INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 36 This chapter gives an account of an impious action of King Jehoiakim's burning the roll of Jeremiah's prophecies read unto him, and the consequence of it. The order to write this roll, the time when, the contents and use of it, are in Jeremiah 36:1; the writing of it by... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE FOURTH YEAR OF JEHOIAKIM THE SON OF JOSIAH KING OF JUDAH,.... Eighteen years before the destruction of Jerusalem: [THAT] THIS WORD CAME UNTO JEREMIAH FROM THE LORD; the following order to write in a roll all his prophecies he had hitherto delivered: SAYING; as follows:... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE THEE A ROLL OF A BOOK,.... A roll of parchment, which being wrote on, and rolled up, was called a book; but books, in those times, did not consist of leaves cut and stitched together, and bound up, as our books are, but sheets of parchments being written upon, were glued together, and then roll... [ Continue Reading ]
IT MAY BE THAT THE HOUSE OF JUDAH WILL HEAR ALL THE EVIL WHICH I PURPOSE TO DO UNTO THEM,.... Not that there was any uncertainty in God as to the knowledge of future events, any more than a change in his purposes: he had purposed to bring evil upon them, which purpose would not be disannulled; and h... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN JEREMIAH CALLED BARUCH THE SON OF NERIAH,.... One of his disciples, and whom he had before made use of in the purchase of a field of his uncle's son, and to whom he gave the evidence of the purchase, Jeremiah 32:12; he was probably a better penman than the prophet, or a quicker writer; however,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JEREMIAH COMMANDED BARUCH, SAYING, I [AM] SHUT UP,.... In prison, according to Jarchi; but this is not likely, for then there would have been no occasion for an order to take him, Jeremiah 36:26. Grotius thinks he was obliged by the king's order to stay at home; possibly he might be restrained b... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE GO THOU, AND READ IN THE ROLL, WHICH THOU HAST WRITTEN FROM MY MOUTH,.... The roll being finished, Baruch is ordered to read it, which was the end of writing it: and since the prophet could not go himself, he sends another in his room, to read THE WORDS OF THE LORD IN THE EARS OF THE PEOP... [ Continue Reading ]
IT MAY BE THEY WILL PRESENT THEIR SUPPLICATION BEFORE THE LORD,.... Or, "perhaps their supplication will fall" o; they will present it in an humble manner before him; alluding to the prostration of their bodies, and dejection of their countenances, in prayer: AND WILL RETURN EVERY MAN FROM HIS EVIL... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BARUCH THE SON OF NERIAH DID ACCORDING TO ALL THAT JEREMIAH THE PROPHET COMMANDED HIM,.... Here follows Baruch's obedience to the prophet's commands; which he considered no doubt as the will of the Lord, who directed the prophet to give the orders he did; and which he punctually observed, in all... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE FIFTH YEAR OF JEHOIAKIM THE SON OF JOSIAH KING OF JUDAH, IN THE NINTH MONTH,.... This was a different time of reading the book from the former, enjoined by the prophet, and performed by Baruch, Jeremiah 36:6; that was on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the fourth ye... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN READ BARUCH IN THE BOOK THE WORDS OF JEREMIAH IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD,.... The prophecies of Jeremiah he had taken from him in writing on a roll of parchment; these he read in the temple, in a part of it, after described: IN THE CHAMBER OF GEMARIAH THE SON OF SHAPHAN THE SCRIBE; not a scribe... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN MICAIAH THE SON OF GEMARIAH, THE SON OF SHAPHAN,.... Who was present when Baruch read in the roll to the people in his father's chamber; but his father was absent, and was with the princes in the secretary's office at the same time, as Jeremiah 36:12 shows: the son seems to be a more religious... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HE WENT DOWN INTO THE KING'S HOUSE,.... The royal palace, which was not upon the mountain on which the temple stood, but lay lower, and therefore Micaiah is said to go down to it; with what design he went thither is not certain, whether out of ill will to Jeremiah and Baruch, or out of good wil... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN MICAIAH DECLARED ALL THE WORDS THAT HE HAD HEARD,.... The sum and substance of them; for it cannot be thought that he should retain in his memory every word that he had heard; though, as it is very probable he was much struck and affected with what he had heard, he might remember and declare a... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE ALL THE PRINCES SENT JEHUDI,.... Who, according to Junius, was the king's apparitor: he is described by his descent, THE SON OF NETHANIAH, THE SON OF SHELEMIAH, THE SON OF CUSHI; him the princes sent, being not one of their body, but a servant at court: TO BARUCH; who was very probably s... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SAID UNTO HIM, SIT DOWN NOW,.... Or, "pray sit down" q; they received him very courteously, and treated him with great humanity, and showed much respect to him, in beseeching him to sit down by them: AND READ IT IN OUR EARS; as he had done in the ears of the people, with an audible voice,... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THEY HAD HEARD ALL THE WORDS,.... In the roll or book read by Baruch; they heard them read patiently, which was what the king afterwards would not do: THEY WERE AFRAID BOTH ONE AND ANOTHER; both good and bad; for there were some of both sorts among them: or, "a man to his... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY ASKED BARUCH,.... The following question, which may seem at first sight an odd, needless, and trifling one, as some have called it: SAYING, TELL US NOW, HOW DIDST THOU WRITE ALL THESE WORDS AT HIS MOUTH? this question does not regard the manner of writing them, whether with ink or not, for... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN BARUCH ANSWERED THEM,.... At once, without any hesitation, plainly and fully: HE PRONOUNCED ALL THESE WORDS UNTO ME WITH HIS MOUTH; that is, the Prophet Jeremiah delivered by word of mouth, not the substance only of this roll, but the express words of it, and everyone of them, and that clearly... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID THE PRINCES UNTO BARUCH,.... Being satisfied with his answer: GO HIDE THEE, THOU AND JEREMIAH, AND LET NO MAN KNOW WHERE YE BE. Some of these princes at least seem to be good men, and believed what was read to them, and had a value for the prophet and his scribe, and were concerned for th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WENT IN TO THE KING INTO THE COURT,.... The inner court, the king's court, where he usually resided; though very probably they did not rush in at once; but first sent to know whether the king could be spoke with, or would admit them, they having something to communicate to him; which they m... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THE KING SENT JEHUDI TO FETCH THE ROLL,.... The same person the princes sent to Baruch to come to them, and bring the roll with him, Jeremiah 36:14. This the king did, out of curiosity, and to satisfy himself of the truth of what the princes said; and by this it appears they had told him of the r... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE KING SAT IN THE WINTER HOUSE, IN THE NINTH MONTH,.... The month Cisleu, which answers to part of November, and part of December; and so was the midst of winter, and a proper time for the king to be in his winter house; though, as this was a fast day, it would have been more proper for him to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT WHEN JEHUDI HAD READ THREE OR FOUR LEAVES,.... Either three or four of the breadths of parchment, which were glued together, and rolled up; or three or four of the columns in those breadths. The meaning is, he had read a few of them. The Rabbins s would have it, that three... [ Continue Reading ]
YET THEY WERE NOT AFRAID, NOR RENT THEIR GARMENTS,.... They were not struck with horror at such an impious action as the burning of the roll; nor afraid of the judgments and wrath of God threatened in it; nor did they rend their garments in token of sorrow and mourning on account of either, as used... [ Continue Reading ]
NEVERTHELESS, ELNATHAN, AND DELAIAH, AND GEMARIAH,.... Three of the five princes mentioned in Jeremiah 36:12; HAD MADE INTERCESSION TO THE KING, THAT HE WOULD NOT BURN THE ROLL; or suffer it to be burnt; this they did either at first, as soon as the roll was brought, that if the king should not lik... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE KING COMMANDED JERAHMEEL THE SON OF HAMMELECH,.... Or, "the king's son", as the Targum; though it rather seems to be the proper name of a person, one of the king's servants; since it is not probable he would send his own son on such an errand; and had he, he would rather have been called his... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO JEREMIAH,.... In the place where he was hid; the Lord knew where he was, for he hid him, and therefore could send his word to him: AFTER THE KING HAD BURNT THE ROLL; either with his own hands, or had ordered it to be burnt, or connived at the burning of it: AND TH... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE THEE AGAIN ANOTHER ROLL,.... Or a piece of parchment; or rather several pieces of parchment glued or rolled up together: AND WRITE IN IT ALL THE FORMER WORDS THAT WERE IN THE FIRST ROLL, WHICH JEHOIAKIM THE KING OF JUDAH HATH BURNT; just as when the two tables of the law were broken, two other... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALL SAY TO JEHOIAKIM KING OF JUDAH,.... Or, "concerning" w him; since the prophet was hid, and he was in quest of him; nor was it safe for him to appear in person before him; though this may be understood as what should be put into the second roll, and in that he addressed to him: THUS S... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD, OF JEHOIAKIM KING OF JUDAH,.... Or, "concerning" x him; for Jehovah is not here said to be "the Lord of Jehoiakim", though he was, being King of kings, and Lord of lords; bat as speaking concerning him, and threatening him, as follows: HE SHALL HAVE NONE TO SIT UPON T... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL PUNISH HIM AND HIS SEED AND HIS SERVANTS FOR THEIR INIQUITY,.... In cutting the roll pieces, and burning it, as Abarbinel interprets it; which either was done by himself, or by his order, and with his connivance; and at which perhaps his sons were present, and expressed a pleasure in it;... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN TOOK JEREMIAH ANOTHER ROLL,.... Of parchment; several sheets joined together, which made up a roll or volume: AND GAVE IT TO BARUCH THE SCRIBE, THE SON OF NERIAH; who was by office a public notary or scribe of the law, as well as the amanuensis of the prophet: WHO WROTE THEREIN FROM THE MOUTH... [ Continue Reading ]