Jeremiah 36:20-26 · Bible study
Jeremiah 36:20-26 Commentary: Why the Princes Deposited the Scroll
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did the princes deposit the scroll before telling the king?
Research Summary
- Meaning: Human attempts to silence God's word fail; even burning the scroll cannot stop the word, and God protects his messengers.
- Key words: 'laid up' (הִפְקִד, deposited for safekeeping); 'cut' (קָרַע, tore, rend); 'hid' (סָתַר, concealed, sheltered).
- Main debate: Were the princes acting out of fear or prudent wisdom when they left the scroll behind?
- Theological theme: The sovereignty of God's word over human rulers, and the courage required to stand for truth.
- Best use: A caution against half-hearted obedience and a call to trust God's protection when testifying to truth.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
20So the officials went to the king in the courtyard. And having stored the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, they reported everything to the king.
21Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and all the officials who were standing beside him.
22Since it was the ninth month, the king was sitting in his winter quarters with a fire burning before him.
23And 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.
24Yet in hearing all these words, the king and his servants did not become frightened or tear their garments.
25Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.
26Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, as well as Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them.
WEB World English Bible 2000
20They went in to the king into the court, but they had laid up the scroll in the room of Elishama the scribe. Then they told all the words in the hearing of the king.
21So the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it out of the room of Elishama the scribe. Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king, and in the hearing of all the princes who stood beside the king.
22Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, and there was a fire in the brazier burning before him.
23When Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.
24The king and his servants who heard all these words were not afraid, and didn’t tear their garments.
25Moreover Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the scroll; but he would not listen to them.
26The king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet; but Yahweh hid them.
KJV King James Version 1769
20And they went in to the king into the court, but they laid up the roll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the ears of the king.
21So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll: and he took it out of Elishama the scribe’s chamber. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king.
22Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him.
23And 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.
24Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words.
25Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them.
26But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the Lord hid them.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
20And they went in to the king into the court; but they had laid up the roll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe; and they told all the words in the ears of the king.
21So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll; and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes that stood beside the king.
22Now the king was sitting in the winter-house in the ninth month: and there was a fire in the brazier burning before him.
23And 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.
24And they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words.
25Moreover Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll; but he would not hear them.
26And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet; but Jehovah hid them.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
20And they go in unto the king, to the court, and the roll they have laid up in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and they declare in the ears of the king all the words.
21And the king sendeth Jehudi to take the roll, and he taketh it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and Jehudi readeth it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the heads who are standing by the king;
22and the king is sitting in the winter-house, in the ninth month, and the stove before him is burning,
23and it cometh to pass, when Jehudi readeth three or four leaves, he cutteth it out with the scribe's knife, and hath cast unto the fire, that is on the stove, till the consumption of all the roll by the fire that is on the stove.
24And the king and all his servants who are hearing all these words have not been afraid, nor rent their garments.
25And also Elnathan, and Delaiah, and Gemariah have interceded with the king not to burn the roll, and he hath not hearkened unto them.
26And the king commandeth Jerahmeel son of Hammelek, and Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Jehovah doth hide them.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
20And they went in unto the king into the court, but they laid up the roll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe; and they told all the words in the ears of the king.
21And the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll, and he fetched it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes that stood beside the king.
22Now the king was sitting in the winter-house in the ninth month, and with the fire-pan burning before him.
23And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four columns, he cut it with the scribe's knife, and cast it into the fire that was in the pan until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was in the pan.
24And they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, [neither] the king nor any of his servants that heard all these words.
25Moreover, Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll; but he would not hear them.
26And the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet; but Jehovah hid them.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
20And they went in to the king into the court: but they laid up the volume in the chamber of Elisama the scribe: and they told all the words in the hearing of the king.
21And the king sent Judi that he should take the volume: who bringing it out of the chamber of Elisama the scribe, read it in the hearing of the king, and of all the princes that stood about the king.
22Now the king sat in the winter house, in the ninth month: and there was a hearth before him full of burning coals.
23And when Judi had read three or four pages, he cut it with the penknife, and he cast it into the fire, that was upon the hearth, till all the volume was consumed with the fire that was on the hearth.
24And the king and all his servants that heard all these words were not afraid, nor did they rend their garments.
25But yet Elnathan, and Dalaias, and Gamarias spoke to the king, not to burn the book: and he heard them not.
26And the king commanded Jeremiel the son of Amelech, and Saraias the son of Ezriel, and Selemias the son of Abdeel, to take up Baruch the scribe, and Jeremiah the prophet: but the Lord hid them.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 36:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the princes deposited the scroll in Elishama's chamber as a prudent precaution, not as an act of disobedience. Barnes notes they left it 'in charge' for safekeeping. Calvin observes they were unwilling to bring the scroll directly into the king's presence because 'the king's ears were tender', they knew his violent temper (Gill). The king's cutting and burning of the scroll was a deliberate act of contempt for God's word (Clarke). The text's sharp statement that they 'were not afraid, nor rent their garments' draws a deliberate contrast with Josiah's humble response when he heard the law read (2 Kings 22:11), a point made by Cambridge Bible and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown. The three princes who interceded, Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah, showed exceptional courage, risking the king's wrath to plead for the scroll (Calvin, Wesley). Their intercession makes the king's refusal even worse. Finally, God's hiddenness of Jeremiah and Baruch is understood as providential protection (Matthew Henry, Poole), not necessarily miraculous concealment.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Prudent protection: The princes acted wisely to preserve the scroll and avoid immediate destruction, which aligns with their later advice to Baruch to hide (v. 19, Gill, Barnes).
- Fear of the king: They did not bring the scroll into the king's presence because they feared his reaction, showing incomplete courage to confront him with God's full message (Calvin sees this as the natural caution of courtiers).
What is clear: The king willfully rejected God's word in the most visible way, attempted to silence the prophets, and God preserved both his message and his servants.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The princes' motive for depositing the scroll | They acted to preserve the scroll and avoid provoking the king's anger prematurely. | Some see wisdom and prudence (Barnes, Calvin); others suspect they lacked full courage to confront the king directly with the word. |
| Interpretation of Jerahmeel's title 'ben hammelech' | The phrase means 'son of the king' or 'member of the royal house.' | Is it a proper name (Hammelech) or a description (the king's son)? Barnes and Gill lean toward a royal official; Jamieson-Fausset-Brown says it likely refers to a member of the royal house. |
| The significance of 'three or four columns' | The king heard at least part of the scroll before cutting it. | Did the king hear the entire scroll read before burning it? The Cambridge Bible suggests Jehudi read three or four columns repeatedly, so the king heard all the words; Gill thinks only a portion was read. The text says the king 'heard all these words' (v. 24). |
| Nature of God's hiding | God providentially protected Jeremiah and Baruch from arrest. | Some say it was a miraculous concealment; others say they simply found a good hiding place that God directed them to (Poole, Matthew Henry). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The scene takes place in the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar, roughly December, when winter rains and occasional snow made a 'winter house' necessary for the king's comfort. Clarke notes that 'in cold weather the rich burn wood in brass or earthen pans, placed in any part of the room.' The brazier (אָח, 'ach) was a fire-pot on the floor, before which the king sat. The scroll was written in columns (דְּלָתוֹת, 'doors'), each column perhaps like a page in a modern book but arranged on a continuous roll. Keil and Delitzsch describe the typical synagogue scroll with writing divided into areas called 'doors.' Jehudi read the scroll aloud, and Jehoiakim cut each column as it was read with a scribe's knife (תַּעַר הַסֹּפֵר), a tool used for shaping reeds or erasing, and threw the pieces into the fire.
The princes' decision to deposit the scroll first reflects the palace architecture: the 'court' (חָצֵר) was the inner courtyard of the royal residence, and adjoining chambers like Elishama's scribal office provided secure storage for official documents. The princes served both God and the king; their report of the scroll's contents to Jehoiakim fulfilled their duty as counsellors, but leaving the scroll behind protected it from immediate destruction. This delicate political dance occurred during a tense time: King Josiah's reforms had raised hopes of revival, but his son Jehoiakim reversed course, re-introducing idolatry and oppression. The threat of Babylon was growing, and Jeremiah's prophecy that Babylon would destroy the land (v. 29) directly challenged Jehoiakim's pro-Egyptian policy and his trust in military strength.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants in this passage. The MT is stable. A conjectural emendation to 'cabinet' for 'court' (v. 20) is mentioned by the Cambridge Bible, but no manuscript evidence supports it.
Reception History
Throughout church history, the burning of Jeremiah's scroll has been read as a paradigm of worldly opposition to God's word. Early Christian writers saw Jehoiakim as a type of rulers who suppress Scripture; the king's knife and fire prefigured later book burnings by Roman emperors. In the Reformation, Catholic and Protestant readers alike used the passage to argue for the inviolability of Scripture, though they differed on which traditions had 'burned' the word. The Lollards and Hussites found encouragement in the detail that God hid his prophets, seeing it as a promise of protection for persecuted Bible translators. In modern homiletics, the story is often paired with Josiah's response to illustrate two ways of receiving God's word: tearing one's clothes in repentance or tearing the scroll in rebellion.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Prudent protection or cowardly compromise? The princes deposit the scroll before seeing the king. They obey the king but protect the word. This raises the question of when discretion becomes disobedience.
- Open contempt for God's word. The king cuts and burns the scroll piece by piece. His posture, his fire, his knife, every detail shows he will not submit to Yahweh's message.
- God's hiddenness and God's persistence. The king arrests the messengers, but Yahweh hides them. The scroll is burned, but the word is not destroyed; it will be written again (v. 28). No fire, knife or warrant can stop God's purpose.
Five-point outline
- The cautious report (vv. 20-21). The princes tell the king the words but leave the scroll behind.
- The king's wintry setting (v. 22). The winter house and cold fire underscore moral coldness.
- The burning of the scroll (v. 23). Column by column, a calculated, ritualised rejection.
- The absence of fear (vv. 24-25). No tearing of garments, even as three men intercede.
- The arrest and the hiding (v. 26). Human rage meets divine shelter.
Illustration hooks
- The employee who knows the boss will explode over bad news, so she softens the message, leaves the supporting documents on her desk, and only then walks in.
- The homeowner who receives a certified letter about a legal violation, reads it, then tosses it into the fireplace without responding, thinking the problem will burn away.
- The group of friends who see their friend heading toward a dangerous decision, warn him gently, but don't press hard because they're afraid of losing the relationship.
Questions your congregation is asking
- When am I holding back God's truth because I'm afraid of someone's reaction?
- How can I have the courage of Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah in a situation where authority is opposed to God's word?
- Does God always protect his servants from harm, or was this a special case for Jeremiah and Baruch?
Leading a Discussion
This passage forces us to confront how we handle God's word when it is costly. The princes heard the scroll, believed it was true, but then measured out how much to say and when. The king heard the same words and burned them. Only three men spoke up. Where do you see yourself in this story?
Discussion questions
- Read verses 20-21. Why do you think the princes deposited the scroll before going to the king? What does that decision reveal about their judgment?
- Verse 22 describes the setting in detail, winter house, ninth month, fire burning. How does this atmosphere affect the way you read the king's actions in verse 23?
- The king cuts and burns the scroll piece by piece. What is the significance of cutting it as he heard it, rather than simply throwing the whole scroll into the fire?
- Compare the response of the king and his servants in verse 24 with Josiah's response in 2 Kings 22:11. What makes the difference between tearing your clothes in repentance and sitting cold beside a fire?
- Three princes interceded to stop the burning (v. 25), and earlier the princes had told Baruch and Jeremiah to hide (v. 19). Are these princes examples of faith or of fear? Or both? Explain.
- Verse 26 says 'Yahweh hid them.' How does God's hiddenness here encourage you when you face opposition for your faith?
- Jeremiah later writes the scroll again (v. 28). What does this teach us about the durability of God's word in the face of human attempts to suppress it?
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)
| Jeremiah 36:12 | he went down into the king’s house, into the scribe’s room; and behold, all the princes were sitting there, Elishama the scribe, Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Achbor, Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes. |
| II Kings 22:10 | Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has delivered a book to me.” Then Shaphan read it before the king. |
| II Chronicles 34:18 | Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has delivered me a book.” Shaphan read from it to the king. |
| Jeremiah 23:28 | The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw to the wheat?” says Yahweh. |
| Jeremiah 26:2 | “Yahweh says: ‘Stand in the court of Yahweh’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah which come to worship in Yahweh’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Don’t omit a word. |
| Jeremiah 36:15 | They said to him, “Sit down now, and read it in our hearing.” So Baruch read it in their hearing. |
| Ezekiel 2:4 | The children are impudent and stiff-hearted. I am sending you to them, and you shall tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Yahweh says.’ |
| Ezekiel 2:5 | They, whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that there has been a prophet among them. |
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
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that Jehoiakim's contempt for God's word was so complete that he cut the scroll into pieces with a scribe's knife and threw them into the fire. Three princes pleaded with him not to burn it, but he refused. God then ensured that Jeremiah and Baruch could not be found despite a thorough search.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes details of the palace setting: the court as an inner quadrangle, the winterhouse as a seasonal residence, and a brazier of charcoal on the floor. He points out that the king's violent temper is shown by his actions, and he finds it remarkable that Elnathan now intercedes for Jeremiah after previously arresting the prophet Urijah.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin focuses on the flattery and timidity of the courtiers, who feared offending the king more than God, and on Jehoiakim’s contradictory impulse to hear the scroll yet reject it. He sees the king’s hardened refusal to fear God’s threats as a sign of diabolical madness, rendering him utterly inexcusable.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary notes a grammatical defect in the original Hebrew: it does not specify who cut the scroll. The more natural reading is that King Jehoiakim repeatedly ordered Jehudi to cut off and burn the sections as he read, contrasting sharply with Josiah's reverent response to God's word.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that Jehudi, not the king, cut the scroll with a penknife and threw it into the fire, acting either under command or with the king's evident approval. The king and most attendants showed no fear at this defiant act of burning God's word, though three princes pleaded against it in vain. God hid Jeremiah and Baruch from the king's arrest.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights Jehoiakim’s cold, calculated defiance: as Jehudi read each section, the king deliberately cut it off and threw it into the fire. His servants were even more hardened than the princes who tried to intervene. This persistent rejection, despite warnings, showed a judicial blindness that sealed his judgment.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stresses that Jehoiakim cut the scroll into pieces and burned it bit by bit after only three or four columns were read, not after hearing the whole prophecy. The text describes the burning’s completion, not the reading’s. The king’s hardhearted refusal to show fear or grief stands in stark contrast to Josiah’s repentance.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes the striking reversal: the princes supported Jeremiah under the despotic Jehoiakim but opposed him under the weak Zedekiah. He explains that Jehoiakim’s harshness provoked resistance, while Zedekiah’s weakness encouraged insolence. The princes also left the roll behind to avoid responsibility for what the king might do.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes the king's impatience: he could not bear to hear more than three or four columns before cutting the scroll apart and burning it. He also observes that the princes Elnathan and others feared God more deeply, and God's providence hid them from the king's messengers.