Jeremiah 36:23
in Jeremiah 36And as soon as Jehudi had read three or four columns, Jehoiakim would cut them off with a scribe’s knife and throw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll had been consumed by the fire.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass, when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, that the king cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Jeremiah 36
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThe God of all orders Jeremiah to write the former words in another book. The sheet of paper was burned, but the divine law remained unharmed. So also when the body assumed by the Word suffered, the Word remained free from suffering.
This site's exposition
the king was sitting in his winter quarters
on Jeremiah 36:22-23
During “the ninth month” the king sits “in his winter quarters with a fire burning before him.” As Jehudi reads “three or four columns,” the king cuts them off with a scribe’s knife. The act is repeated column by column “until the entire scroll had been consumed by the fire.”
This site's exposition
Jehoiakim would cut them off with a scribe’s knife
Barnes calls it a scribe's tool for pens and erasures. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the verse to mean the whole scroll was heard as it was cut away, column by column. Theodoret of Cyrus remarks that the sheet burned while the divine law stayed unharmed.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
And what manner of prophet said this? Be not curious, nor overbusy. For many of the prophetic writings have been lost; and this one may see from the history of the Chronicles. For being negligent, and continually falling into ungodliness, some they suffered to perish, others they themselves burnt up and cut to pieces. The latter fact Jeremiah relates; the former, he who composed the fourth book of Kings, saying, that after a long time the book of Deuteronomy was hardly found, buried somewhere and lost. But if, when there was no barbarian there, they so betrayed their books, much more when the barbarians had overrun them.
Doubtless you are not unaware that in the early history of the chosen people the sacrilege of idolatry was committed and a prophetic book burned by a scornful king. But the crime of schism would not be punished more severely than any of these acts unless it were considered more grievous. Surely you remember how the earth opened and swallowed up alive the authors of schism and how fire coming down from heaven destroyed those who followed them. But neither the making and adoring of an idol nor the burning of a sacred book deserve to meet such vengeance.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
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.
This was a piece of as daring impiety as a man could lightly be guilty of, and a most impudent affront to the God of heaven, whose message this was. Thus he showed his impatience of reproof; being resolved to persist in sin, he would by no means bear to be told of his faults.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
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.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
"He" refers to the king (Jer 36:22). As often as Jehudi read three or four columns, the king cut asunder the part of the roll read; and so he treated the whole, until all the parts read consecutively were cut and burnt; Jer 36:24, "all these words," implies that the whole volume was read through, not merely the first three or four columns (1Ki 22:8).
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.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֣י׀ | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כִּקְר֣וֹא | kikro' | when read aloud | H7121 → | 733 times |
| יְהוּדִ֗י | yehudi | Jehudi | H3065 → | 4 times |
| שָׁלֹ֣שׁ | shalosh | three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| דְּלָתוֹת֮ | delatot | doors | H1817 → | |
| וְאַרְבָּעָה֒ | vearbaah | and four | H702 → | 318 times |
| יִֽקְרָעֶ֙הָ֙ | yikraeha | he tore it | H7167 → | 63 times |
| בְּתַ֣עַר | betaar | with [the] knife of | H8593 → | |
| הַסֹּפֵ֔ר | hasofer | the scribe | H5608 → | 159 times |
| וְהַשְׁלֵ֕ךְ | vehashlekh | and he threw [it] | H7993 → | 125 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָאֵ֖שׁ | haesh | the fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | [was] to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָאָ֑ח | haach | the fire-pot | H254 → | 3 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| תֹּם֙ | tom | was consumed | H8552 → | 63 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַמְּגִלָּ֔ה | hamegilah | the scroll | H4039 → | 21 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָאֵ֖שׁ | haesh | the fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [was] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָאָֽח׃ | haach | the fire-pot | H254 → | 3 times |
וַיְהִ֣י׀and it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
כִּקְר֣וֹאwhen read aloud
kikro'H7121 →733 times
יְהוּדִ֗יJehudi
yehudiH3065 →4 times
שָׁלֹ֣שׁthree
shaloshH7969 →432 times
דְּלָתוֹת֮doors
delatotH1817 →
וְאַרְבָּעָה֒and four
vearbaahH702 →318 times
יִֽקְרָעֶ֙הָ֙he tore it
yikraehaH7167 →63 times
בְּתַ֣עַרwith [the] knife of
betaarH8593 →
הַסֹּפֵ֔רthe scribe
hasoferH5608 →159 times
וְהַשְׁלֵ֕ךְand he threw [it]
vehashlekhH7993 →125 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָאֵ֖שׁthe fire
haeshH784 →378 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אֶל־[was] to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָאָ֑חthe fire-pot
haachH254 →3 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
תֹּם֙was consumed
tomH8552 →63 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַמְּגִלָּ֔הthe scroll
hamegilahH4039 →21 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָאֵ֖שׁthe fire
haeshH784 →378 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עַל־[was] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָאָֽח׃the fire-pot
haachH254 →3 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 19:21Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.
it leads to
- Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
- Isaiah 14:24
The LORD of Hosts has sworn: “Surely, as I have planned, so will it be; as I have purposed, so will it stand.
- Proverbs 16:1
The plans of the heart belong to man, but the reply of the tongue is from the LORD.
- Psalms 33:10–11
The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.
- Isaiah 46:10
I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’
- Proverbs 16:9
Through
Proverbs 21:30There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
it leads to
- Acts 5:39
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.”
- Proverbs 19:21
Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.
- Jeremiah 9:23
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.
- Acts 5:39
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this chapter
About Jeremiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, LETTER 51; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 9:6; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, ON JEREMIAH 7:36.