Jeremiah Chapter 36
Jeremiah 36
Cutting and Burning God’s Word
Jeremiah 36:1-3, The Command to Compile Jeremiah’s Prophecies into a Single Scroll
Jeremiah 36:1-3, “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, 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. 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.”
Jeremiah 36 returns to the reign of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah. This is earlier than the final siege under Zedekiah. The fourth year of Jehoiakim was a major moment because Babylon had risen as the dominant power, and Judah was moving toward the judgment Jeremiah had long announced.
The LORD commands Jeremiah to take “a roll of a book” and write in it all the words God had spoken to him against Israel, Judah, and the nations from the days of Josiah until that time. Jeremiah had been preaching for years. Now those spoken prophecies must be gathered into written form.
This shows that God’s word is not weakened when it is written. The same word that came through the prophet’s mouth is now preserved on a scroll. The spoken word and the written word carry divine authority because the origin is the LORD.
The reason for the scroll is mercy. “It may be that the house of Judah will hear.” The prophecies of judgment were not given merely to frighten. They were given to call sinners to repentance. God’s purpose was that every man might return from his evil way, and that God might forgive their iniquity and sin.
This is critical. Jeremiah’s warnings are severe because Judah’s sin is severe, but God’s heart in warning is not cruelty. Warning is mercy before judgment. The written scroll gives Judah another opportunity to hear, return, and be forgiven.
Jeremiah 36:4-8, Baruch Reads the Scroll at the Temple
Jeremiah 36:4-8, “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. And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut up, I cannot go into the house of the LORD: 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. 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. 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.”
Jeremiah calls Baruch the son of Neriah. Baruch writes from Jeremiah’s mouth all the words of the LORD upon a scroll. This establishes the relationship between prophet and scribe. Jeremiah receives and dictates the prophetic word. Baruch writes it faithfully.
The text says Baruch wrote “all the words of the LORD.” Though Baruch’s hand wrote the letters, the words are still God’s words. The human process of writing does not cancel divine authorship.
Jeremiah says, “I am shut up, I cannot go into the house of the LORD.” This may mean he was barred from temple access, restricted, or otherwise unable to enter publicly. But the word of God is not shut up. Jeremiah cannot go, so Baruch goes. The messenger is limited, but the message continues.
Baruch is to read the scroll in the LORD’s house on a fasting day, when the people are gathered. He is also to read it to those from the cities of Judah who come to Jerusalem. The goal is again repentance, prayer, and forgiveness. “It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way.”
The anger and fury pronounced against the people are great. Therefore the call to repentance is urgent. Baruch obeys. He reads the words of the LORD in the LORD’s house.
Jeremiah 36:9-10, Baruch Reads the Scroll Again the Following Year
Jeremiah 36:9-10, “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. 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.”
The next scene takes place in the fifth year of Jehoiakim, in the ninth month. A fast is proclaimed before the LORD for all the people in Jerusalem and those coming from Judah’s cities. The national situation was dangerous, and outward religious seriousness appeared.
Yet fasting alone is not repentance. A fast can be sincere, or it can be religious form without obedience. The scroll will test the heart of the people and their leaders.
Baruch reads the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD. The location is specific, the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan, in the higher court, at the entry of the new gate. This gives the reading public visibility. The words are heard by all the people.
The house of Shaphan had a history connected with the word of God. In Josiah’s day, Shaphan the scribe was connected to the discovery and reading of the book of the law.
2 Kings 22:10-11, “And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.”
Josiah trembled when he heard the word. Jeremiah 36 will show Jehoiakim doing the opposite.
Jeremiah 36:11-15, Baruch Brings the Scroll to the Princes of Judah
Jeremiah 36:11-15, “When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of the LORD, 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. Then Michaiah declared unto them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people. 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. And they said unto him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read it in their ears.”
Michaiah, the son of Gemariah and grandson of Shaphan, hears all the words of the LORD from the scroll. He takes the message seriously enough to report it to the princes in the king’s house.
The princes are gathered in the scribe’s chamber. They include Elishama, Delaiah, Elnathan, Gemariah, Zedekiah, and others. Michaiah declares to them all the words he heard from Baruch’s public reading.
The princes then send Jehudi to bring Baruch and the scroll. They do not rely only on Michaiah’s report. They want to hear the words directly. They tell Baruch to sit down and read it in their ears.
This is a better response than Jehoiakim’s later response. The princes at least recognize the seriousness of the message. They give the scroll a hearing. They do not dismiss it merely because it came through Jeremiah and Baruch.
The repeated phrase “all the words” matters. God’s word must be heard whole, not selectively. Judgment passages, calls to repentance, promises, rebukes, and warnings all belong to the word of the LORD.
Jeremiah 36:16-19, The Princes Tell Baruch and Jeremiah to Hide
Jeremiah 36:16-19, “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. And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth? Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book. Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah, and let no man know where ye be.”
When the princes hear all the words, they are afraid. This is a proper beginning. The word of God should produce fear when it exposes sin and announces judgment.
They decide they must tell the king. They also ask Baruch how the scroll was written. Baruch explains plainly, Jeremiah pronounced all the words with his mouth, and Baruch wrote them with ink in the book. Baruch does not claim prophetic authority for himself. He is the scribe. Jeremiah is the prophet. The LORD is the source.
The princes then tell Baruch, “Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah.” They know Jehoiakim’s character. They know the king may react violently. They also know the word must be brought before him. Their warning protects the servants of God while the message goes forward.
This shows that not everyone in Judah’s leadership was equally hardened. Some still feared the word. Some tried to protect the prophet and scribe. Yet the king’s heart will soon be revealed.
Jeremiah 36:20-21, Bringing the Scroll to the King
Jeremiah 36:20-21, “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. 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.”
The princes go to the king, but they first lay up the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe. This may have been a careful move to protect the document. They report the words to the king, and the king sends Jehudi to bring the scroll.
Jehudi reads it in the ears of the king and the princes. The king now receives direct access to the written word of God. He cannot claim ignorance. He cannot say Jeremiah never warned him. The scroll stands before him as a written witness.
This is a solemn moment. A king sits before God’s word. He can humble himself like Josiah, or harden himself like Pharaoh. What he does next reveals his heart.
Jeremiah 36:22-26, King Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah’s Scroll
Jeremiah 36:22-26, “Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him. 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. Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words. 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. 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.”
Jehoiakim sits in the winterhouse with a fire burning before him. The physical setting is almost symbolic. The king is comfortable, warm, and secure in his palace while the word of judgment is read to him.
As Jehudi reads three or four leaves, Jehoiakim cuts the scroll with a penknife and casts it into the fire. He does this repeatedly until the whole scroll is consumed. This is not an impulsive outburst after one sentence. It is a deliberate, methodical rejection of the word of God.
The penknife comes before the fire. First he cuts the word. Then he burns it. This pattern continues wherever men sit in judgment over Scripture. They cut out what offends them, then discard what remains. Jehoiakim wanted authority over the word instead of submitting to the word.
But burning the scroll did not destroy the word of God. It only revealed Jehoiakim’s rebellion. The paper, ink, and parchment could burn. The word of the LORD could not.
Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
The contrast with Josiah is powerful. When Josiah heard the book of the law, he tore his clothes. When Jehoiakim heard Jeremiah’s scroll, he cut and burned it. The same family line produced two very different responses to Scripture.
The court’s response is also condemned, “Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments.” This is spiritual deadness. They watched the king burn God’s word and did not tremble. Some may have disagreed silently, but they did not respond with the grief appropriate to such blasphemy.
Still, Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah interceded with the king not to burn the scroll. There remained some fear of God among certain officials. But Jehoiakim would not listen.
Then the king commands that Baruch and Jeremiah be seized. He wants not only to destroy the scroll, but also to silence the men connected with it. Yet “the LORD hid them.” God preserved His servants until their appointed work was complete.
Jeremiah 36:27-31, God’s Response to the Burning of the Scroll
Jeremiah 36:27-31, “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, 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. 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? 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. 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.”
After the king burns the scroll, the word of the LORD comes again to Jeremiah. God’s answer to a burned scroll is another scroll. “Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words.”
Jehoiakim could burn the copy in his hand, but he could not erase the word from God’s mouth. The LORD simply commands it to be written again. This demonstrates the preservation and endurance of God’s word.
God also exposes the reason for Jehoiakim’s rage. He objected to the message that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy the land, causing man and beast to cease. Jehoiakim did not want that prophecy to stand. But rejecting the word does not cancel the event it announces.
The judgment on Jehoiakim is severe. He will have none to sit upon the throne of David. His dead body will be cast out to the heat of the day and frost of the night. The king who burned the scroll will himself be dishonored. He tried to treat God’s word as disposable. God declares his corpse will be treated with disgrace.
This connects with earlier judgment on the royal line.
Jeremiah 22:18-19, “Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory! He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.”
Jehoiakim, his seed, his servants, Jerusalem, and Judah will be punished for their iniquity. All the evil God pronounced will come upon them because they would not hear.
This is the central issue. They did not merely reject Jeremiah. They rejected the LORD who spoke through Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 36:32, The Second Scroll of Jeremiah and Baruch
Jeremiah 36:32, “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.”
Jeremiah takes another scroll and gives it to Baruch. Baruch writes again from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book Jehoiakim burned. The prophet and scribe continue the work. The king’s opposition does not stop them.
Then comes the final blow, “and there were added besides unto them many like words.” Jehoiakim’s attack did not reduce the word of God. It increased the written judgment. He burned the scroll to escape the message, but God added more.
This is the irony of rebellion against Scripture. Men imagine they can weaken God’s word by attacking it. Instead, they only expose their guilt and confirm the truth of what they reject.
The chapter ends with the word preserved, expanded, and rewritten. Jehoiakim’s fire consumed parchment, not prophecy. His knife cut a scroll, not divine truth. The word of the LORD stands.
Doctrinal and Practical Notes
Jeremiah 36 teaches that the written word of God carries divine authority. Baruch wrote with ink, but the words were the words of the LORD.
Jeremiah 36 teaches that God gives warnings for mercy. The scroll was written so Judah might hear, repent, and be forgiven.
Jeremiah 36 teaches that the messenger may be restricted, but God’s word is not bound. Jeremiah was shut up, but Baruch read the scroll publicly.
Jeremiah 36 teaches that outward religious activity is not enough. The people held a fast, but the real test was whether they would hear and obey God’s word.
Jeremiah 36 teaches that hearing all the word matters. Michaiah, the princes, the king, and the court were confronted by the whole message, not selected pieces.
Jeremiah 36 teaches that men reveal their hearts by how they respond to Scripture. Josiah tore his clothes in repentance. Jehoiakim cut and burned the scroll.
Jeremiah 36 teaches that cutting God’s word comes before burning it. Rebellion often begins by removing the parts of Scripture men dislike.
Jeremiah 36 teaches that God’s word cannot be destroyed. The scroll burned, but the word was written again and expanded.
Jeremiah 36 teaches that contempt for Scripture brings judgment. Jehoiakim’s rejection of the scroll led to a direct judgment against him, his seed, and his servants.
Jeremiah 36 teaches that God preserves His servants until their work is complete. The king commanded Baruch and Jeremiah to be seized, but the LORD hid them.
Summary
Jeremiah 36 takes place in the fourth and fifth years of Jehoiakim. The LORD commands Jeremiah to take a scroll and write all the words He had spoken against Israel, Judah, and the nations from the days of Josiah until that time. The purpose is mercy, that Judah might hear the coming judgment, return from evil, and be forgiven.
Jeremiah calls Baruch the son of Neriah, who writes the words of the LORD from Jeremiah’s mouth. Because Jeremiah is shut up and cannot go into the house of the LORD, Baruch is commanded to read the scroll publicly in the temple on a fasting day before the people and those coming from Judah’s cities.
In the fifth year of Jehoiakim, Baruch reads the scroll in the chamber of Gemariah, son of Shaphan, in the upper court near the new gate of the LORD’s house. Michaiah hears the words and reports them to the princes in the king’s house. The princes summon Baruch and have him read the scroll to them. When they hear all the words, they fear and decide to report them to the king. They ask Baruch how the scroll was written, and he explains that Jeremiah spoke the words and he wrote them with ink. The princes then tell Baruch and Jeremiah to hide.
The princes report the words to Jehoiakim, and the king sends Jehudi to fetch the scroll. Jehudi reads it before the king and the princes. Jehoiakim sits in the winterhouse with a fire burning before him. As Jehudi reads three or four leaves, the king cuts the scroll with a penknife and casts it into the fire until the whole scroll is consumed. The king and his servants are not afraid and do not tear their garments. Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah plead with the king not to burn the scroll, but he refuses. He then commands that Baruch and Jeremiah be seized, but the LORD hides them.
After the scroll is burned, the word of the LORD comes again to Jeremiah. God commands him to take another scroll and write all the former words that Jehoiakim burned. God declares judgment on Jehoiakim because he burned the scroll and rejected the prophecy that Babylon would destroy the land. Jehoiakim will have none to sit on David’s throne, and his dead body will be cast out to the heat of the day and frost of the night. God will punish him, his seed, his servants, Jerusalem, and Judah because they did not hear.
Jeremiah then gives another scroll to Baruch, who writes from Jeremiah’s mouth all the words of the first scroll, and many similar words are added. Jehoiakim burned the parchment, but he could not destroy the word of God.
