Seventh-day Adventist Bible CommentaryJeremiah 36

Fourth year of Jehoiakim. That is, about 604 B.C. (see on ch. 25:1). After Jeremiah delivered the straightforward message recorded in ch. 19, the prophet was seized and imprisoned (see ch. 20). It was during and after this imprisonment that the events of ch. 36 occurred (see PK 432–437).

Ellen G. White

A roll. That is, “a scroll.” This was doubtless made of leather, sometimes popularly called parchment, though real parchment did not come into use until the 2d century B.C. (see Vol. I, pp. 30, 31). All the nations. This verse sets forth in a sentence the contents of ch. 25.

It may be. At this time there was still a hope, though a slim one, that Judah might repent.

Baruch. On the identity of Baruch see p. 343.

I am shut up. Jeremiah was still a prisoner (see on v. 1; see PK 432).

Go thou, and read. Since Jeremiah was restricted from going “into the house of the Lord,” Baruch was called upon not only to be the prophet’s secretary but also to be the preacher of Jeremiah’s divinely inspired messages. Upon the fasting day. This occasion was not a regular yearly fast (see on v. 9), but one of those special occasions “proclaimed” in time of national crisis (2 Chron. 20:1–3; Joel 2:15). It was a time when a large number of people would be gathered together, and be in a frame of mind to listen to a divine admonition and an appeal for repentance. It is possible that Jehoiakim, on the advice of his apostate priests and false prophets, called this fast to arouse the people to greater resistance against the Babylonians.

In the fifth year. This was the year following the command of the Lord (see on v. 1). In the ninth month. The reading of the roll was in the winter, in the month that began in November or December. Since the regnal years of the kings of Judah seem to have begun in the autumn (see Vol. II, pp. 110, 140, 146), this reading could have taken place as early as two or three months after the writing began.

Gemariah. His father was probably that Shaphan who took a leading part in rebuilding the Temple in the reign of Josiah (2 Kings 22:3–6), and in publishing the newly found “book of the law” (2 Kings 22; 23). It is quite evident from these facts that Shaphan was one of the leaders in the revival of the true worship of God. It is small wonder that his sons were supporters of Jeremiah. One of them, Ahikam, protected the prophet (see on Jer. 26:24), and now another, Gemariah, permits Baruch to read “the words of Jeremiah” in his chamber. The new gate. Some believe that this may have been a prominent part of the reconstruction work completed by Hilkiah and Shaphan (2 Kings 22:3–6).

Son of Gemariah. See on v. 10.

Into the king’s house. It is likely that Michaiah did this purposely in order to see to it that the king and his princely counselors would know the words of Jeremiah.

Sent Jehudi. The princes were evidently not satisfied with a mere hearsay report of such an important matter, and so sent Jehudi to bring Baruch to their council to verify the report of Michaiah (see vs. 11–13).

How didst thou write? The princes anxiously desired to know who was responsible for the prophet’s message. Did Baruch use his own words in expressing the prophet’s thoughts, or were they the very words of Jeremiah himself? Baruch’s answer revealed that the words were indeed those of Jeremiah (v. 18).

He pronounced. In modern terminology we would say that the prophet dictated his messages to his secretary. With ink. On the composition of ancient inks see Vol. I, p. 31.

Go, hide thee. When or how Jeremiah was released (see on v. 1) so as to enable him to hide, we are not informed.

They laid up the roll. Some have suggested that this was done because Jeremiah and Baruch could legally be prosecuted only upon the indisputable evidence of the scroll itself. Evidently the princes entertained the hope that the king would not go that far. However, in this they were disappointed (see vs. 23, 26).

The winterhouse. Probably a special apartment in the southern wing of the palace (see Amos 3:15). Since this was in the month of Kislev, or Chisleu (our November- December; see Vol. II, p. 116), it was necessary to have a fire in order to provide warmth.

Ellen G. White

Leaves. The separate sheets of writing material were usually fastened together to make a roll (see Vol. I, p. 31).

Had made intercession. Three of the princes (see v. 12), Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah, had the courage to urge the king not to burn the scroll, but he would not listen to them.

The son of Hammelech. Or, “the son of the king.” Jerahmeel must have been the king’s “son” only in the sense of belonging to the “royal house” (see Esther 1:9), for Jehoiakim was only 25 years old “when he began to reign” (2 Kings 23:36), and so at this time could not have had a son old enough to carry out his command. The Lord hid them. Though Jeremiah and Baruch had hid themselves (see on v. 19), it was divine providence that kept the king from finding them.

Then the word of the Lord came. Probably while the prophet and Baruch were hidden (vs. 19, 26).

All the former words. The second roll was to lack nothing contained in the first roll (see v. 32).

Man and beast. Evidently Jehoiakim objected most strenuously to that phase of Jeremiah’s message which predicted that the desolation of Judah by the king of Babylon would be so complete that the land would become virtually uninhabited (see on chs. 4:25; 32:43).

He shall have none. The divine prediction of doom upon Judah and Jerusalem now focuses upon Jehoiakim himself. While actually he was followed on the throne by his son Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:6), the youthful Jehoiachin ruled only three months (2 Kings 24:8). The next king, Zedekiah, was Josiah’s third son (see 1 Chron. 3:15; see on 2 Kings 24:17), and the last king to reign over the southern kingdom of the Jews. His dead body. See on ch. 22:18, 19.

There were added. Not only was the message of the first roll written out, but there were additional similar messages recorded in the second roll.