any of his servants grew afraid or tore their clothes.

25 Elnatan, D'layahu and G'maryahu had begged the king not to burn the scroll; but he wouldn't listen to them.

Jeremiah 36:15-25 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.