Jeremiah 36:17-19 · Bible study
Jeremiah 36:17-19 Commentary: Baruch's Dictation and the Princes' Warning
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why the princes asked Baruch how the scroll was written, and what their inquiry reveals about their response to God's word.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The princes verify that the scroll contains Jeremiah's exact dictated words, then secretly protect the prophet against the king's wrath.
- Key words: "From his mouth" (mi·piv, H6310) highlights dictation; "declare" (hagged, H5046) implies formal testimony; "ink" (d·yo, H1773) underscores Baruch's merely mechanical role.
- Main debate: The princes' motives, are they genuine believers acting prudently, or do they acknowledge God only to remain politically safe?
- Theological theme: The transmission of divine revelation: God speaks through human agents, and the faithful must both verify and submit to that word.
- Best use: As a narrative illustration of partial belief, hearing God's word, fearing its consequences, yet not repenting.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
17“Tell us now,” they asked Baruch, “how did you write all these words? Was it at Jeremiah’s dictation?”
18“It was at his dictation,” Baruch replied. “He recited all these words to me and I wrote them in ink on the scroll.”
19Then the officials said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah must hide yourselves and tell no one where you are.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
17They asked Baruch, saying, “Tell us now, how did you write all these words at his mouth?”
18Then Baruch answered them, “He dictated all these words to me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.”
19Then the princes said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah go hide. Don’t let anyone know where you are.”
KJV King James Version 1769
17And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?
18Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.
19Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye be.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
17And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?
18Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.
19Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye are.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
17And they asked Baruch, saying, `Declare, we pray thee, to us, how didst thou write all these words--from his mouth?'
18And Baruch saith to them, `From his mouth, he pronounceth unto me all these words, and I am writing on the book with ink.'
19And the heads say unto Baruch, `Go, be hidden, thou and Jeremiah, and let no one know where ye are .'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
17And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words from his mouth?
18And Baruch said unto them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote [them] with ink in the book.
19And the princes said unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; that none may know where ye are.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
17And they asked him, saying: Tell us how didst thou write all these words from his mouth.
18And Baruch said to them: With his mouth he pronounced all these words as if he were reading to me: and I wrote in a volume with ink.
19And the princes said to Baruch: Go, and hide thee, both thou and Jeremiah, and let no man know where you are.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 36:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The princes questioned Baruch not from idle curiosity but from a practical and theological urgency. As Barnes and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note, they needed to know whether Baruch had composed the scroll from his own memoranda or had written it directly under Jeremiah's dictation. The answer would determine the scroll's authority and Baruch's personal responsibility. Baruch's reply is precise: Jeremiah "pronounced all these words" and Baruch simply wrote with ink. The verb form in the Hebrew (a participle, kotev, 'was writing') emphasizes the ongoing, mechanical nature of his work. The princes accept this answer and immediately advise hiding. Calvin observes that they were "terrified yet insensible", convinced of the divine origin but unwilling to follow through. Gill and Matthew Henry note that their advice to hide shows they valued the prophet's life even as they feared the king's fury. The consensus is that the princes' question reveals a divided heart: genuine awe mixed with political caution, not full faith.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The princes asked Baruch to verify the origin of the scroll, accepted his answer that Jeremiah dictated it, and then advised the prophet and scribe to hide for their safety.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of the princes' question | All commentators agree the question aims to determine whether Baruch wrote from memory or from direct dictation, thus testing the scroll's authority. | Some (Calvin) see the question as revealing suspicion and unbelief; others (Barnes, Gill) view it as a proper inquiry needed for their report to the king. |
| Baruch's role | Baruch's answer (v.18) is accepted as a clear claim that he only transcribed; the phrase 'from his mouth' is central. | A few scholars (Cambridge Bible) propose the phrase 'at his mouth' in v.17 may be a later gloss, but this is a text-critical issue, not a matter of interpretation. |
| The princes' response (v.19) | They advise hiding Jeremiah and Baruch, showing some respect for the prophet's safety. | Was this a sign of genuine faith (Gill, Matthew Henry) or merely self-preservation and reluctant acceptance (Calvin, Wesley)? |
| Theological implications | The passage demonstrates that God's word comes through a chain of human transmission and must be verified for authenticity. | Christians differ on whether the dictation model (prophet speaks, scribe writes) is a pattern for all Scripture or specific to this episode. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The scene unfolds in the fifth year of King Jehoiakim's reign, around 604 BC, during a fast proclaimed for a national crisis, likely after Nebuchadnezzar's first invasion. Jeremiah had been forbidden to enter the temple (Jer 36:5), so he sent his scribe Baruch to read the scroll publicly. The princes, hearing the report from Micaiah, summoned Baruch to read it again in the king's house. Their question in verse 17 reflects the legal and religious caution of court officials: they must verify the prophecy's provenance before reporting to a volatile king.
Writing in antiquity was a skilled trade. A scribe like Baruch could produce a document from memory or from direct dictation. The princes needed to know which method was used. If Baruch had composed his own summary, the words might carry less authority. Baruch's answer, that Jeremiah dictated every word, raises the stakes: these are not human reflections but divine oracles.
The princes' fear is understandable. Only a few years earlier, King Jehoiakim had executed the prophet Uriah for similar warnings (Jer 26:20-23). By advising Baruch and Jeremiah to hide, the princes show they respect the prophecy's truth, but not enough to confront the king themselves. They want to protect the messengers while fulfilling their own duty to report. This tension belongs to a court where prophetic words often meant death.
Textual Notes
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that the phrase "at his mouth" in verse 17 may be a later gloss, introduced from verse 18, and is absent from the Septuagint. The consulted sources do not mention any other significant textual variants. The Hebrew text (Masoretic) is stable for these verses.
Reception History
Jeremiah 36:17-19 has been read across church history as a key text on the mechanics of prophetic inspiration. Early Christian interpreters, such as Jerome, saw Baruch's role as foreshadowing the work of evangelists who write down what the Spirit reveals. The medieval Glossa Ordinaria treated the episode as a lesson in protecting God's messengers even when rulers resist the message. During the Reformation, Calvin used the passage to warn against partial belief, those who acknowledge the truth yet do not obey. Protestant commentators have often highlighted the scribal process as a model for faithful transmission of Scripture. In modern homiletics, the passage is used to explore the cost of discipleship and the tension between political prudence and prophetic courage.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The question that tests authenticity (v.17): The princes ask Baruch how the words came to be written. They want to separate divine origin from human addition. Their question mirrors the way people today ask: Is this really from God?
- The answer that points beyond the human instrument (v.18): Baruch gives no credit to himself. The words are from Jeremiah's mouth; Baruch only provided ink and hand. This humbly directs attention to the prophet and, through him, to God.
- The response that protects without obeying (v.19): The princes hide the prophet but do not obey the message. They treat the word as dangerous truth, not as a call to repentance.
Five-point outline
- A dangerous message is read publicly (vv.9-13, background).
- Officials hear the message and are afraid (vv.14-16).
- They verify the message's source (v.17).
- Baruch testifies to its divine origin (v.18).
- They protect the messengers but not the message (v.19).
Illustration hooks
- Office memo chain: A critical report circulates in a company. Managers trace whether it came from the CEO or from a disgruntled employee. The source changes how they act.
- Playing telephone: Children whisper a sentence around a circle. The final version is different. The princes wanted to know if Baruch's scroll was the same as Jeremiah's prophecy.
- Texting the truth: You receive an uncomfortable message from a friend. You ask: Did they really say that, or did you paraphrase? The exact wording matters.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Can I trust that the Bible actually records what God said, or is it just human summaries?
- Why do I sometimes believe God's word is true but still hesitate to obey it fully?
- How do I know whether a challenging message is from God or from human opinion?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows a group of officials who hear God's word, recognize its authority, and still stop short of full obedience. Their question to Baruch is not a doubt about God's power but a test of the message's chain of transmission. As you discuss, consider what it means to be convinced of biblical truth without letting it change your actions.
Discussion questions
- Why did the princes ask Baruch how he wrote the words? What were they trying to learn?
- Baruch's answer emphasizes that Jeremiah "pronounced all these words" and that Baruch only wrote with ink. Why is this distinction important for the authority of the prophecy?
- The princes then hide the prophet but do not object to the scroll being burnt by the king (v.23). What does this tell you about their faith?
- Compare the princes' response to the response of King Josiah when he heard the Book of the Law (2 Kings 22:11-13). What is the difference?
- When have you believed something was true from God but failed to act on it? What held you back?
- How does this story help you trust the reliability of Scripture as a faithful record of God's words?
- What would it look like for our church community to protect those who speak God's hard truths, even when we find the message uncomfortable?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| John 9:10 | They therefore were asking him, “How were your eyes opened?” |
| John 9:11 | He answered, “A man called Jesus made mud, anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went away and washed, and I received sight.” |
| John 9:15 | Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I see.” |
| John 9:26 | They said to him again, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” |
| John 9:27 | He answered them, “I told you already, and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t also want to become his disciples, do you?” |
| Proverbs 26:4 | Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. |
| Proverbs 26:5 | Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. |
| Jeremiah 36:2 | “Take a scroll of a book, and write in it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah even to this day. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes suggests the scroll may have been compiled by Baruch from his own notes rather than the prophet's direct dictation. If so, the princes' questioning was not idle curiosity but a practical inquiry. Baruch's role was purely mechanical: he contributed nothing but hand, pen, and ink.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin observes that the princes were momentarily startled and acknowledged God’s hand, yet they remained spiritually deaf, nodding like asses moving their ears. They confessed the truth but were not truly affected by it, soon returning to their indifference. Their warning to Baruch and Jeremiah to hide reflected fear of the king, not reverence for God.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools commentary notes that the princes' urgent command for Baruch and Jeremiah to hide was driven by the memory of the prophet Uriah's fate, who was killed for delivering a similar message. The text also identifies a traditional site, the Grotto of Jeremiah, as their possible hiding place.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the princes' question to Baruch was not about the mechanics of writing with ink, but about whether Jeremiah could possibly have recalled and dictated so many different prophecies from memory. Baruch's answer that he wrote every exact word as Jeremiah spoke them, without hesitation or premeditation, confirms to Gill that the entire process was supernatural and from the Spirit of God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB clarifies that the princes asked Baruch whether he wrote from memory or from the prophet's own dictation. Baruch's reply and his mention of the ink imply he added nothing of his own, only the hand, pen, and ink. Their suggestion to hide shows they were not entirely without better feelings.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the princes' question to Baruch not as suspicion but as curious interest in how prophecy worked. He believes they wanted to know whether Jeremiah dictated the words consciously or in an ecstatic state. Baruch's simple answer, that Jeremiah spoke and he wrote with ink, presents the process as ordinary dictation.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that the prince's fear deepened because it seemed impossible for Jeremiah to recall all his prophecies from so many years without God's direct help. This divine enablement confirmed that Jeremiah spoke by God's influence, making the pronouncement even more terrifying.