Jeremiah 36:27-32 Meaning: What God Does When His Word Is Burned
27Then Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah, after the king had burned the scroll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying,
28“Take again another scroll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned.
29Concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, ‘Yahweh says: “You have burned this scroll, saying, ‘Why have you written therein, saying, “The king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cause to cease from there man and animal”?’”
30Therefore Yahweh says concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: “He will have no one to sit on David’s throne. His dead body will be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.
31I will punish him, his offspring, and his servants for their iniquity. I will bring on them, on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them, but they didn’t listen.”’”
32Then Jeremiah took another scroll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and many similar words were added to them.
27Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying,
28Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned.
29And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus saith the Lord; Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast?
30Therefore thus saith the Lord of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.
31And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not.
32Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.
27Then the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying,
28Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned.
29And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah thou shalt say, Thus saith Jehovah: Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast?
30Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David; and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.
31And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them, but they hearkened not.
32Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and there were added besides unto them many like words.
27And there is a word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah--after the king's burning the roll, even the words that Baruch hath written from the mouth of Jeremiah--saying:
28`Turn, take to thee another roll, and write on it all the former words that were on the first roll, that Jehoiakim king of Judah burnt,
29and unto Jehoiakim king of Judah thou dost say: Thus said Jehovah, Thou hast burnt this roll, saying, Wherefore hast thou written on it, saying, The king of Babylon surely cometh in, and hath destroyed this land, and caused to cease from it man and beast?
30`Therefore, thus said Jehovah, concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He hath none sitting on the throne of David, and his carcase is cast out to heat by day, and to cold by night;
31and I have charged on him, and on his seed, and on his servants, their iniquity; and I have brought in on them, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto the men of Judah, all the evil that I have spoken unto them, and they hearkened not.'
32And Jeremiah hath taken another roll, and giveth it unto Baruch son of Neriah the scribe, and he writeth on it from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book that Jehoiakim king of Judah hath burnt in the fire; and again there were added unto them many words like these.
27And after that the king had burned the roll, and the words that Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah, saying,
28Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned.
29And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus saith Jehovah: Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from it man and beast?
30Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David; and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.
31And I will visit their iniquity upon him, and upon his seed, and upon his servants; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; and they have not hearkened.
32And Jeremiah took another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Nerijah; and he wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah, all the words of the book that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and there were added besides unto them many like words.
Meaning in one sentence
After King Jehoiakim burned Jeremiah's scroll, God told him to write again. This shows God's word cannot be destroyed by human opposition.
Context
Jeremiah had been sent to write down everything God said against Israel and Judah. He dictated it to Baruch, who read it aloud in the temple. The princes heard it and were afraid, but when King Jehoiakim heard just a few columns he cut the scroll apart and threw it into the fire. He even sent men to arrest Jeremiah and Baruch, but the Lord hid them. Now, with the ashes still cold, God speaks to Jeremiah again. The king thought he had silenced the message. Instead, God commands: write it all again, and add to it.
Key Words
The Hebrew word for God's message here is davar (H1697), not just a collection of syllables, but an active, powerful thing. When the king burned the parchment, he burned the physical scroll, but he could not burn the davar. That same word came to Jeremiah again (v.27) and commanded him to write again (katav, H3789). The verb carries the weight of engraving, inscribing, making permanent. God does not dictate a correction or a softened version; he tells Jeremiah to write exactly the same words.
But then comes a third word: yasaph (H3254), meaning to add or do more. The second scroll did not just repeat the first; it had many similar words added. Where the king thought he was ending the story, God was just beginning to expand it. Human resistance does not shrink God's word; it gives him room to say more.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions see this passage as a powerful display of God's sovereignty over his own word. John Calvin wrote that the ungodly gain nothing by contending against God; they only break themselves. The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary compares the rewritten scroll to the second set of stone tablets given after Moses broke the first ones, God's word is not defeated by human rage. Other commentators, like those in the Cambridge Bible, note that the prediction about Jehoiakim having no one sit on David's throne must be understood as no permanent reign, since his son Jehoiachin ruled only three months. All agree: what the king tried to silence, God preserved and even enlarged.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think this passage contradicts itself when it says Jehoiakim would have no one sit on David's throne, because his son Jehoiachin did rule after him for three months. In fact, the Hebrew verb for "sit" (yashav) here implies an established, lasting reign, not a brief, powerless succession. The king's line of permanent rule ended with him, and his own body would be left unburied. The point is not a literal zero descendants on the throne, but the end of any real Davidic dynasty through Jehoiakim.
Living This Out
Maybe this week you have seen the truth of God twisted or dismissed. A coworker mocked your faith. A family member refused to talk about what the Bible says. It stings, and part of you wonders if the message is just gone. This passage invites you to let that go. The king cut, burned, and tried to kill; the word came back larger than before. You are not responsible for making the truth stick, only for speaking it. God can rewrite what others try to erase. And sometimes what he adds through the pain is richer than what was lost.
Main takeaway: God's word cannot be destroyed; even when burned, it returns, and with more to say.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
The king was very mad at God’s message. He threw the scroll in the fire. But God told Jeremiah to write it all again, and add more! You cannot burn away God’s words.
For ages 9, 12
Imagine spending weeks writing a long book, only to have someone burn it page by page. That’s what King Jehoiakim did to Jeremiah’s scroll. But instead of giving up, God said, “Write it all over again, and add to it.” God’s truth is stronger than any fire or angry king. Even when people try to silence God’s word, he finds a way to get it out. Sometimes the second version is even bigger than the first.
Questions People Ask
Why did God tell Jeremiah to write the same words again instead of new ones?
God wanted to show that his word stands even when humans reject it. The king burned the scroll to deny the message, but God proved it could not be destroyed. By commanding the same words to be written again, God declared that his truth does not change based on our response.
What does it mean that Jehoiakim would have no one to sit on David's throne?
Jehoiachin, Jehoiakim's son, did reign for three months after him. However, commentators point out that the Hebrew verb 'sit' here implies a permanent, established reign, not a brief power. So he had no lasting successor from his line; the Davidic throne effectively ended with him through that branch.
Why were 'many similar words added' to the second scroll?
The phrase shows that God’s response to opposition was not just restoration but expansion. As some commentators note, the second scroll contained a more complete record of Jeremiah’s prophecies. The king’s attempt to destroy the message gave God occasion to add even more warnings and details.
Was King Jehoiakim's burning of the scroll a sin?
All Christian traditions agree that it was a serious act of rebellion against God. The king openly rejected the prophetic message and tried to destroy it. The passage records God’s judgment on him and his household for this defiance. It stands as a warning against treating God’s word with contempt.
Does this passage teach that God's word is invincible no matter what humans do?
Yes, Christians across traditions see here that while human beings can harm the physical vessel of God’s word (a scroll, a Bible), the message itself is indestructible. Jesus himself said, 'Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away' (Matthew 24:35). The scroll could be burned; the word could not.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study