Jeremiah 36:23

And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. THREE OR FOUR LEAVES - not distinct leaves as in a book, but the consecutive spaces or columns on the long roll in the shape of doors (whence the Hebrew name [ dªlaatowt (H1817)] is derived) into which the writing is divided: as the books of Moses, in the synagogue, in the present day, are written in a long parchment rolled round a stick, the writing being divided into columns, like pages. WHEN JEHUDI HAD READ ... HE CUT IT WITH THE PENKNIFE - the writer's knife with which the reed used as a pen was mended. "He" refers to the king ...

Here Jeremiah shews how little he had effected; for the king not only cast aside but tore the roll into pieces, and after having torn it, he wished its memory to perish, for he cast it into the fire. This trial must have grievously affected the mind of the Prophet; he had dictated that roll by God’s command; he saw now that all his labor had been in vain. He might then have complained to God that so much labor had been spent without fruit. For why had God bidden the roll to be written, except for the purpose of leading the king and his counsellors to repentance. As to the people, the Prophet could not know whether it had answered the end for which he sent his scribe Baruch to them, for no account is given as to the attention paid by them. But Baruch was led to the king’s palace, so the minds of all were kept in suspense: what was now the issue? The king burnt the roll. There is no doubt...

20-32 Those who despise the word of God, will soon show, as this king did, that they hate it; and, like him, they would wish it destroyed. See what enmity there is against God in the carnal mind, and wonder at his patience. The princes showed some concern, till they saw how light the king made of it. Beware of making light of God's word!...

Verse Jeremiah 36:23. _WHEN JEHUDI HAD READ THREE OR FOUR LEAVES_] Rather columns; for the law, and the sacred Hebrew Books, are written in _columns_ of a certain breadth. דלתות _delathoth_, signifies _gates_ or _openings_ between column and column, or between section and section. _HE CUT IT WITH THE PENKNIFE_] בתער הספר _bethaar hassopher_, "the knife of the scribe," properly enough _penknife_. _AND CAST_ IT _INTO THE FIRE_] To show his contempt for God's words....

LEAVES - Columns: literally folding-doors; the word exactly describes the shape of the columns of writing upon the scroll. PENKNIFE - “Scribe’s knife;” used to shape the reed for writing, and to make erasures in the parchment. ON THE HEARTH - Or, in the fire-pan. The conduct of the king shows how violent was his temper....

CHAPTERS 36-38. NARRATIVE OF EVENTS PRECEDING THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM. Jeremiah 36:1. THE ROLL OF PROPHECY DESTROYED BY JEHOIAKIM. EXPOSITION In the fourth year of Jehoiakim (which, it is important to remember, was the first of Nebuchadnezzar) Jeremiah was directed to write down all his previous revelations, from the beginning of his ministry to the present day. Such, at least, is the literal meaning of verses 1, 2; but it would seem that the literal meaning can hardly be the right one. First of all, a historically accurate reproduction of the prophecies would not have suited Jeremi

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 or four verses in the book of the Lamentations are meant: HE CUT IT WITH THE PENKNIFE; that is, he cut the roll to pieces with a penknife he had in his hand, or lay near him. It is difficult to say who it was that did this; whether Jehudi that read the roll, or Jehoiakim the king that heard it; most interpreters understand it of the latter; but the connection of the words carries it to the former; for the nearest antecedent to the relative he is Jehudi; though it is highly probable he did it at the king's command; or, however, saw by his countenance and behaviour that such an action would be...

CHAPTER 36 The Indestructibility of the Word of God _ 1. The writing of the roll (Jeremiah 36:1) _ 2. The reading of the roll (Jeremiah 36:4) 3. The king cuts and burns the roll (Jeremiah 36:21) 4. The indestructibility of the Word of God (Jeremiah 36:27) Jeremiah 36:1. Once more we are taken back to the fourth year of Jehoiakim. Jeremiah is now commanded to commit all the words Jehovah had spoken to him to writing. It was for the purpose that the people might hear of all the evil and

JEREMIAH 36. THE WRITING OF THE ROLL. This chapter narrates how the oral prophecies of Jeremiah were first put into writing (604 B.C.). The account is obviously important for the criticism of this book see Introduction, § 4, for the probable contents of the roll. The circumstances also throw light on the origin of written prophecy in general; the failure of the oral testimony (Jeremiah 36:3 cf. Isaiah 8:1; Isaiah 8:16; Isaiah 30:8) led to its preservation through writing. The pioneers amongst the so-called literary prophets are not primarily writers at all; the written records of their work are largely incidental, a fact which helps to explain the f

LEAVES. columns. HE: i.e. the king. CUT IT. cut it up into fragments. PENKNIFE. a scribe _'_. knife. The words of Jehovah are cut up to-day, not with. scribe's knife, but with scribe's pens in the hands of the modern critics. Yet they are "not afraid"....