Jeremiah 36:22

KJV

Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and [there was a fire] on the hearth burning before him.

KJV (with Strong's)

Now the king {H4428} sat {H3427} in the winterhouse {H1004}{H2779} in the ninth {H8671} month {H2320}: and there was a fire on the hearth {H254} burning {H1197} before {H6440} him.

Complete Jewish Bible

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.

Berean Standard Bible

Since it was the ninth month, the king was sitting in his winter quarters with a fire burning before him.

American Standard Version

Now the king was sitting in the winter-house in the ninth month: and there was a fire in the brazier burning before him.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jeremiah 36:22 precisely frames a pivotal moment in Judah's history, depicting King Jehoiakim in the comfort of his winter residence, warmed by a burning hearth. This seemingly tranquil domestic scene serves as a stark and ironic prelude to one of the most audacious acts of defiance against divine revelation recorded in the Old Testament: the king's contemptuous destruction of God's prophetic scroll. The verse's detailed description of royal ease underscores Jehoiakim's profound spiritual apathy and his deliberate, chilling rejection of the Lord's urgent message of repentance and impending judgment.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is a crucial narrative pivot within the dramatic unfolding of [Jeremiah 36](/jeremiah/36 "Jeremiah 36 - Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll"). It immediately follows the public reading of God's scroll, dictated by Jeremiah to Baruch, which had already evoked fear and reverence among various officials (cf. [Jeremiah 36:16](/jeremiah/36-16 "Jeremiah 36:16 - Officials' Fearful Response")). The scroll, laden with warnings of imminent judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem for their persistent idolatry and disobedience, has now been brought into the king's presence. [Jeremiah 36:21](/jeremiah/36-21 "Jeremiah 36:21 - The Scroll Brought to the King") describes the scroll's arrival before Jehoiakim, and verse 22 then meticulously sets the intimate, comfortable scene, directly preceding the king's infamous act of cutting and burning the scroll, detailed in [Jeremiah 36:23](/jeremiah/36-23 "Jeremiah 36:23 - Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll"). The profound contrast between the physical warmth and comfort of the king's surroundings and the spiritual coldness of his reception of God's word is central to the chapter's dramatic tension and theological message.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The specific mention of the "ninth month" (Kislev, roughly November-December in the ancient Hebrew calendar) precisely dates the event to the cold season in ancient Judah, thus explaining the necessity of a "winterhouse" (Hebrew: *beth hachoreph*). Such specialized dwellings were not uncommon among the wealthy and royal elite in the ancient Near East, designed to provide warmth and comfort during the colder months. The "fire on the hearth" further emphasizes this setting of ease, luxury, and domesticity. King Jehoiakim, who reigned from 609-598 BC, was a pro-Egyptian puppet king installed by Pharaoh Neco II. His reign was characterized by wickedness, oppression, and a consistent, defiant rejection of the Lord and His prophets, standing in stark contrast to the reforming zeal and piety of his father, [King Josiah](/2_kings/22 "2 Kings 22 - King Josiah's Righteous Reign"). This comfortable, almost indulgent, setting for the king's act of rebellion against God's word intensifies the gravity of his spiritual apathy and deliberate rejection of divine authority.

* **Key Themes:** [Jeremiah 36:22](/jeremiah/36-22 "Jeremiah 36:22 - King Jehoiakim in His Winterhouse") powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Jeremiah. Firstly, it highlights the pervasive **rejection of God's word** by those in positions of power, a recurring motif throughout Jeremiah's prophetic ministry (e.g., [Jeremiah 7:24](/jeremiah/7-24 "Jeremiah 7:24 - Refusal to Listen to God's Voice")). The king's physical comfort ironically underscores his profound spiritual indifference and outright hostility towards the uncomfortable truth of God's impending judgment. Secondly, the verse subtly but powerfully reveals **King Jehoiakim's hardened character**: arrogant, defiant, and utterly unconcerned with divine warnings, a stark contrast to his father Josiah, who responded to God's law with humility and repentance (cf. [2 Kings 22:11](/2_kings/22-11 "2 Kings 22:11 - Josiah's Humble Response to the Book of the Law")). Finally, the scene sets the stage for the theme of the **immutability and persistence of God's word**. Despite human attempts to destroy or suppress it, God's message cannot be nullified; indeed, Jehoiakim's act of burning the scroll only confirmed the very judgment it foretold, demonstrating that God's word ultimately stands, as declared in [Isaiah 40:8](/isaiah/40-8 "Isaiah 40:8 - The Enduring Word of God").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **king (Hebrew, _melek'_):** H4428, derived from the root meaning "to rule," this term denotes a monarch, sovereign, or ruler. In this specific context, it refers to King Jehoiakim. The emphasis on his royal authority and high position makes his subsequent act of defiance all the more significant, portraying it as a direct and deliberate rejection of divine sovereignty by a human ruler who should have been God's steward.
* **sat (Hebrew, _yâshab'_):** H3427, a primitive root primarily meaning "to sit down," but also carrying implications of dwelling, remaining, or being settled. Here, it conveys Jehoiakim's posture of comfort, ease, and established authority within his private residence. This relaxed, unconcerned stance contrasts sharply with the urgent, unsettling nature of the prophetic message he is about to receive, suggesting a lack of attentive reverence or humble submission.
* **burning (Hebrew, _bâʻar'_):** H1197, a primitive root meaning "to kindle" or "to consume by fire." This word describes the active state of the fire on the hearth, providing warmth and light. Its presence highlights the physical comfort of the king's environment, creating a powerful and poignant ironic juxtaposition with the literal "burning" of God's sacred word that is about to occur, revealing a king who prefers literal warmth over spiritual light and truth.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month":** This clause precisely establishes the specific time and setting for the dramatic events that follow. The "ninth month" (Kislev) indicates the cold season, necessitating the "winterhouse" (Hebrew: *beth hachoreph*), a specialized dwelling designed for warmth and comfort. The king's "sitting" posture suggests a state of ease, perhaps even complacency or defiance, rather than one of humble reception or anxious anticipation of a divine message. It paints a vivid picture of a ruler firmly ensconced in his worldly comforts, seemingly impervious to external threats or spiritual calls for repentance.
* **"and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him":** This phrase further emphasizes the luxurious and comfortable atmosphere surrounding King Jehoiakim. The "hearth" (Hebrew: *ʼâch*, H254), which refers to a fire-pot or chafing dish, provided direct warmth and light. The actively "burning" fire serves as a potent symbol of physical comfort, domesticity, and even a sense of security. This physical warmth stands in stark and chilling contrast to the spiritual coldness of the king's heart and his subsequent violent rejection of God's fiery word, highlighting a profound spiritual blindness.

#### Literary Devices
Jeremiah 36:22 employs several potent **literary devices** to amplify its message. The most prominent is **Irony**. The scene of the king comfortably seated in his warm winterhouse with a burning hearth creates a profound ironic contrast with his impending act of spiritual coldness—the burning of God's sacred scroll. The physical warmth of his surroundings highlights the chilling spiritual indifference and deliberate rejection of the "light" and "heat" of divine truth that characterize Jehoiakim's response. This setting also serves as powerful **Foreshadowing**. The explicit mention of the "fire on the hearth" subtly but ominously foreshadows the literal burning of the scroll in the very next verse ([Jeremiah 36:23](/jeremiah/36-23 "Jeremiah 36:23 - Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll")), transforming an element of comfort into an instrument of sacrilege and defiance. Furthermore, the entire scene functions as **Symbolism**. The "winterhouse" and "burning hearth" symbolize worldly comfort, self-indulgence, and a desire to escape uncomfortable realities. This stands in stark opposition to the scroll, which symbolizes divine truth, judgment, and the call to repentance. The king's preference for the transient warmth of his hearth over the eternal warmth and truth of God's word speaks volumes about his misplaced priorities and hardened heart.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 36:22 powerfully illustrates the enduring human tendency to prioritize immediate comfort, self-preservation, and worldly security over the challenging, often uncomfortable, demands of divine truth. King Jehoiakim's comfortable setting underscores a deeper spiritual malaise: a heart hardened against God's voice, preferring the deceptive warmth of worldly ease to the refining fire of prophetic conviction. This scene sets the stage for a tragic demonstration of human rebellion against divine revelation, where the very word of God is treated with contempt and literally consumed by fire. The theological implication is clear: rejecting God's message, even when delivered with grace and warning, leads to inevitable judgment, for God's word, though rejected, remains eternally true, potent, and ultimately unquenchable.

* [Jeremiah 7:24](/jeremiah/7-24 "Jeremiah 7:24 - Refusal to Listen") - "But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward."
* [2 Kings 22:11](/2_kings/22-11 "2 Kings 22:11 - Josiah's Humble Response") - "And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes."
* [Isaiah 40:8](/isaiah/40-8 "Isaiah 40:8 - The Enduring Word of God") - "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 36:22 serves as a profound mirror for contemporary believers, challenging us to examine our own posture towards God's word. King Jehoiakim, in his comfortable surroundings, chose to ignore and destroy a message that called for repentance and offered hope. This challenges us to consider our own response to God's word, especially when it confronts our complacency, exposes our sin, or demands uncomfortable change. Do we, like Jehoiakim, prefer to remain in our spiritual "winterhouse" of comfort, rejecting truths that disrupt our ease or challenge our worldview? Or do we allow God's word, even when it feels like a consuming fire, to warm and transform our hearts, leading us to genuine repentance and humble obedience? The enduring power of God's message, even when rejected, highlights its eternal relevance and truth, urging us to listen and humbly obey, rather than seek to extinguish its light for the sake of our own fleeting comfort.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life might I be prioritizing personal comfort or convenience over God's clear commands or challenging truths?**
* **How do I typically react when God's word confronts my complacency, exposes my sin, or calls me to difficult paths? Do I seek to "burn" it by ignoring, rationalizing, or dismissing it?**
* **What steps can I take to cultivate a heart that is consistently receptive and humble before God's word, even when it is uncomfortable or demanding?**
* **How does the immutability and persistence of God's word, despite human rejection, encourage or challenge my faith in its ultimate triumph?**

### FAQ
**Why is the "winterhouse" significant in this verse?**

Answer: The "winterhouse" (Hebrew: *beth hachoreph*) is highly significant because it establishes a scene of comfort, warmth, and domesticity. This setting creates a stark and powerful ironic contrast with King Jehoiakim's subsequent act of defiance and spiritual coldness. In a place designed for ease and relaxation, the king chooses to engage in an act of profound rebellion against God's urgent and uncomfortable message. It highlights that his rejection of the divine word was not due to external duress or a lack of opportunity to reflect, but rather a deliberate choice made from a position of security and self-indulgence, emphasizing his hardened heart.

**Who was King Jehoiakim, and what was his character like?**

Answer: King Jehoiakim was the king of Judah from 609-598 BC, installed by Pharaoh Neco II of Egypt. He was widely known for his wickedness, oppressive rule, and consistent defiance against the Lord and His prophet Jeremiah. Unlike his father, King Josiah, who responded to God's law with humility and repentance ([2 Kings 22:11](/2_kings/22-11 "2 Kings 22:11 - Josiah's Humble Response")), Jehoiakim was characterized by arrogance, injustice, and a hardened heart that refused to heed divine warnings. His reign was marked by a refusal to listen to God's prophets, ultimately contributing to Judah's downfall and the Babylonian exile, as prophesied by Jeremiah. His act of burning the scroll in [Jeremiah 36:23](/jeremiah/36-23 "Jeremiah 36:23 - Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll") is a prime example of his contempt for God's word.

**What happened immediately after this scene in Jeremiah 36?**

Answer: Immediately after this scene, as vividly described in [Jeremiah 36:23](/jeremiah/36-23 "Jeremiah 36:23 - Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll"), King Jehoiakim took the scroll, cut it with a scribe's knife, and threw it into the fire on the hearth, piece by piece, until the entire scroll was consumed. This act was a blatant and contemptuous rejection of God's word and His authority. However, God's word could not be nullified. The Lord commanded Jeremiah to dictate the message again to Baruch, adding even more severe judgments specifically against Jehoiakim and Judah ([Jeremiah 36:27-31](/jeremiah/36-27-31 "Jeremiah 36:27-31 - The Second Scroll and Jehoiakim's Punishment")), powerfully demonstrating that human defiance cannot extinguish divine truth.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 36:22, with its depiction of a king rejecting God's written word from a place of comfort and self-indulgence, finds its ultimate and tragic fulfillment in the world's rejection of Jesus Christ, the living Word of God. Just as Jehoiakim preferred the transient warmth of his physical hearth to the uncomfortable truth of the scroll, humanity often prefers the false comfort of sin and self-sufficiency to the convicting and transforming light of Christ. Jesus, the [Word made flesh](/john/1-14 "John 1:14 - The Word Became Flesh"), came to His own, but [His own did not receive Him](/john/1-11 "John 1:10-11 - The World Did Not Know Him"), preferring the darkness of their deeds because their deeds were evil ([John 3:19](/john/3-19 "John 3:19 - Men Loved Darkness")). The very people He came to save, like the inhabitants of Jerusalem He lamented over, [refused to be gathered](/matthew/23-37 "Matthew 23:37 - Jesus Laments Over Jerusalem"), rejecting the ultimate divine revelation. Yet, just as God's written word could not be extinguished by Jehoiakim's fire, so the living Word, Christ, could not be defeated by the cross or the tomb. He is the true and enduring Word, whose message, though rejected by many, brings life and light to all who believe. His presence is the true "fire" that purifies and refines, far surpassing any physical warmth, calling us to embrace His truth rather than burn it away in our pursuit of fleeting comfort ([Luke 12:49](/luke/12-49 "Luke 12:49 - Jesus Brings Fire on the Earth")). The power of God's word, whether written or incarnate, remains living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart ([Hebrews 4:12](/hebrews/4-12 "Hebrews 4:12 - The Living and Active Word of God")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Amos 3:15

And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 22:14

That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and [it is] cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

Jeremiah 22:16

He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then [it was] well [with him: was] not this to know me? saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 36:9

¶ 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.

Jeremiah 3:20

¶ Surely [as] a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.