Jeremiah 36:1-8 Meaning: A Written Word Before the Fall
1In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,
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.
3It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I intend to do to them, that they may each return from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
4Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all Yahweh’s words, which he had spoken to him, on a scroll of a book.
5Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, “I am restricted. I can’t go into Yahweh’s house.
6Therefore you go, and read from the scroll which you have written from my mouth, Yahweh’s words, in the ears of the people in Yahweh’s house on the fast day. Also you shall read them in the ears of all Judah who come out of their cities.
7It may be they will present their supplication before Yahweh, and will each return from his evil way; for Yahweh has pronounced great anger and wrath against this people.”
8Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book Yahweh’s words in Yahweh’s house.
1And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
2Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day.
3It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.
4Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book.
5And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut up; I cannot go into the house of the Lord:
6Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the Lord in the ears of the people in the Lord’s house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities.
7It may be they will present their supplication before the Lord, and will return every one from his evil way: for great is the anger and the fury that the Lord hath pronounced against this people.
8And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of the Lord in the Lord’s house.
1And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
2Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day.
3It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.
4Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of Jehovah, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book.
5And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut up; I cannot go into the house of Jehovah:
6therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of Jehovah in the ears of the people in Jehovah’s house upon the fast-day; and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities.
7It may be they will present their supplication before Jehovah, and will return every one from his evil way; for great is the anger and the wrath that Jehovah hath pronounced against this people.
8And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of Jehovah in Jehovah’s house.
1And it cometh to pass, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word hath been unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying:
2`Take to thee a roll of a book, and thou hast written on it all the words that I have spoken unto thee concerning Israel, and concerning Judah, and concerning all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day;
3if so be the house of Israel do hear all the evil that I am thinking of doing to them, so that they turn back each from is evil way, and I have been propitious to their iniquity, and to their sin.'
4And Jeremiah calleth Baruch son of Neriah, and Baruch writeth from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of Jehovah, that He hath spoken unto him, on a roll of a book.
5And Jeremiah commandeth Baruch, saying, `I am restrained, I am not able to enter the house of Jehovah;
6but thou hast entered--and thou hast read in the roll that thou hast written from my mouth, the words of Jehovah, in the ears of the people, in the house of Jehovah, in the day of the fast, and also in the ears of all Judah who are coming in from their cities thou dost read them;
7if so be their supplication doth fall before Jehovah, and they turn back each from his evil way, for great is the anger and the fury that Jehovah hath spoken concerning this people.'
8And Baruch son of Neriah doth according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, to read in the book the words of Jehovah in the house of Jehovah.
1And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, [that] this word came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
2Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day.
3It may be the house of Judah will hear all the evil that I purpose to do unto them, that they may return every man from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.
4And Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Nerijah; and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of Jehovah, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book.
5And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut up, I cannot go into the house of Jehovah; but go thou in,
6and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of Jehovah in the ears of the people in the house of Jehovah upon the fast day; and thou shalt also read them in the ears of all Judah that come from their cities.
7It may be they will present their supplication before Jehovah, and that they will return every one from his evil way; for great is the anger and the fury that Jehovah hath pronounced against this people.
8And Baruch the son of Nerijah did according to all that the prophet Jeremiah commanded him, reading in the book the words of Jehovah in Jehovah's house.
Meaning in one sentence
Discover why God commanded Jeremiah to write his prophecies in a scroll during Jehoiakim's fourth year, and what that means for us today.
Context
It is the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign, around 605 BC. Babylon’s army has just marched into Judah for the first time. Jeremiah has been speaking God’s words for over twenty years, since the days of King Josiah. Now God gives a new command: write it all down on a scroll. Collect every warning spoken against Israel, Judah, and the surrounding nations. The purpose is not merely record-keeping. God says: let them hear again, so they might turn from their evil ways and I can forgive. But Jeremiah cannot go to the temple himself, he is restricted, perhaps by fear or by the king’s hostility. So he calls Baruch, his scribe and friend, to write at his dictation and then read the scroll aloud to the people on a fast day. Baruch obeys. This is God’s patient invitation one more time before judgment falls.
Key Words
The Hebrew word ulai (perhaps), used twice in these verses, is not a word of divine uncertainty. It is the language of hope held open. God says, “It may be that the house of Judah will hear… it may be they will present their supplication.” The door is not yet shut. God waits, even now, for the possibility of return.
That return is the verb shuv, one of the most important words in the Old Testament. It means to turn back, to reverse direction. It is not a feeling; it is motion. Each person is to turn from his evil way, a concrete change in how they walk. And when they do, God says, “I will forgive”, salach, a word used only of God’s pardon, never of human forgiveness. It carries the weight of full release.
There is also a lovely picture in verse 7: “their supplication will fall” (tipol teḥinnatam). The image is of someone prostrate before a king, their plea literally cast down at his feet. True repentance does not stand tall; it falls.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen in this passage a model of how God preserves His word and extends mercy. Reformed commentators like Calvin and Keil emphasize God’s sovereignty in the timing: the fourth year of Jehoiakim, just as Babylon’s power rises, shows that judgment is near yet mercy is still offered. The Wesleyan tradition, through Adam Clarke, highlights the conditional nature of forgiveness: God’s “it may be” leaves room for human response. Anglican scholars such as the Cambridge Bible note that the fast day was likely an extraordinary one, called because of the national crisis, making Baruch’s reading particularly urgent. Baptist expositor Gill stresses Baruch’s faithful obedience despite personal danger. All see in Jeremiah’s restriction and Baruch’s service a pattern of teamwork in God’s mission: one cannot go, another goes in his place, and the word is heard.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers assume that when Jeremiah says “I am shut up” (verse 5), he means he is in prison. In fact, there is no record of Jeremiah being imprisoned under Jehoiakim at this time. The Hebrew word atsur can mean restrained or hindered, not necessarily jailed. Most commentators think Jeremiah was prevented from going to the temple, possibly by fear of the king, by some physical limitation, or by social restriction. He was not locked in a cell; he was unable to do what he most wanted, to speak God’s words publicly himself. So he sent Baruch.
Living This Out
Maybe this week you feel shut up, blocked from saying or doing what you wish you could for God. Perhaps it is your health, your situation at work, a relationship that has closed. Jeremiah could not go to the temple, but he did not stop. He found another way: he wrote. He enlisted Baruch. The word still got out. Ask yourself: is there some message of grace or warning that God has given you, and is there a Baruch in your life who could help deliver it? Write it down. Speak it to one person. Send the email you have been putting off. The words that matter are too important to stay silent, even if you cannot speak them yourself.
Main takeaway: God patiently preserved His words in writing so that we might hear, return to Him, and receive forgiveness.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God asked Jeremiah to write down everything He had said. Jeremiah couldn’t go to the temple, so his friend Baruch read the scroll for him. God wanted the people to hear His words and say sorry so He could forgive them.
For ages 9, 12
Imagine having a message from God that you desperately needed to share, but you couldn’t go where people were gathered. That was Jeremiah’s situation. He didn’t give up. He wrote everything down and asked his friend Baruch to read it aloud at the temple on a fast day. God’s words are too important to stay hidden. If you can’t tell someone directly, maybe you can write them a note, send a text, or ask a friend to help. The message matters more than the messenger.
Questions People Ask
What year was the fourth year of Jehoiakim?
It was around 605 BC. This was the same year that Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon first invaded Judah and took captives, including Daniel and his friends. It was a time of great political crisis for the nation.
Why couldn’t Jeremiah go to the temple?
The Bible does not say exactly why. The Hebrew word ‘atsur’ means restrained or hindered. Jeremiah may have been kept away by fear of King Jehoiakim, who had already shown hostility to prophets, or by some other practical restriction. He was not in prison at this time.
What is a scroll of a book?
A scroll was a long sheet of parchment or papyrus sewn together and rolled around wooden rods. People wrote in columns and unrolled the scroll to read. Jeremiah’s scroll would have contained all his prophecies from the past twenty-three years.
What was the fast day mentioned in verse 6?
It was likely an extraordinary fast called because of the national emergency, not the regular Day of Atonement. Many people would gather at the temple on such a day, making it the perfect time for Baruch to read the scroll to the largest possible audience.
Did the people repent after Baruch read the scroll?
The chapter goes on to describe a mixed response. Some officials were deeply moved and reported the matter to the king. King Jehoiakim, however, cut the scroll up and burned it. Some listened, but the nation as a whole did not turn back from its evil way.
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