Jeremiah 36:21

Translation
King James Version
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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KJV (with Strong's)
So the king H4428 sent H7971 Jehudi H3065 to fetch H3947 the roll H4039: and he took H3947 it out of Elishama H476 the scribe's H5608 chamber H3957. And Jehudi H3065 read H7121 it in the ears H241 of the king H4428, and in the ears H241 of all the princes H8269 which stood H5975 beside H5921 the king H4428.
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Complete Jewish Bible
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.
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Berean Standard Bible
Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and all the officials who were standing beside him.
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American Standard Version
So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll; and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes that stood beside the king.
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World English Bible Messianic
So the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll; and he took it out of the room of Elishama the scribe. Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes who stood beside the king.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
So the King sent Iehudi to fet the roule, and he tooke it out of Elishama the Chancellours chamber, and Iehudi read it in the audience of the King, and in the audience of all the princes, which stoode beside the King.
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Young's Literal Translation
And the king sendeth Jehudi to take the roll, and he taketh it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and Jehudi readeth it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the heads who are standing by the king;
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See also
2 Kings 22:10Ezekiel 2:4Ezekiel 2:52 Chronicles 34:18Jeremiah 26:2Jeremiah 36:15Jeremiah 23:28
In the KJVVerse 19,864 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Jeremiah 36:21 chronicles a pivotal moment in the confrontation between King Jehoiakim and the divine word delivered through the prophet Jeremiah. This verse meticulously describes the king's direct engagement with the prophetic scroll, as he dispatches his royal messenger, Jehudi, to retrieve it from the chamber of Elishama the scribe. The scene culminates with Jehudi reading the scroll aloud in the immediate presence of the king and his assembled princes, thereby ensuring the direct and undeniable presentation of God's unvarnished message of judgment and warning to Judah's highest authorities, setting the stage for Jehoiakim's infamous and defiant response.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Jeremiah 36 serves as a crucial narrative interlude within the broader prophetic book, specifically detailing the reception—or, more accurately, the rejection—of God's word by Judah's leadership. Prior to this verse, the Lord commands Jeremiah to compile all the prophecies spoken against Israel, Judah, and other nations into a scroll, with the explicit hope that the people might repent and avert the impending disaster (Jeremiah 36:2-3). Due to his restricted movement, Jeremiah dictates these divine utterances to his faithful scribe, Baruch son of Neriah (Jeremiah 36:4). Baruch then courageously reads the scroll publicly in the temple courts on a fast day, making its contents known to the people (Jeremiah 36:9-10). This public reading leads to the scroll being brought before the princes, who, upon hearing its fearful contents, decide to inform the king (Jeremiah 36:16-19). Verse 21 directly follows this, detailing the king's summons for the scroll, initiating his personal and fateful encounter with God's message.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: This dramatic event unfolds during the turbulent reign of King Jehoiakim (609-598 BC), a period marked by profound political instability and spiritual apostasy in Judah. Jehoiakim was not a legitimate successor but a puppet king installed by Pharaoh Neco II of Egypt, and later became a vassal of Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar's decisive victory at Carchemish (2 Kings 23:34-35). His rule was characterized by oppressive policies, social injustice, and a flagrant disregard for the Mosaic covenant, evident in his extravagant building projects funded by forced labor and his shedding of innocent blood (Jeremiah 22:13-19). In ancient Near Eastern cultures, royal courts were the epicenter of governance, and the king's decree was absolute law. The formal act of reading official documents, including prophetic or legal texts, "in the ears of the king" was a highly authoritative and public means of communication, ensuring that the monarch was fully apprised of critical information. The presence of "princes" or high officials further underscored the gravity of the occasion, as they served as key advisors and official witnesses to royal proceedings.
  • Key Themes: Jeremiah 36:21 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the book of Jeremiah. Foremost is the Authority and Unstoppability of God's Word. Despite human resistance and attempts to suppress it, God's message relentlessly perseveres and reaches its intended audience, even the highest authority in the land. The very act of the scroll being brought directly to the king underscores the divine imperative that His word be heard, regardless of the messenger's status or the recipient's inclination. Another prominent theme is Royal Accountability. As the leader of the nation, Jehoiakim is directly confronted with God's expectations and warnings, highlighting the profound responsibility of those in power to heed divine revelation. His subsequent actions, detailed in Jeremiah 36:23, serve as a stark illustration of the devastating consequences of rejecting this accountability. The chapter also emphasizes the Opportunity for Repentance, as the scroll's primary purpose was to prompt a turning back to God. Even at this late stage in Judah's spiritual decline, God extends a merciful invitation for change, which Jehoiakim tragically spurns. Finally, the scene implicitly highlights the Role of the Scribe and Messenger in preserving and transmitting divine truth, even in the face of danger.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • king (Hebrew, melek', H4428): Meaning "a king" or "royal." In this context, melek refers specifically to King Jehoiakim, whose actions and decisions are central to the unfolding narrative of defiance against God's word. His title underscores his supreme authority in Judah, making his reception of the prophetic message exceptionally significant as it represents the nation's highest human authority being directly confronted by divine sovereignty.
  • roll (Hebrew, mᵉgillâh', H4039): Meaning "a roll" or "volume." This term denotes the physical written document containing Jeremiah's prophecies. In ancient times, scrolls were the primary medium for preserving important texts, including legal documents, historical records, and prophetic utterances. The megillâh here represents the tangible, authoritative form of God's spoken word, transforming it from an ephemeral message into a permanent, accessible testimony that could be read, reread, and preserved—or, as tragically happens later, destroyed.
  • read (Hebrew, qârâ', H7121): A primitive root meaning "to call out to," "address by name," or "to read." Here, qârâ signifies the public proclamation and vocalization of the scroll's contents. In an oral culture, "reading" was often synonymous with "proclaiming aloud" for an audience. Jehudi's act of reading "in the ears of the king" emphasizes a direct, audible, and unavoidable transmission of the divine message, ensuring that the king and his princes could not claim ignorance of its contents.

Verse Breakdown

  • "So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll:" This opening clause highlights King Jehoiakim's initiative and immediate response upon hearing about the scroll's contents. Having been informed by his princes, he actively seeks to hear the message for himself. The dispatch of Jehudi, a royal messenger, signifies the king's formal and serious engagement, demonstrating the initial gravity with which the scroll's existence was perceived in the royal court.
  • "and he took it out of Elishama the scribe's chamber." This detail provides the precise location from which the scroll was retrieved. Elishama was likely a high-ranking scribe or official, and his chamber would have been a secure and designated place for important documents. The act of taking it out implies a formal transfer of custody, bringing the divine word from a place of storage or safekeeping directly into the royal presence, preparing it for its fateful public hearing.
  • "And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king." This final clause describes the crucial act of proclamation. Jehudi, acting as the king's proxy, audibly presents the scroll's message. The repeated phrase "in the ears of" emphasizes the direct, personal, and undeniable hearing by the king and his assembled advisors. This public reading before the highest authorities ensures that the message of God's judgment and call to repentance is delivered with full transparency and undeniable clarity, leaving no room for misunderstanding or denial of its reception.

Literary Devices

Jeremiah 36:21 employs several potent literary devices that enhance its dramatic and theological impact. The scene functions as a powerful example of Foreshadowing, as the king's initial curiosity and demand to hear the scroll set the stage for his subsequent, and far more significant, act of defiance in burning it. The meticulous description of Jehudi fetching the scroll from a specific chamber and reading it aloud creates a strong sense of Realism and immediacy, grounding the divine message in a tangible, historical event. The repeated phrase "in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes" utilizes Repetition to emphasize the directness, audibility, and public nature of the message's delivery, ensuring that no one present could claim ignorance of its content. This also highlights the Symbolism of the scroll itself, which represents the living and active word of God confronting human authority. The stark contrast between the divine word's inherent power and the king's eventual human rebellion creates a dramatic Irony, as the very act intended to bring about repentance ultimately reveals the depth of Jehoiakim's hardened heart.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Jeremiah 36:21 powerfully illustrates the persistent nature of God's communication with humanity, even in the face of impending judgment. It underscores the profound theological principle that God's word is not hidden but is made accessible to all, from the common person to the highest authority, offering a clear opportunity for response. The scene serves as a potent reminder of divine sovereignty over human affairs and the unwavering commitment of God to speak truth, regardless of how uncomfortable or challenging it may be for those in power. While Jehoiakim's response was one of defiant rejection, the very act of the scroll being read before him demonstrates God's long-suffering patience and His profound desire for repentance, even for the most hardened hearts. This divine initiative to confront human sin with truth is a consistent theme throughout Scripture, emphasizing that ignorance of God's will is rarely an excuse for disobedience, and that hearing God's word places a solemn responsibility upon the hearer.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Jeremiah 36:21 serves as a profound mirror for our own engagement with God's word in contemporary life. Just as the prophetic scroll was brought directly into the king's presence, so too is the Bible, God's living and active word, readily available to us today through countless mediums. This verse challenges us to critically examine our posture when confronted with divine truth. Do we, like Jehoiakim, approach it with a superficial curiosity, only to dismiss, rationalize, or even actively suppress it when it challenges our comfort, our sinful habits, or our established ways of living? Or do we receive it with humility, reverence, and a genuine desire for transformation, allowing it to penetrate our hearts and minds, leading to genuine repentance and obedience? The king's immediate access to the scroll underscores our own profound responsibility to actively seek out, listen to, and seriously consider God's revealed will, recognizing that our response has eternal implications. Our attentiveness to His voice, whether through personal study, corporate worship, or faithful preaching, determines the trajectory of our lives and the depth of our relationship with the Almighty.

Questions for Reflection

  • How readily do I make time to "fetch the roll" – to engage deeply and consistently with God's word in my daily life?
  • What is my typical emotional or spiritual response when God's word challenges my preconceived notions, comfortable habits, or deeply held convictions?
  • In what ways might I be tempted to "cut up" or "burn" parts of God's message that I find inconvenient, difficult to accept, or culturally unpopular?
  • How does my personal response to God's word impact those around me, especially if I am in a position of influence or leadership?

FAQ

Why was the scroll read in the king's "ears" specifically?

Answer: The phrase "in the ears of" (Hebrew: b'oznei) emphasizes an audible, direct, and undeniable proclamation. In ancient cultures, where literacy was not widespread, public reading was the primary and most authoritative means of disseminating important information. By reading it "in the ears" of the king and his princes, Jehudi ensured that they personally heard every word, leaving no room for them to claim ignorance or misinterpretation of the divine message. It highlights the direct confrontation between God's word and the king's will, demanding a personal and accountable response from the highest authorities in the land.

Who was Jehudi, and why was he chosen for this task?

Answer: Jehudi is identified as a royal messenger or official, a trusted servant of the king. His name (Hebrew: Yᵉhûwdîy) means "Jew" or "Judean," which might indicate his ethnicity or origin, but more importantly, he held a position within the royal court that made him a suitable and reliable individual to retrieve and read such an important document directly to the monarch. His role underscores the formality and gravity of the king's summons for the scroll, indicating that this was not a casual inquiry but a formal royal directive concerning a matter of significant national importance.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Jeremiah 36:21, though a narrative of human rejection of divine truth, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate confrontation between God's living Word and human authority, culminating in the person of Jesus Christ. Just as the prophetic scroll was brought directly to King Jehoiakim, so too did God's ultimate Word, His Son, enter human history to confront a world steeped in sin and rebellion. Jesus, the living Word made flesh (John 1:14), did not merely deliver a message; He was the message, embodying the very truth, will, and character of God. His teachings, like the scroll, were proclaimed and heard "in the ears" of the people, from the common crowds who marveled at His authority (Matthew 7:28-29) to the religious and political leaders of His day.

The rejection of Jeremiah's scroll by Jehoiakim finds its ultimate and tragic parallel in the rejection of Christ by His own people and their leaders (John 1:11). The world, like Jehoiakim, often prefers to "cut up" and "burn" the challenging truths of God, rather than submit to their transformative power. However, just as God's word through Jeremiah could not be ultimately destroyed—it was rewritten and preserved (Jeremiah 36:32)—so too the truth of Christ's life, death, and resurrection endures eternally, triumphing over all human opposition. The scene in Jeremiah 36:21 thus serves as a somber reminder of humanity's persistent propensity to resist divine truth, but also as a profound backdrop against which the steadfastness, enduring power, and ultimate victory of God's Word in Christ shine even more brightly, offering salvation and life to all who will hear and believe (Romans 10:17).

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Commentary on Jeremiah 36 verses 20–32

We have traced the roll to the people, and to the princes, and here we are to follow it to the king; and we find,

I. That, upon notice given him concerning it, he sent for it, and ordered it to be read to him, Jer 36:20, Jer 36:21. He did not desire that Baruch would come and read it himself, who could read it more intelligently and with more authority and affection than any one else; nor did he order one of his princes to do it (though it would have been no disparagement to the greatest of them), much less would he vouchsafe to read it himself; but Jehudi, one of his pages now in waiting, who was sent to fetch it, is bidden to read it, who perhaps scarcely knew how to make sense of it. But those who thus despise the word of God will soon make it to appear, as this king did, that they hate it too, and have not only low, but ill thoughts of it.

II. That he had not patience to hear it read through as the princes had, but, when he had heard three or four leaves read, in a rage he cut it with his penknife, and threw it piece by piece into the fire, that he might be sure to see it all consumed, Jer 36:22, Jer 36:23. This was a piece of as daring impiety as a man could lightly be guilty of, and a most impudent affront to the God of heaven, whose message this was. 1. Thus he showed his impatience of reproof; being resolved to persist in sin, he would by no means bear to be told of his faults. 2. Thus he showed his indignation at Baruch and Jeremiah; he would have cut them in pieces, and burnt them, if he had had them in his reach, when he was in this passion. 3. Thus he expressed an abstinent resolution never to comply with the designs and intentions of the warnings given him; he will do what he will, whatever God by his prophets says to the contrary. 4. Thus he foolishly hoped to defeat the threatenings denounced against him, as if God knew not how to execute the sentence when the roll was gone in which it was written. 5. Thus he thought he had effectually provided that the things contained in this roll should spread no further, which was the care of the chief priests concerning the gospel, Act 4:17. They had told him how this roll had been read to the people and to the princes. "But," says he, "I will take a course that shall prevent its being read any more." See what an enmity there is against God in the carnal mind, and wonder at the patience of God, that he bears with such indignities done to him.

III. That neither the king himself nor any of his princes were at all affected with the word: They were not afraid (Jer 36:24), no, not those princes that trembled at the word when they heard it the first time, Jer 36:16. So soon, so easily, do good impressions wear off. They showed some concern till they saw how light the king made of it, and then they shook off all that concern. They rent not their garments, as Josiah, this Jehoiakim's own father, did when he had the book of the law read to him, though it was not so particular as the contents of this roll were, nor so immediately adapted to the present posture of affairs.

IV. That there were three of the princes who had so much sense and grace left as to interpose for the preventing of the burning of the roll, but in vain, Jer 36:25. If they had from the first shown themselves, as they ought to have done, affected with the word, perhaps they might have brought the king to a better mind and have persuaded him to bear it patiently; but frequently those that will not do the good they should put it out of their own power to do the good they would.

V. That Jehoiakim, when he had thus in effect burnt God's warrant by which he was arrested, as it were in a way of revenge, now that he thought he had got the better, signed a warrant for the apprehending of Jeremiah and Baruch, God's ministers (Jer 36:26): But the Lord hid them. The princes bade them abscond (Jer 36:19), but it was neither the princes' care for them nor theirs for themselves that secured them; it was under the divine protection that they were safe. Note, God will find out a shelter for his people, though their persecutors be ever so industrious to get them into their power, till their hour be come; nay, and then he will himself be their hiding place.

VI. That Jeremiah had orders and instructions to write in another roll the same words that were written in the roll which Jehoiakim had burnt, Jer 36:27, Jer 36:28. Note, Though the attempts of hell against the word of God are very daring, yet not one iota or tittle of it shall fall to the ground, nor shall the unbelief of man make the word of God of no effect. Enemies may prevail to burn many a Bible, but they cannot abolish the word of God, can neither extirpate it nor defeat the accomplishment of it. Though the tables of the law were broken, they were renewed again; and so out of the ashes of the roll that was burnt arose another Phoenix. The word of the Lord endures for ever.

VII. That the king of Judah, though a king, was severely reckoned with by the King of kings for this indignity done to the written word. God noticed what it was in the roll that Jehoiakim took so much offense at. Jehoiakim was angry because it was written therein, saying, Surely the king of Babylon shall come and destroy this land, Jer 36:29. And did not the king of Babylon come two years before this, and go far towards the destroying of this land? He did so (Ch2 36:6, Ch2 36:7) in his third year, Dan 1:1. So that God and his prophets had therefore become his enemies because they told him the truth, told him of the desolation that was coming, but at the same time putting him into a fair way to prevent it. But, if this be the thing he takes so much amiss, let him know, 1. That the wrath of God shall come upon him and his family, in the first place, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. He shall be cut off, and in a few weeks his son shall be dethroned, and exchange his royal robes for prison-garments, so that he shall have none to sit upon the throne of David; the glory of that illustrious house shall be eclipsed, and die in him; his dead body shall lie unburied, or, which comes all to one, he shall be buried with the burial of an ass, that is, thrown into the next ditch; it shall lie exposed to all weathers, heat and frost, which will occasion its putrefying and becoming loathsome the sooner. "Not that his body" (says Mr. Gataker) "could be sensible of such usage, or himself, being deceased, of aught that should befal his body; but that the king's body in such a condition should be a hideous spectacle, and a horrid monument of God's heavy wrath and indignation against him, unto all that should behold it." Even his seed and his servants shall fare the worse for their relation to him (Jer 36:31), for they shall be punished, not for his iniquity, but so much the sooner for their own. 2. That all the evil pronounced against Judah and Jerusalem in that roll shall be brought upon them. Though the copy be burnt, the original remains in the divine counsel, which shall again be copied out after another manner in bloody characters. Note, There is no escaping God's judgments by struggling with them. Who ever hardened his heart against God, and prospered?

VIII. That, when the roll was written anew, there were added to the former many like words (Jer 36:32), many more threatenings of wrath and vengeance; for, since they will yet walk contrary to God, he will heat the furnace seven times hotter. Note, As God is in one mind, and none can turn him, so he has still more arrows in his quiver; and those who contend with God's woes do but prepare for themselves heavier of the same kind.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 20–32. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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