Jeremiah 36:1–32

IN THE FOURTH year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2“Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. 3Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked way; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.”

4So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and while Jeremiah dictated all the words the LORD had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll. 5Then Jeremiah told Baruch, “I am restricted; I cannot go to the LORD’s temple. 6So you go to the house of the LORD on a day of fasting and read to the people from the scroll the words of the LORD that you wrote as I dictated. Read them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns. 7Perhaps they will bring their petition before the LORD, and each will turn from his wicked ways, for the anger and wrath pronounced against this people by the LORD are great.”

8Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do; at the LORD’s temple he read the words of the LORD from the scroll. 9In the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a time of fasting before the LORD was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and those who had come from the towns of Judah. 10From the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the temple, Baruch read to all the people at the LORD’s temple the words of Jeremiah from the scroll.

11When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD from the scroll, 12he went down to the secretary’s room in the royal palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Acbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. 13After Micaiah told them everything he had heard Baruch read to the people from the scroll, 14all the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, “Bring the scroll from which you have read to the people and come.” So Baruch son of Neriah went to them with the scroll in his hand. 15They said to him, “Sit down, please, and read it to us.”

So Baruch read it to them. 16When they heard all these words, they looked at each other in fear and said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.” 17Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, how did you come to write all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it?”

18“Yes,” Baruch replied, “he dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them in ink on the scroll.”

19Then the officials said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah, go and hide. Don’t let anyone know where you are.”

20After they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the king in the courtyard and reported everything to him. 21The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the secretary and read it to the king and all the officials standing beside him. 22It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. 23Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. 24The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. 25Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 26Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them.

27After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 28“Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up. 29Also tell Jehoiakim king of Judah, ‘This is what the LORD says: You burned that scroll and said, “Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this land and cut off both men and animals from it?” 30Therefore, this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and the frost by night. 31I will punish him and his children and his attendants for their wickedness; I will bring on them and those living in Jerusalem and the people of Judah every disaster I pronounced against them, because they have not listened.’”

32So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.

Original Meaning

THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS yet another account of Jehoiakim’s failure. Two precise dates are given (36:1, 9), which span about a year in Jeremiah’s personal history and which also place the events in the context of a broader history of the Babylonian threat to Judah. Several officials in Jerusalem are named (36:10–12, 26), thereby giving a context to the account for later Judean readers.1 The conclusion to the account, however, points beyond the circumstances of Jeremiah and Baruch, his scribal companion; the callous response of King Jehoiakim to the words of Jeremiah indicate Judah’s disobedience (rejection) of God’s message to the nation.

36:1–7. Jehoiakim’s fourth year (36:1) is 605 B.C.2 In that year Nabopolassar, the ruler of Babylon, died; his young son, Nebuchadnezzar, ascended the Babylonian throne, and his forces defeated the Egyptians in battle at Carchemish. Since Jehoiakim had been placed on the throne in Judah by the Egyptians (2 Kings 23:34–37), this defeat was potentially an ominous sign for him and the Judean leadership. Jeremiah 25:1 bears the same date as the heading to a chapter of judgmental sayings against Jerusalem and Judah.

Just why Jeremiah had been banned from preaching in the temple is a mystery (36:5). Since his words were often judgmental and divisive, a restriction on his preaching in the temple precincts could have come at almost any time in the reign of Jehoiakim. Possibly the temple sermon Jeremiah delivered at the beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign (26:1; cf. ch. 7) led to his restriction from delivering oracles at that site. It should be recalled that Jeremiah narrowly escaped a lynch mob at that time. Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, stood on the prophet’s side in that setting (26:24). In the narrative of chapter 36, other descendants of Shaphan are instrumental in Baruch’s delivery of Jeremiah’s words (36:10–12; cf. 29:3). The influential family of Shaphan appears sympathetic to Jeremiah, and its members may be part of the largely anonymous group who have preserved the words of the prophet.

Baruch is a scribe (36:26); that is, his profession is in recording and interpreting documents.3 In a way he is a disciple of Jeremiah. Since Jeremiah is restricted from preaching in the temple precincts, Baruch is commissioned with delivering the prophet’s message in the temple. This comes, however, after Baruch has copied Jeremiah’s oracles onto a scroll. He knows the material intimately and is able to represent the prophet in his absence.

Here readers encounter another theme of the chapter. The written scroll of Jeremiah’s prophecies is an adequate substitute for the living voice of the prophet. Baruch’s brother Seraiah also assisted Jeremiah in delivering prophecy to Babylon (51:59–64). Probably scribal activity was a family profession; both the father and grandfather of Baruch and Seraiah are named (51:59), as if the family and its work were well known in Judah.

Jeremiah hopes that the hard words he wants delivered to the people will be a catalyst for repentance and change (36:7). Ominously, the possibility of repentance is not mentioned in the summary statements of 36:27–31. One function of the narrative in chapter 36 is to confirm the obduracy of Judean leadership and even the collective will of the people.

36:8–19. In the ninth month of Jehoiakim’s fifth year (i.e., December 604 B.C.), a solemn fast is declared, and many people in Judah stream to the temple to pray (v. 9).4 This is a year or so later than the chronological notice in 36:1. The solemn fast becomes the occasion for Baruch to deliver the prophetic message of Jeremiah. At this time Nebuchadnezzar’s army was on the Palestinian coast, and the Philistine city of Ashkelon was sacked by the Babylonians. The text does not say why the fast is called, so the link with the ominous arrival of the Babylonians is speculative, but some perceived threat prompts this assembly. Another possibility is the effects of a prolonged drought.5

A close reading of the text shows that the words of the scroll delivered orally by Baruch are accorded the same prophetic authority as that of Jeremiah. Baruch is asked in an initial interrogation whether these are the words from the mouth of Jeremiah; he replies that they are (36:17–18). Pointedly, the narrator (Baruch?) gives no account of the people’s reaction to Baruch’s oral recital in verse 10. He seems to assume that the words are familiar and that the people have not responded as hoped, although the words of the scroll aimed for repentance (36:3). The only one described as hearing anything at the temple is Micaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, who “heard all the words of the LORD from the scroll” (36:11, italics added). This detail is not coincidental. The chain of authority runs backward from Baruch to Jeremiah to the Lord. The prophetic word rejected by the people is ultimately that of the Lord.

It is unlikely that the officials named in Jer. 36:10–14 are simply listed for verisimilitude. On the one hand, they represent Judean leadership. On the other, some of them represent people sympathetic to Jeremiah. Gemariah has taken a big risk in allowing Baruch to use his office as the location for preaching to the crowds in the temple courtyard (v. 10). This suggests that he, like his sibling Ahikam (26:24), has heard something authentic in Jeremiah’s preaching. His risk is consistent with what is known elsewhere about his family. His father and brother were cabinet-level officials under Josiah, and they were involved in the discovery of the book of the law and its promulgation (2 Kings 22).

After hearing for themselves the contents of the prophetic scroll, the officials request that Baruch and Jeremiah go into hiding. In taking that advice, Baruch and Jeremiah may have preserved their lives until the turmoil around the oracles dies down a bit (see below).

36:20–26. The callous rejection of Jeremiah’s words by Jehoiakim is described in a manner intended to remind readers of his father Josiah and to contrast father and son. When Josiah heard the words of the book of the Torah, a book discovered during temple repairs, he tore (Heb. qr’) his garments as a sign that he recognized the authority of the prophetic scroll to judge him and his nation (2 Kings 22). In contemptuous fashion, Jehoiakim cuts (Heb. qr’) the scroll in pieces and does not rend his garments (Jer. 36:23–24).

The use of a knife to cut the scroll probably indicates a scroll that contained more than one piece of tanned animal skin. Typically sections of tanned animal skins (probably that of a lamb) were sewn together to make a continuous roll for written contents. The easiest way for Jehoiakim (or anyone else) to cut a scroll would be to slice along the join of two sections where thread held them together. If this is correct, this also indicates that Baruch has copied a number of different oracles for presentation to the temple crowds.

36:27–32. Jehoiakim and Judah’s fate is sealed by their indifference and even hostility to the prophetic word. According to 26:20–23, Jehoiakim became upset with the preaching activity of Uriah and sent a delegation to Egypt to arrest him. Subsequently, Uriah was executed for his prophetic activity. Baruch’s reading of Jeremiah’s scroll is the second recorded time that the prophet’s words have been given at the temple and incite consternation; the delegation to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah may not itself have been empowered to execute the two men, but had they been found, execution may have been the conclusion to their arrest. The narrator notes, almost in passing, that the Lord had hidden them.6

One supposes that the Lord’s command to compile another scroll comes while Jeremiah and Baruch are hiding from the royal officials searching for them. Along with the command comes a revelation to Jeremiah that judgment will come particularly on Jehoiakim and that it will be extended broadly to Judah and Jerusalem. No mention is made of any hope that they will repent.

The second scroll is longer than the first. Its contents are not otherwise revealed except to say that the additions are similar to what was included in the first scroll.

Bridging Contexts

FUNCTIONS OF JUDGMENT PROPHECY. A primary claim of the chapter is that judgment is coming on Jerusalem and Judah for their failure to heed the word of the Lord. Since this is a common claim in Jeremiah, one must look more closely at the particulars of chapter 36. Initially, the word from God to Jeremiah contains a hope that the people will repent. As the narrative progresses, it becomes evident that no repentance is forthcoming. Thus, two of the functions of judgmental prophecy are set forth: It is usually designed to evoke change among God’s people, and when change is not forthcoming, the prophecy indicates the consequences of disobedience.

Authority of a prophetic word. This account also emphasizes the authority of a prophetic word even when the prophet himself or herself is absent. As with the discovered scroll in 2 Kings 22, the king and people are called to hear a timely word from the Lord whether the human “author” is present or absent. This emphasis has probably shaped this account as it was intended for early readers (who did not know Jeremiah), but who were asked to affirm that God had spoken through him. The issue, therefore, is not access to an inspired personality (whether prophet or apostle), but recognition that God stands behind his word given to a human vessel.

Hearing the word. Jeremiah 36 also gives a somber and ironic account of worship at the temple. People have come there to fast and pray, apparently out of fear for the future direction of the nation. A solemn fast, almost by definition, includes calls for repentance. Indeed, the very word they need to hear is provided for them, but they lack the corporate will and spiritual discernment to hear it. What an illustration of Jesus’ trademark saying: “Whoever has ears to hear …” (cf. Matt. 11:15; 13:13; John 5:24; 12:47; Rev. 3:20). In the disappointment over the word’s reception, it is a blessing to note that some did hear. Micaiah “heard”; Baruch “heard.”

One way of hearing Jeremiah 36 is to see its function like that of Acts 6:7–7:60. Stephen offers a witness to the people that is rebuffed. He suffers the ultimate rejection in that he is martyred for his prophetic stance. His word confirms the spiritual blindness of those who reject him. Eventually, however, his witness is confirmed in the life of one of those who persecuted him, namely, Saul of Tarsus (the apostle Paul). This is an important lesson for readers in any age: One cannot know the impact that his or her work will have, even if the initial reaction to it is negative. God may use that work in ways a disciple will never know.

Leadership. Leadership of the people is crucial for its life. Jehoiakim represents the kind of callous, amoral, arrogant, and spiritually dull leadership that is a disaster for God’s people. The failure of its leadership is often a significant contribution to a systemic failure of the people. The narrator contrasts Jehoiakim with his father Josiah. Thanks be to God that there were other people of the time who had the courage to protect Jeremiah and Baruch and to follow the words that the Lord had given them.

Contemporary Significance

WORSHIP. In an oral interview some years ago Mother Teresa was asked about her “success.” One wonders if “success” is the right word to use, though it is a term common to the news profession. Mother Teresa replied that she spent an hour a day in prayer and didn’t “do anything that she knew was wrong.” Her answer was deceptively simple. Worship is intended as an encounter with God and to bring a person/group into closer relationship with God. One result of worship should be greater knowledge of God’s will and motivation to do that will. Human nature being what it is (sinful), however, a person cannot simply will to do what is right or know infallibly what is right. It takes God at work in the lives of individuals and churches in order to bring them into more conformity with his will and purpose. Prayer that seeks God’s will must also earnestly seek the strength of the Spirit to discern that will and empower seekers to carry it out.

In Christian terms the worship of God should lead to sanctification and holiness; to put it succinctly, the purpose of the Christian life is to become conformed to the image of God’s Son, Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:28–30; Eph. 4:13–16). There is (or should be) a symbiosis between God, the one to whom worship and service are directed, and his people, who offer to him their worship and service. God gives more than guidance and comfort; through Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit, God has given us a share in his divine life. Repentance is a biblical word that entails turning from a sinful orientation or activity and embracing God and doing his will.

The paradox of Jeremiah 36 is a people at worship who do not hear and who, therefore, do not respond to the word of instruction and change that God provides them. There is no repentance because there is no recognition that God has addressed them through the words of the prophetic scroll. The issue for Judah of old apparently was not their presence in worship—one gains the impression that many were there in the time of crisis. Rather, it was Judah’s inability to see their failure before God and to seek fervently his assistance in changing their actions. A similar dilemma may take various shapes in individual lives and in portions of Christ’s church. Attendance at worship is hardly even an acknowledgment that God exists or that his Word is reliable unless those who worship seek to glorify God through word and deed.

Obedience. A learned discussion about modern theology once concluded with a respondent’s statement that “much about God is a mystery.” Undoubtedly that is true. But the response of yet another partner in the discussion caught the predominant tone of the biblical witness in saying: “It is not what I don’t know about God that troubles me; it is what I do know that impels me to action.” There is no excuse for individuals or churches being unresponsive to God’s call to discipleship. God has declared his will and purpose sufficiently through his Word. His instruction can only be grasped through faith. Success is not the goal of the devout life; obedience is.

The account of the prophetic scroll in Jeremiah 36 illustrates the old English word “heedless.” Neither people nor king were prepared to heed (i.e., hear and obey) the word of the Lord. Thus, at one level the account becomes a testimony to the consequences of heedlessness. But at another level, there were those who did heed the word of the Lord. They preserved the account for posterity, so that God’s judging word from the past might be God’s correcting and instructive word to future generations. It is the nature of God’s Word that it always accomplishes its purpose. This question is valid for all of us today: Who recognizes the judging, correcting, and restorative nature of God’s Word?