1And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this Word came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, 2Take for yourself a scroll of a book, and write in it all the Words that I have spoken to you against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, even to this day. 3It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I plan to do to them, that they may turn, each man, from his evil way, so that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin. 4Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah. And Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the Words of Jehovah, which He had spoken to him, on a scroll of a book. 5And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am confined. I cannot go into the house of Jehovah. 6Therefore you go, and read from the scroll which you have written at my mouth, the Words of Jehovah in the ears of the people in Jehovah's house on the day of the fast. And also you shall read them in the ears of all Judah who come out of their cities. 7It may be that they will present their supplication before Jehovah, and will turn back, each one from his evil way. For great is the anger and the fury that Jehovah has pronounced against this people. 8And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading from the book, the Words of Jehovah in the house of Jehovah. 9And 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 Jehovah to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem. 10And Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of Jehovah, in the room of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the higher court, at the entrance to the New Gate of the house of Jehovah, in the ears of all the people. 11When Michaiah, the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the Words of Jehovah from the book, 12he then went down to the king's house, into the scribe's room. And, lo, all the rulers 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 rulers. 13Then Michaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people. 14Therefore all the rulers sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying, Take the scroll in your hand from which you have read in the ears of the people, and come. So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them. 15And they said to him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read it in their ears. 16And it happened when they had heard all the words, that they turned to one another in fear and said to Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words. 17And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How did you write all these words at his mouth? 18Then Baruch answered them, He spoke all these words to me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book. 19And the rulers said to Baruch, Go hide yourselves, you and Jeremiah; and let no man know where you are. 20And they went in to the king, into the court. But they laid up the scroll in the room of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the ears of the king. 21So the king sent Jehudi to bring the scroll. And he took it out of the room of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the rulers who stood beside the king. 22And the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, the fire burning in the hearth before him. 23And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, that he cut it with the scribe's knife and threw it into the fire in the hearth, until all the scroll was burned up in the hearth. 24Yet the king and all his servants who heard these words were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments. 25But Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had entreated the king that he should not burn the scroll, but he would not consent to them. 26And the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But Jehovah hid them. 27Then the Word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah, after the king had burned the scroll and the words which Baruch had written at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying, 28Take for yourself another scroll, and write in it all the former Words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned. 29And you shall say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus says Jehovah: You have burned this scroll, saying, Why have you written in it, saying that the king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause man and beast to be annihilated from there? 30Therefore thus says Jehovah concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David. And his dead body shall be cast out into the heat of the day, and the frost of the night. 31And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity. And I will bring upon them, and upon the people of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have spoken against them; but they have not given heed. 32Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote in it at the mouth of Jeremiah all the Words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many words like them were added to them.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 BARUCH WRITES, AND READS PUBLICLY JEREMIAH'S PROPHECIES COLLECTED IN A VOLUME. THE ROLL IS BURNT BY JEHOIAKIM, AND WRITTEN AGAIN BY BARUCH AT JEREMIAH'S DICTATION. (Jer. 36:1-32)
fourth year--The command to write the roll was given in the fourth year, but it was not read publicly till the fifth year. As Isaiah subjoined to his predictions a history of events confirming his prophecies (Isa. 36:1-22; Isa. 37:1-38; Isa. 38:1-22;
Isa 39:1-
Isa 39:8), so Jeremiah also in the thirty-seventh through forty-third chapters; but he prefaces his history with the narrative of an incident that occurred some time ago, showing that he, not only by word, but in writing, and that twice, had testified all that he about to state as having subsequently come to pass [GROTIUS]. At the end of Jehoiakim's third year, Nebuchadnezzar enrolled an army against Jerusalem and took it in the end of the fifth or beginning of the sixth year, carrying away captive Jehoiakim, Daniel, &c. Jehoiakim returned the same year, and for three years was tributary: then he withheld tribute. Nebuchadnezzar returned and took Jerusalem, and carried off Jehoiakim, who died on the road. This harmonizes this chapter with 2Ki. 24:1-20 and Dan. 1:1-21. See on
Jer 22:19.
2 roll of a book--a book formed of prepared skins made into a roll. Compare "volume of the book," that is, the Pentateuch (
Ps 40:7). It does not follow that his prophecies were not before committed to writing; what is implied is, they were now written together in one volume, so as to be read continuously to the Jews in the temple.
against . . . nations-- (
Jer 25:15, &c.).
from . . . days of Josiah-- (
Jer 25:3). From Josiah's thirteenth year (
Jer 1:2).
3 hear--consider seriously.
return . . . from . . . evil way-- (
Jonah 3:8).
4 all . . . words of . . . Lord--God specially suggesting what might otherwise have escaped his memory, and directing the choice of words, as well as the substance (
John 14:26;
John 16:13).
5 I am shut up--not in prison, for there is no account of his imprisonment under Jehoiakim, and
Jer 36:19,
Jer 36:26 are inconsistent with it: but, "I am prevented," namely, by some hindrance; or, through fear of the king, to whose anger Baruch was less exposed, as not being the author of the prophecy.
6 go--on the following year (
Jer 36:9).
fasting day--(See
Jer 36:9). An extraordinary fast, in the ninth month (whereas the fast on the great day of atonement was on the tenth day of the seventh month,
Lev 16:29;
Lev 23:27-
Lev 23:32), appointed to avert the impending calamity, when it was feared Nebuchadnezzar, having in the year before (that is, the fourth of Jehoiakim), smitten Pharaoh-necho at Carchemish, would attack Judea, as the ally of Egypt (
2Kgs 23:34-35). The fast was likely to be an occasion on which Jeremiah would find the Jews more softened, as well as a larger number of them met together.
7 present . . . supplication--literally, "supplication shall fall"; alluding to the prostrate attitude of the supplicants (
Deut 9:25;
Matt 26:39), as petitioners fall at the feet of a king in the East. So Hebrew,
Jer 38:26;
Dan 9:18, Margin.
9 they proclaimed . . . to all the people . . . to all, &c.--rather, "all the people . . . all the people proclaimed a fast" [MICHAELIS]. The chiefs appointed the fast by the wish of the people. In either version the ungodly king had no share in appointing the fast.
10 chamber--Baruch read from the window or balcony of the chamber looking into the court where the people were assembled. However, some of the chambers were large enough to contain a considerable number (
Neh 13:5).
Gemariah--distinct from the Gemariah, son of Hilkiah, in
Jer 29:3.
Shaphan--the same person as in
2Kgs 22:3.
scribe--secretary of state, or he who presided over the public records.
higher court--that of the priests, the court of the people being lower (
2Chr 4:9).
new gate-- (
Jer 26:10). The east gate.
12 scribe's chamber--an apartment in the palace occupied by the secretary of state.
princes--holding a counsel of state at the time.
Elnathan--who had already been an instrument of evil in Jehoiakim's hand (
Jer 26:22-
Jer 26:23).
Hananiah--the false prophet (
Jer 28:10-
Jer 28:17).
14 Jehudi--of a good family, as appears from his pedigree being given so fully, but in a subordinate position.
come--Instead of requiring Baruch to come to them, they ought to have gone to the temple, and there professed their penitence. But pride forbade it [CALVIN].
16 afraid, both one and other--Hebrew, "fear-stricken," they turned to one another (compare
Gen 42:28). This showed, on their part, hesitancy, and some degree of fear of God, but not enough to make them willing to sacrifice the favor of an earthly king. We will surely tell the king--not the language of threatening but implying that the matter is of such moment that the king ought to be made acquainted with it, so as to seek some remedy against the divine anger.
17 What they wished to know was, whether what Baruch had read to them was written by him from memory after hearing Jeremiah repeating his prophecies continuously, or accurately from the prophet's own dictation.
18 his mouth--Baruch replies it was by the oral dictation of the prophet;
Jer 36:2 accords with this view, rather than with the notion that Jeremiah repeated his prophecies from manuscripts.
ink--his specification of the "ink" implies: I added nothing save the hand, pen, and ink.
19 Showing that they were not altogether without better feelings (compare
Jer 36:16,
Jer 36:25).
20 chamber--There were chambers in the king's palace round the court or great hall, as in the temple (
Jer 36:10). The roll was "laid up" there for safekeeping, with other public records.
21 sent Jehudi--Note how unbelievers flee from God, and yet seek Him through some kind of involuntary impulse [CALVIN]. Jehudi seems to have been the king's ready tool for evil.
22 winter house-- (
Amos 3:15).
ninth month--namely, of the religious year, that is, November or December.
fire on . . . hearth--rather, the stove was burning before him. In the East neither chimneys nor ovens are used, but, in cold weather, a brazen vessel containing burning charcoal; when the wood has burned to embers, a cover is placed over the pot to make it retain the heat.
23 three or four leaves--not distinct leaves as in a book, but the consecutive spaces on the long roll in the shape of doors (whence the Hebrew name is derived), into which the writing is divided: as the books of Moses in the synagogue in the present day are written in a long parchment rolled round a stick, the writing divided into columns, like pages.
pen-knife--the writer's knife with which the reed, used as a pen, was mended. "He" refers to the king (
Jer 36:22). As often as Jehudi read three or four columns, the king cut asunder the part of the roll read; and so he treated the whole, until all the parts read consecutively were cut and burnt;
Jer 36:24, "all these words," implies that the whole volume was read through, not merely the first three or four columns (
1Kgs 22:8).
24 The king and his "servants" were more hardened than the "princes" and councillors (see on
Jer 36:12;
Jer 36:14;
Jer 36:16). Contrast the humble fear exhibited by Josiah at the reading of the law (
2Kgs 22:11).
25 (See on
Jer 36:16). The "nevertheless" aggravates the king's sin; though God would have drawn him back through their intercession, he persisted: judicial blindness and reprobation!
26 Hammelech--not as Margin, "of the king." Jehoiakim at this time (the fifth year of his reign) had no grown-up son: Jeconiah, his successor, was then a boy of eleven (compare
2Kgs 23:36, with
2Kgs 24:8).
hid them-- (
Ps 31:20;
Ps 83:3;
Isa 26:20).
27 roll, and . . . words--that is, the roll of words.
28 all the former words--It is in vain that the ungodly resist the power of Jehovah: not one of His words shall fall to the ground (
Matt 5:18;
Acts 9:5;
Acts 5:39).
29 say to Jehoiakim--not in person, as Jeremiah was "hidden" (
Jer 36:26), but by the written word of prophecy.
saying, Why--This is what the king had desired to be said to Jeremiah if he should be found; kings often dislike the truth to be told them.
30 He shall have none to sit upon the throne--fulfilled (
2Kgs 24:8, &c.; 2Ki. 25:1-30). He had successors, but not directly of his posterity, except his son Jeconiah, whose three months' reign is counted as nothing. Zedekiah was not the son, but the uncle of Jeconiah, and was raised to the throne in contempt of him and his father Jehoiakim (
Jer 22:30).
dead body . . . cast out-- (
Jer 22:18-
Jer 22:19).
day . . . heat . . . night . . . frost--There are often these variations of temperature in the East between night and day (
Gen 31:40).
32 added besides . . . many like words--Sinners gain nothing but additional punishment by setting aside the word of Jehovah. The law was similarly rewritten after the first tables had been broken owing to Israel's idolatry (
Exod 32:19,
Exod 34:1).
