Commentary - Jeremiah 36:1-19

Bird's-eye view

What we have in this chapter is a direct confrontation between the Word of God and the word of a man, in this case, a king. This is not just a story about ancient political intrigue; it is a paradigm for how God’s truth always operates in a fallen world. God commands His warnings and promises to be written down, to be made permanent and public. The purpose is gracious: that men might hear, turn, and be forgiven. But when the Word is proclaimed, it forces a choice. It divides its hearers. Some tremble, some inquire, and some, as we will see later in the chapter, react with defiant rage. This passage is a powerful testimony to the indestructibility of God’s Word. A man can be imprisoned, but the Word cannot. A scroll can be burned, but the truth marches on. Jeremiah is confined, but Baruch becomes his proxy, and the message is delivered exactly as God intended.

This is a story about the machinery of revelation. God speaks, a prophet dictates, a scribe writes, and the message is read aloud. It is a story about courage and cowardice. Baruch is courageous in his obedience. The officials are a mixed bag, fearful of both God and the king. And it is ultimately a story about the absolute sovereignty of God, who ensures His Word goes forth to accomplish the purpose for which He sent it, regardless of the reception it receives from men.

Outline

The Unstoppable Word

A central theme here is the power and persistence of God's revealed Word. Jeremiah is "confined" (v. 5), literally "shut up." The enemies of God think that by silencing the messenger, they can silence the message. This is a fool's errand that has been repeated throughout history, from the persecution of the apostles to the attempts to ban the Bible in communist regimes. But God is never thwarted by such tactics. If His chosen prophet is locked away, He simply raises up another to carry the message. Here it is Baruch the scribe. The Word of God is not chained (2 Tim. 2:9). This entire episode is orchestrated by God to demonstrate that His truth is not dependent on any one man, or any one physical scroll. It is His Word, and He will see to its proclamation.

Verse by Verse Commentary

Verse 1: Now it happened that in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,

The stage is set with precision. This is not a myth or a fable; it is grounded in history. The fourth year of Jehoiakim is about 605 B.C., a pivotal moment. The battle of Carchemish has just happened, where Babylon defeated Egypt and established its dominance. Nebuchadnezzar is on the move. The political world is in turmoil, and it is at this exact moment that God speaks. God’s Word is never an abstract, timeless utterance; it always comes into our specific time and place, addressing the realities we face. Jehoiakim was a wicked king, a stark contrast to his father Josiah, the great reformer. The spiritual rot had set back in, and judgment was looming.

Verse 2: “Take a scroll of a book and write on it all the words which I have spoken to you concerning Israel and concerning Judah and concerning all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, even to this day.”

God commands that His spoken words now become written words. This is a significant act. Writing gives the message permanence and a wider reach. This is to be a comprehensive collection of Jeremiah’s prophecies up to this point, spanning over two decades. It concerns not just Judah, but also the northern kingdom of Israel and the surrounding nations. God is the Lord of all history, and His decrees go forth over all peoples. The command to write underscores the authority and finality of the message. This is God’s official record, His legal indictment against a rebellious people.

Verse 3: “Perhaps the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I devise to bring on them, in order that every man will turn from his evil way; then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

Here we see the heart of God. The purpose of this terrifying scroll is not primarily condemnation, but redemption. The word "perhaps" does not indicate uncertainty in God, but rather highlights the genuine human responsibility and the nature of the offer. God is laying out the consequences of their sin in the starkest terms possible, holding nothing back, for the express purpose of driving them to repentance. This is the kindness of God's severity. He warns of the fire so that men might flee from it. The offer is clear: if they turn, He will forgive. This is the gospel in the Old Testament. Forgiveness is always available to the penitent.

Verse 4: Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a scroll at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of Yahweh which He had spoken to him.

Jeremiah obeys immediately. He calls his faithful associate, Baruch. Baruch is a scribe, a man of letters, and here he is enlisted into the service of the King of kings. His task is not glamorous; it is painstaking work. He is not the source of the words, but the conduit. This is a picture of faithful ministry. One man receives the revelation, another transcribes it. Both are essential, and both are acting in obedience. The Word of God is being prepared for its public debut.

Verse 5-6: And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, “I am confined; I cannot go into the house of Yahweh. So you shall go and read from the scroll...”

We are not told exactly why Jeremiah is confined or barred from the temple. It was likely a royal decree or an order from the corrupt temple priests, who were tired of his disruptive messages. But what man intends for evil, God uses for His own purposes. Jeremiah’s confinement necessitates Baruch’s involvement, demonstrating that God’s work is not dependent on one man’s freedom. The plan is strategic: Baruch is to read the scroll in the temple on a fast day. A fast day was a time when the people were gathered and were supposed to be in a posture of humility and repentance. It was the perfect time to confront them with their sin.

Verse 7: “Perhaps their supplication will come before Yahweh, and everyone will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and the wrath that Yahweh has spoken against this people.”

Jeremiah echoes the divine hope from verse 3. The word "perhaps" is repeated. This is a genuine plea. The motivation is the reality of God’s wrath. This is not a game. The anger of God against sin is great, and the only escape is to turn. The purpose of preaching the law and God's wrath is always to drive men to the gospel of repentance and forgiveness.

Verse 8: So Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading from the book the words of Yahweh in the house of Yahweh.

Simple, straightforward obedience. Baruch did what he was told. This required immense courage. He was reading a message of judgment against the king and the nation in the most public place in Jerusalem. He was making himself a target. But his loyalty was to God and to His prophet, not to the corrupt establishment.

Verse 9-10: Now it happened in the fifth year of Jehoiakim... in the ninth month, that all the people... called for a fast... Then Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of Yahweh...

A significant amount of time, perhaps over a year, has passed since the command was given. The fast was likely called because of the advancing Babylonian army. The people are feeling the heat, so they engage in external religious activity. And into this moment of national anxiety, Baruch brings the true Word from God. He reads it from a strategic location, the chamber of Gemariah, son of Shaphan, near the New Gate of the temple. Shaphan had been a faithful official under King Josiah, and it seems his family retained some measure of godliness. The Word is proclaimed for all to hear.

Verse 11-13: Then Micaiah the son of Gemariah... heard all the words... And he went down to the king’s house... and declared to them all the words that he had heard...

The Word begins its work. It finds a hearing in at least one man, Micaiah. He understands the gravity of the message. He doesn't just shrug it off. He immediately goes to the seat of power, the scribe’s chamber in the royal palace, and reports what he has heard to the highest officials of the land. The Word of God cannot be kept quiet. It creates a disturbance. It demands a response.

Verse 14-16: Then all the officials sent Jehudi... to Baruch, saying, “Take in your hand the scroll... and come.” ... So Baruch read it in their hearing. Now it happened that when they heard all the words, they turned in dread one to another and said to Baruch, “We will surely declare all these words to the king.”

The officials, to their credit, do not dismiss the report. They summon Baruch and ask for a private reading. They want to hear it for themselves. And as they listen, the Word strikes them with fear. They look at each other in "dread." This is the proper response to the warnings of a holy God. They recognize the authenticity and the terrifying implications of the message. Their immediate conclusion is that the king must be told. They understand that a message of this magnitude cannot be ignored.

Verse 17-18: And they asked Baruch, saying, “Declare to us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?” Then Baruch said to them, “He dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink on the book.”

They are performing their due diligence. They need to verify the source. Is this just Baruch’s opinion, or is it truly the word of the prophet Jeremiah? Baruch’s answer is simple and direct. "He dictated... I wrote." This is the doctrine of inspiration in narrative form. The words originated with God, were spoken through Jeremiah, and were written by Baruch. The human authors were not automatons, but they were carried along by the Holy Spirit to record the very words of God.

Verse 19: Then the officials said to Baruch, “Go, hide yourself, you and Jeremiah, and do not let anyone know where you are.”

Here we see the officials’ dilemma. They fear God’s Word, but they also fear Jehoiakim’s temper. They know the king will not receive this message well. Their advice is practical and, in a way, compassionate. They are trying to protect the messengers. However, it also reveals their weakness. They are not yet ready to stand with the prophet against the king. They are trying to manage a crisis rather than repent. They are caught in the middle, and for now, their fear of man is shaping their actions more than their fear of God.

Application

First, we must have an unshakeable confidence in the power of the written Word of God. Our task is the same as Baruch's: to proclaim what is written. We are not called to invent a message, but to faithfully deliver the one we have been given. It is God’s Word, not our cleverness, that has the power to convict and to save.

Second, we must understand that the Word of God is intended to produce a response. When it is faithfully preached, it will never be met with neutrality. Some will react with fear and contrition, like the officials initially did. Others will react with hostile defiance, like Jehoiakim. We must not be surprised by opposition. The Word is a sword, and it divides.

Finally, this passage calls us to examine our own hearts. When we hear the hard warnings of Scripture, do we respond with the fearful respect of the officials, or do we seek to silence the message? The officials were on the right track; they were afraid. But their fear did not yet lead to repentance and righteous action. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Let us pray that when God’s Word confronts our sin, we would not merely tremble, but that we would turn, so that He might forgive our iniquity and our sin.