Jeremiah 36
1 It happened in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,
2 “Take 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.
3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do to them; that they may each return from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
4 Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all Yahweh’s words, which he had spoken to him, on a scroll of a book.
5 Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, “I am restricted. I can’t go into Yahweh’s house.
6 Therefore go, and read from the scroll which you have written from my mouth, Yahweh’s words in the ears of the people in Yahweh’s house on the fast day. Also you shall read them in the ears of all Judah who come out of their cities.
7 It may be they will present their supplication before Yahweh, and will each return from his evil way; for great is the anger and the wrath that Yahweh has pronounced against this people.”
8 Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book Yahweh’s words in Yahweh’s house.
9 Now it happened in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before Yahweh to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem.
10 Then Baruch read the words of Jeremiah from the book in Yahweh’s house, in the room of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court, at the entry of the new gate of Yahweh’s house, in the ears of all the people.
11 When Micaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all Yahweh’s words,
12 he went down into the king’s house, into the scribe’s chamber. Behold, all the princes were sitting there, 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.
13 Then Micaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people.
14 Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying, “Take in your hand the scroll in 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.
15 They said to him, “Sit down now, and read it in our ears.” So Baruch read it in their ears.
16 Now it happened, when they had heard all the words, they turned in fear one toward another, and said to Baruch, “We will surely tell the king of all these words.”
17 They asked Baruch, saying, “Tell us now, How did you write all these words at his mouth?”
18 Then Baruch answered them, “He pronounced all these words to me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.”
19 Then the princes said to Baruch, “Go, hide, you and Jeremiah; and let no man know where you are.”
20 They went in to the king into the court, but they had laid up the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe; and they told all the words in the ears of the king.
21 So the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll; and he took it out of Elishama the scribe’s chamber. Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes who stood beside the king.
22 Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month; and there was a fire in the brazier burning before him.
23 It happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.
24 They were not afraid, nor tore their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants who heard all these words.
25 Moreover Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the scroll; but he would not listen to them.
26 The king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet; but Yahweh hid them.
27 Then Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah, after the king had burned the scroll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying,
28 “Take again another scroll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned.
29 Concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, ‘Thus says Yahweh: “You have burned this scroll, saying, ‘Why have you written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from there man and animal?’
30 Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: ‘He shall have no one to sit on David’s throne. His dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.
31 I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity. I will bring on them, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they didn’t listen.’”
32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll, 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 many like words were added to them.
Jeremiah 36 Commentary
Chapter Overview
Jeremiah 36 records the writing, public reading, destruction, and rewriting of a scroll containing God’s words through Jeremiah. Baruch records the messages as Jeremiah dictates and reads them publicly because the prophet cannot enter the temple.
The message passes from worshipers to royal officials and finally to King Jehoiakim. The officials become afraid and warn the messengers to hide, but the king cuts the scroll apart and burns it column by column.
Jehoiakim destroys the copy but cannot silence its Author. God commands the words to be written again and adds further warnings. The chapter shows the seriousness of written revelation and the futility of trying to defeat truth by suppressing it.
The Scroll Commanded — Jeremiah 36:1–3
The event begins in Jehoiakim’s fourth year, the same critical period addressed in Jeremiah 25. Babylon’s power is rising, Judah’s danger is increasing, and years of prophetic warning are being gathered into written form.
God tells Jeremiah to write the words spoken against Israel, Judah, and the nations since his ministry began. The text does not identify this first scroll with the complete modern book of Jeremiah; it describes a substantial collection of earlier messages.
The purpose is repentance: perhaps Judah will hear, turn from evil, and receive forgiveness. God makes the warning accessible before judgment falls. The tragedy is that Jehoiakim treats this offer of mercy as an enemy to destroy.
Baruch Writes Jeremiah’s Words — Jeremiah 36:4
Jeremiah calls Baruch son of Neriah, who writes the prophet’s words on a scroll as Jeremiah dictates. Baruch is more than an anonymous copyist. He becomes Jeremiah’s trusted scribe, public reader, companion, and participant in a dangerous prophetic ministry.
The verse shows an inspired message transmitted through ordinary human work: Jeremiah speaks, Baruch writes with ink, and the scroll is read and preserved. God’s revelation enters history through real language and faithful service without becoming merely human opinion.
The Scroll Read in the Temple — Jeremiah 36:5–10
Jeremiah says that he is restricted and cannot enter the temple. The chapter does not explain the exact reason, so it should not be assumed that he is imprisoned. His limitation does not end the mission: Baruch can go where Jeremiah cannot.
Baruch is instructed to read the scroll on a fast day before people gathered from Jerusalem and Judah’s towns. The reading is public because the message concerns the whole community. Jeremiah again expresses hope that the people will plead before the Lord and turn from evil.
In Jehoiakim’s fifth year, Baruch reads from a prominent temple location during a proclaimed fast. The chapter does not state why the fast was called. The gathering gives Judah an opportunity to join prayer with repentance rather than substitute ceremony for obedience.
The Officials Hear and Fear — Jeremiah 36:11–19
Micaiah hears the reading and reports it to the royal officials. They summon Baruch, ask him to sit, and listen to the entire scroll. Their fear shows that they understand the message carries serious consequences. Unlike Jehoiakim, they do not respond with casual contempt.
The officials also ask how the words were written. Baruch explains that Jeremiah dictated them and he recorded them with ink. Their question establishes the scroll’s source and shows that they are not reacting merely to rumor or Baruch’s personal interpretation.
They decide that the king must be informed and tell Jeremiah and Baruch to hide. Their response does not lead national repentance, but it shows moral awareness and concern for the messengers.
Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll — Jeremiah 36:20–23
The officials place the scroll safely in Elishama’s chamber before speaking to the king. Jehoiakim sends for it, and Jehudi reads while the king sits in his winter room beside a brazier. The details make the scene deliberate and controlled rather than impulsive.
After every three or four columns, Jehoiakim cuts the scroll with a scribe’s knife and throws it into the fire. He repeatedly destroys the text as it is read, acting as though removing the warning could remove the judgment it announces.
Jehoiakim’s response sharply contrasts with his father Josiah. When Josiah heard the rediscovered book of the law, he tore his clothes and sought the Lord, as recorded in 2 Kings 22. Jehoiakim hears God’s word and cuts the book instead. The difference is not access to revelation but posture toward it.
No Fear and No Repentance — Jeremiah 36:24–26
The king and his servants do not fear or tear their garments. Their calmness is not courage; it is spiritual hardness. Biblical fear would have recognized God’s authority and moved toward humility, confession, and changed conduct.
Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urge the king not to burn the scroll, but he refuses. Their protest matters, though it does not stop him. The narrative distinguishes officials who object from those who silently share or accept the king’s contempt.
Jehoiakim orders Jeremiah and Baruch arrested, but the Lord hides them so the word can be written again. The king controls the palace and the fire, but not God’s messengers or the continuation of their work.
The Word Written Again — Jeremiah 36:27–32
After the scroll is burned, God commands Jeremiah to take another and reproduce the former words. Jehoiakim’s act creates additional labor for Jeremiah and Baruch, but it does not revise God’s verdict. The second scroll restores what was destroyed and includes “many like words” besides.
The added judgment answers the king’s objection to Babylonian conquest. Jehoiakim will have no lasting heir securely seated on David’s throne. His son Jehoiachin reigns only briefly before exile, and the next ruler, Zedekiah, is Jehoiakim’s brother (2 Kings 24).
The outcome contains a sober irony. Jehoiakim burns the scroll to eliminate its accusations, but his rebellion becomes part of the expanded record. Opposition to God’s word cannot place a person outside its judgment; it may instead provide further evidence that the warning was deserved.
What Jeremiah 36 Teaches About God’s Written Word
The chapter does not teach that every physical copy of Scripture will be miraculously protected; this scroll is destroyed. It teaches that destroying a copy cannot overthrow the God who spoke or cancel the reality His words announce.
Jeremiah 36 joins proclamation and writing. The message is spoken, recorded, read aloud, investigated, and rewritten. Writing preserves the prophetic word beyond its first occasion and carries it to later hearers.
The authority rests in God, not paper and ink by themselves. Yet because the scroll faithfully carries His words, Jehoiakim’s treatment of the text reveals his treatment of God.
Major Themes in Jeremiah 36
God warns in order to call people back. The scroll gathers severe messages, but its stated purpose includes repentance and forgiveness. Judgment warnings are themselves expressions of patient mercy.
Faithful ministry is often collaborative. Jeremiah receives and dictates; Baruch records and reads. Different roles serve one message, and neither man’s limitation prevents obedience.
The same word exposes different hearts. The officials tremble, some intercede, and the king burns. The message reveals who is teachable and who is defiant.
Religious activity cannot replace repentance. Judah gathers for a fast, yet the king refuses the very word that explains why the nation is in danger. Prayer without willingness to turn can become empty ceremony.
Suppressing truth does not change reality. Jehoiakim destroys the warning but cannot stop Babylon, erase his guilt, or prevent the message from returning in fuller form.
God preserves His purposes through opposition. He hides Jeremiah and Baruch, provides another scroll, and turns an attempted act of erasure into part of the enduring testimony.
Practical Applications from Jeremiah 36
First, examine how you respond when Scripture challenges something you want to keep. Selective reading, excuses, and refusal to obey can express a desire to silence an unwelcome word.
Second, do not mistake emotional calm for spiritual health. Jehoiakim shows no fear while moving toward disaster. A tender conscience may feel discomfort because it recognizes that God is speaking and that change is necessary.
Third, use the abilities and access available within the body of believers. Jeremiah cannot enter the temple, but Baruch can. Shared responsibility keeps one person’s limitation from ending the work.
Fourth, preserve and transmit truth carefully. Baruch listens, writes, reads, and writes again. Teachers, parents, churches, and Christian writers should value accuracy because others may encounter God’s word through their faithful handling of it.
Fifth, connect fasting, prayer, and worship with repentance. Spiritual practices are not tools for persuading God to bless unchanged rebellion. They should help people listen, confess, turn, and seek mercy.
Finally, remember that opposition cannot make truth false. Mocking, censoring, ignoring, or destroying a message does not change God’s character or remove the consequences of rejection.
Conclusion
Jeremiah 36 traces God’s word from the prophet’s mouth to Baruch’s pen, from the temple to the palace, and from the fire to a second scroll. At every stage, the message calls Judah to hear and turn.
The officials’ fear and Jehoiakim’s defiance demonstrate that exposure to Scripture is not the same as submission. The decisive question is not whether the word has been heard but whether the hearer will humble himself before the God who speaks.
Jehoiakim’s knife destroys columns, not truth. The Lord preserves His servants, restores the message, and carries out what the king refuses to believe. Readers are called to receive correction while mercy is offered.
Continue to Jeremiah 37, where King Zedekiah asks Jeremiah to pray while continuing to resist the prophet’s message.