Jeremiah 36

This chapter belongs to the narrative section in the latter part of the book of Jeremiah. Like the preceding Jeremiah 35, it is set during the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and it shows how the prophetic word was put into writing and transmitted.

Outline

• Verses 1–8 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim, God commands Jeremiah to write on a scroll all the words he has received since the days of Josiah. Baruch writes them down as Jeremiah dictates. Because Jeremiah cannot enter the temple, he sends Baruch to read them in his place on a fast day.
• Verses 9–10 On a fast day in the ninth month of Jehoiakim's fifth year, Baruch reads to the people from the chamber of Gemariah the scribe, in the upper court beside the New Gate of the temple.
• Verses 11–19 Micaiah reports the reading to the princes (high officials) at the royal palace. The princes send Jehudi to bring Baruch, and after hearing the reading they are alarmed. They ask how the words came to be written and tell Baruch to go into hiding with Jeremiah.
• Verses 20–26 When Jehudi reads the scroll to the king in the winter house, the king cuts off every three or four columns with a knife as they are read and throws them into the fire on the hearth until the whole scroll is burned. Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urge him not to, but the king refuses to listen and orders the arrest of Baruch and Jeremiah. The text records, "but the LORD hid them."
• Verses 27–32 God commands that the same words be written again on another scroll and pronounces judgment on Jehoiakim: he will have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body will be cast out. As Baruch writes the scroll again, many similar words are added.

Key Verses

• Jeremiah 36:3 "that they may return every man from his evil way" — This shows that the purpose of writing and reading the words was not merely to pronounce judgment but to bring about a turning back (repentance).
• Jeremiah 36:23 "until all the roll was consumed in the fire" — This scene symbolizes the king's rejection of the word.
• Jeremiah 36:32 "and there were added besides unto them many like words" — This shows that the burned words were not only written again but also expanded.

People and Places

• Jeremiah — The prophet who received and dictated the word.
• Baruch — The son of Neriah; the scribe who wrote down and read aloud Jeremiah's words.
• Jehoiakim — The son of Josiah and king of Judah, who burns the scroll.
• Gemariah and Micaiah — The son and grandson of Shaphan, who provide the place for the reading and bring the news to the princes.
• Jehudi — The official who reads the scroll before the princes and the king.
• Elishama — The royal scribe, in whose chamber the scroll was kept.
• Temple in Jerusalem — The place where the reading took place on the fast day.
• The winter house — Where the king stayed in the ninth month (corresponding roughly to November–December) with a fire burning on the hearth.

Points for Reflection

• Many interpreters read the statement in verse 24 that neither the king nor his servants "rent their garments" in contrast with the account of his father, Josiah, who tore his clothes on hearing the book of the law (2 Kings 22). It is also frequently noted that the family of Shaphan appears in both scenes.
• Interpretations differ on how the pronouncement in verse 30, "He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David," relates to the record that Jehoiakim's son Jehoiachin reigned for three months (2 Kings 24:6–8). It is generally understood to mean that his line would not hold the throne for long. The pronouncement concerning his dead body is read alongside Jeremiah 22:18–19.
• Verse 32 is often cited in discussions of how the book of Jeremiah was formed. Jeremiah 45, the word given to Baruch, is likewise set in the fourth year of Jehoiakim.
• The New Testament does not quote this chapter directly. It is, however, read in connection with the theme that the word of God does not pass away (Matthew 24:35; 1 Peter 1:24–25).

In the Korean Church

The chapter is frequently used as a sermon text on believers' attitude toward the word and on the enduring vitality of the word. The scene in which the scroll is cut with a knife and burned is cited especially often.