Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Jeremiah 36
Jeremiah 36:3It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.
This verse reveals God's heart behind the dire warnings. The entire purpose of writing the scroll was to give the people of Judah a clear opportunity to turn back to Him and receive forgiveness.Jeremiah 36:23-24As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot. Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, nor did they tear their garments.
This is the chapter's shocking centerpiece. The king's casual act of cutting and burning the scroll, and the court's lack of fear, demonstrates a complete and chilling rejection of God's authority.Jeremiah 36:32Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.
This verse shows the futility of fighting against God. Not only was the original message perfectly restored, but God added even more words of judgment, proving His word cannot be defeated.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Final Warning Written on a Scroll
The story is set in a tense political climate. King Jehoiakim of Judah is a vassal to the rising Babylonian empire, and the nation's future is precarious. For over two decades, Jeremiah has warned Judah to repent, but his words have been largely ignored. Now, God gives a command for a final, comprehensive warning: put all the prophecies delivered since the days of King Josiah into a single written scroll. The hope is that hearing this collective message will finally break through the people's stubbornness and lead them to seek God's mercy.
A King's Defiance and a Word That Won't Burn
Because Jeremiah is banned from the Temple, his scribe Baruch becomes the public messenger. The scroll makes its way from the common people to the royal officials, who react with fear. Finally, it reaches King Jehoiakim in his winter palace. Instead of humbling himself as his father Josiah once did, Jehoiakim shows utter contempt, methodically cutting the scroll apart and burning it in a fire pot. This act of defiance seals his fate and the fate of his kingdom, prompting God to command that the indestructible word be written all over again.
The Journey of the Prophetic Scroll
This chapter unfolds like a dramatic play in four acts. It begins with a divine command to write down decades of prophecy. The scene then moves from the Temple courts, where the scroll is first read, into the chambers of the royal officials, and finally into the presence of the king himself, leading to a climactic act of rebellion and a divine response.
The Scroll of Warning is Written (Jeremiah 36:1-8)
1 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the 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 that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today."
3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.
4 Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a scroll at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord that he had spoken to him.
5 And Jeremiah ordered Baruch, saying, "I am banned from going to the house of the Lord.
6 So you go, and on a day of fasting in the hearing of all the people in the Lord's house you shall read the words of the Lord from the scroll that you have written at my dictation. You shall read them also in the hearing of all the men of Judah who come out of their cities.
7 It may be that their plea for mercy will come before the Lord, and that every one will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and wrath that the Lord has pronounced against this people.”
8 Baruch the son of Neriah did all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him about reading from the scroll the words of the Lord in the Lord's house.
Commentary:
God commands Jeremiah to write down all His warnings on a scroll as a final chance for Judah to repent.
The Word is Read and Feared (Jeremiah 36:9-19)
9 In the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the Lord.
10 Then, in the hearing of all the people, Baruch read the words of Jeremiah from the scroll, in the house of the Lord, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper court, at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord's house.
11 When Micaiah the son of Gemariah, son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll,
12 he went down to the king's house, into the secretary's chamber, and all the officials were sitting there: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Achbor, Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the officials.
13 And Micaiah told them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the scroll in the hearing of the people.
14 Therefore all the officials sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, son of Shelemiah, son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, "Take in your hand the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come." So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them.
15 In their hearing all the officials sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, son of Shelemiah, son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, “Take in your hand the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come.”
16 When they heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear. And they said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.”
17 And they asked Baruch, "Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Is it at his dictation?"
18 Baruch said to them, “He dictated all these words to me, while I wrote them with ink on the scroll.”
19 Then the officials said to Baruch, "Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are."
Commentary:
Baruch reads the scroll at the Temple, and the king's officials react with fear, telling Jeremiah and Baruch to hide.
The King Burns the Word of God (Jeremiah 36:20-26)
20 So they went into the court to the king, having put the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the secretary, and they reported all the words to the king.
21 Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the secretary. And Jehudi read it to the king and all the officials who stood beside the king.
22 It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before him.
23 As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot.
24 Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, nor did they tear their garments.
25 Even when Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.
26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son and Seraiah the son of Azriel and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them.
Commentary:
King Jehoiakim defiantly cuts up and burns the scroll as it's read to him, showing no fear and trying to arrest the prophet.
The Indestructible Word is Rewritten (Jeremiah 36:27-32)
27 Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words that Baruch wrote at Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:
28 "Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned."
29 And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord, You have burned this scroll, saying, “Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut off from it man and beast”?
30 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night.
31 And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity. I will bring upon them and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the people of Judah all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, but they would not hear.'"
32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.
Commentary:
God commands Jeremiah to rewrite the scroll, adding even more judgments specifically against the defiant king.
Core Truths from the Burned Scroll
The Unchanging Authority of God's Word
This chapter powerfully illustrates that God's word is not dependent on a physical medium like a scroll. King Jehoiakim could burn the ink and parchment, but he could not stop the truth it contained. God's decrees are absolute and will be fulfilled regardless of human opposition.
The Hardness of a Rebellious Heart
Jehoiakim's actions provide a chilling portrait of a heart completely hardened against God. Unlike his father, King Josiah, who tore his robes in repentance upon hearing God's law, Jehoiakim calmly destroys the warning with a knife. This shows how deep-seated rebellion can lead to a total refusal to listen to God's correction.
God's Persistent Offer of Mercy
It's crucial to remember why the scroll was written in the first place: "It may be that the house of Judah will hear... so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin" (Jeremiah 36:3). God's warnings are not threats. They are invitations to return to Him. Even in the face of judgment, His desire is for repentance and restoration.
Responding to God's Word Today
Unlike King Jehoiakim, who cut out the parts he didn't like, our response should be humility and prayer. Jeremiah 36:24 shows the wrong reaction is a lack of fear or concern. Instead, we should ask God to help us understand and be willing to change, trusting that His word is meant for our good, even when it challenges us.
This chapter is a powerful testament to the preservation of God's word. God ensured His message to Judah was rewritten and even expanded (Jeremiah 36:32). He has also sovereignly preserved the Bible for us today. It reminds us that the Bible is not a human book that can be edited or destroyed. Instead, it is God's enduring message that stands forever.
Baruch showed immense courage by writing and reading the scroll, knowing it could cost him his life. We can follow his example by committing to share God's truth accurately and without compromise, even when it's unpopular. Our role is to be faithful with the message. The results and our protection are in God's hands, as He hid Jeremiah and Baruch from the king (Jeremiah 36:26).
God's Word Cannot Be Silenced
Jeremiah 36 is a dramatic declaration that God's word is absolute, permanent, and powerful. Human authorities can mock it, reject it, and even attempt to physically destroy it, but they cannot stop its truth from being fulfilled. The message is a solemn warning that ignoring God's call to repentance does not cancel the consequences. It confirms them.
What This Means for Us Today
The story of the burned scroll presents us with a choice that transcends time. God's word comes to us today, as it did to Judah, with both warnings and offers of mercy. We must decide if we will be like Jehoiakim, cutting out what makes us uncomfortable, or if we will receive the whole message with a humble heart, allowing it to shape and save us.
- Are there parts of God's word you have been avoiding? Why?
- How can you cultivate a heart that is soft and responsive to God's truth, even when it's hard to hear?
- Who in your life needs to hear the message of God's word, and how can you share it with both courage and compassion?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This chapter highlights the faithfulness of the Recabites, providing a sharp contrast to the disobedience of Judah's kings and people.
The consequences predicted in the scroll begin to unfold as the Babylonians besiege Jerusalem and Jeremiah is imprisoned.
Connections Across Scripture
Provides the story of King Josiah, Jehoiakim's father, whose humble and repentant reaction to finding God's Word is the complete opposite of his son's.
This passage speaks of a future famine, not of bread, but of hearing the words of the Lord, a judgment for those who refuse to listen.
Explains that the word of God is 'living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,' reinforcing the theme that God's word is powerful and effective.
Discussion Questions
- King Jehoiakim used a knife and fire to destroy God's word. In what subtle ways might we try to 'cut out' or ignore parts of the Bible that challenge our lifestyle or beliefs today?
- The officials responded with fear, but only went so far as to warn Jeremiah and Baruch. What is the difference between being afraid of the consequences of sin and genuinely repenting?
- God's response to the burned scroll was to have it rewritten with even more judgments added. What does this teach us about God's sovereignty and the certainty of His plans?
Glossary
figures
Jeremiah
A prophet called by God to deliver messages of warning and judgment to Judah before its exile to Babylon.
Baruch
Jeremiah's loyal scribe who wrote down the prophet's words on scrolls and read them publicly.
Jehoiakim
A king of Judah who was known for his wickedness and his defiant act of burning God's prophetic word.