Jeremiah36

The LORD commanded Jeremiah to dictate prophecies of judgment and a call to repentance to Baruch, who wrote them on a scroll. Baruch read this scroll publicly and to the princes, who then brought it before King Jehoiakim. The king defiantly burned the scroll, but the LORD commanded Jeremiah to write another, adding a specific judgment against Jehoiakim for his act.
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God Commands the Writing of the Scroll

1
And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, ​
2
Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day. ​
3
It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin. ​
4
Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book. ​
5
And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut up; I cannot go into the house of the LORD: ​
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Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD'S house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities.
7
It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for great is the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people.
8
And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of the LORD in the LORD'S house.

Baruch Reads the Prophecy Publicly

9
And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem. ​
10
Then read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the higher court, at the entry of the new gate of the LORD'S house, in the ears of all the people. ​
11
When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of the LORD,
12
Then he went down into the king's house, into the scribe's chamber: and, lo, all the princes sat there, even Elishama the scribe, and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes. ​
13
Then Michaiah declared unto them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people.
14
Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, unto Baruch, saying, Take in thine hand the roll wherein thou hast read in the ears of the people, and come. So Baruch the son of Neriah took the roll in his hand, and came unto them.
15
And they said unto him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read it in their ears.
16
Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and other, and said unto Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words. ​
17
And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?
18
Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.
19
Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye be. ​

King Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll

20
And they went in to the king into the court, but they laid up the roll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the ears of the king. ​
21
So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll: and he took it out of Elishama the scribe's chamber. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king.
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Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him. ​
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And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. ​
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Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words. ​
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Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them. ​
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But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them. ​

Judgment on Jehoiakim and the Rewritten Scroll

27
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying,
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Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned. ​
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And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast?
30
Therefore thus saith the LORD of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost. ​
31
And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not.
32
Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words. ​

Study Notes for Jeremiah 36

Verse 1

This chapter is a historical narrative set in the fourth year of Jehoiakim (c. 605 BC), a crucial period following Nebuchadnezzar’s victory at Carchemish, marking Babylon’s ascent and the imminent danger to Judah.

Verse 2

The scroll was meant to contain all the prophecies Jeremiah had given since the days of Josiah, covering about 23 years of warnings against Israel, Judah, and the surrounding nations.

Verse 3

Theological purpose. The immediate objective of writing the prophecies was not merely documentation, but to prompt national repentance and secure divine forgiveness, demonstrating God's persistent mercy.

Verse 4

Baruch (son of Neriah) serves here as Jeremiah’s trusted scribe and chronicler. This collaboration ensured the physical preservation and transmission of Jeremiah’s frequently unpopular prophecies.

Verse 5

Jeremiah was 'shut up,' likely meaning he was restricted from entering the Temple courts, perhaps due to previous arrests or threats (cf. Jer. 20), necessitating Baruch’s role as the public messenger.

Verse 9

The public fast was declared in the ninth month (Kislev, Nov/Dec 604 BC), likely in response to a major Babylonian military campaign, intensifying the people’s anxiety and making them receptive to a divine message.

Verse 10

Reading the scroll in the chamber of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan (a respected figure who had assisted King Josiah’s reforms), ensured the message reached influential circles in the capital.

Verse 12

The presence of several named officials indicates that the message was taken seriously by key members of the royal administration, who sought to verify the contents before informing the king.

Verse 16

The princes’ reaction of fear ('terror') shows they recognized the gravity and divine authority of the words, contrasting sharply with the king's later casual disregard.

Verse 19

The princes’ advice to hide demonstrates their prudence and fear of Jehoiakim’s notoriously cruel temperament, recognizing that the king would likely seek violent retribution against the messengers.

Verse 20

The princes stored the scroll in a chamber before approaching the king, perhaps hoping to protect it, or perhaps to distance themselves slightly from the message before presenting it to the volatile monarch.

Verse 22

The setting—the king sitting in the warm 'winterhouse' with a fire—emphasizes his comfort and indifference, contrasting sharply with the prophetic message of imminent national catastrophe.

Verse 23

This act of cutting and burning the scroll was a dramatic, defiant rejection of God’s authority and His prophetic word, publicly declaring the king’s refusal to repent or fear divine judgment.

Verse 24

The failure to tear their garments (the traditional sign of mourning, horror, or repentance) highlights the hardheartedness and spiritual callousness of the king and his immediate court.

Verse 25

The intercession of Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah reveals that not all the royal officials supported the king’s sacrilegious act, showing a remnant of conscience within the leadership.

Verse 26

The phrase 'the LORD hid them' affirms God’s sovereign protection over his chosen servants, preventing the king's immediate attempt to silence the prophetic voice.

Verse 28

The command to rewrite the scroll underscores the resilience and permanence of God’s Word. Human effort cannot destroy divine revelation; it will be preserved and fulfilled.

Verse 30

This prophecy condemns Jehoiakim to a shameful, unburied death (cf. Jer. 22:18–19). This was the ultimate disgrace in ancient culture, signifying a complete curse and rejection by God.

Verse 32

The rewritten scroll was not merely a copy but included 'many like words.' Rejection of God’s initial warning often results in a compounded message of harsher judgment.

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