Jeremiah Bible Notes Chapters 36-39

Jon. 36:1-45:5 Judah's Final Days (Holman Bible Handbook; David S. Dockery, General Editor; pub. by Holman Bible Publishers)
This section opens (36:1-22) and closes (45:1-5) with material dating from the fourth and fifth years of Jehoiakim's reign. Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, plays a prominent role in these chapters that frame the section. The intervening chapters relate in chronological order various experiences of the prophet, beginning with his dealings with King Zedekiah and concluding with his messages to the Egyptian exiles following the fall of Jerusalem.

Jer. 36:1-22 Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll (Holman Bible Handbook; David S. Dockery, General Editor; pub. by Holman Bible Publishers)
The LORD instructed Jeremiah to record all of his prophetic messages on a scroll. Jeremiah dictated his messages to the scribe Baruch. Baruch took the scroll to the temple on an official day of fasting and read the prophecies to the people assembled there. When the royal officials heard the reading of the scroll, they told Baruch they must report its contents to the king. After warning Jeremiah and Baruch to go into hiding, they informed the king. As the scroll was read, Jehoiakim cut it up by columns and burned it. He then ordered the arrest of Jeremiah and Baruch, whom by this time the LORD had hidden. The LORD then instructed Jeremiah to dictate another scroll. He also announced that Jehoiakim would be punished severely for his disrespect.

Jer. 36:1-45:5 The trials, sufferings and persecution of Jeremiah.

Jer. 36:1 Fourth year: 605 B.C. See 25:1; 46:2.

Jer. 36:2 Roll: See the note for 30:2.

Jer. 36:3 A theme that is emphasized tie and again is that if the people repent and turn away from the ways of evil, GOD will not punish them as He has promised. Usually, when GOD confronts His people, the punishment has an educational and not punitive purpose. At the end, however, when they constantly reject divine grace and mercy, the punitive act becomes inevitable.

Jer. 36:4 Baruch See the note for 32:12. This verse indicates that the writing of the text of Jeremiah should be attributed to Baruch. Jeremiah would have been the editor of the final version.

Jer. 36:5 I am prohibited from entering: It's not known why Jeremiah was excluded from the temple, but it may have been due to his previous actions there (see 7:2-15; 20:1,2; 26:2-6).

Jer. 36:6 The fasting day: A great multitude gathered at the temple on the fasting day. This was proclaimed in times of great difficulties and not on any fixed date (see v.9).

Jer. 36:9 The fifth year and the ninth month mark the date of December of 604 B.C.

Jer. 36:10 Shaphan the scribe: A friend of Jeremiah (see 26:24; 29:3; II Kings 22:3) and the father of Ahicam, Elasa and Gemarias [this is the Spanish spelling of their names. I'm not sure of the English equivalent.]

Jer. 36:11-19 After Michaiah heard Baruch, he read the roll and asked that he read it again before various princes, who were moved and wished to inform Jehoiakim. Expecting an unfavorable reaction on the part of the king, they counseled Jeremiah and Baruch to hide themselves.

Jer. 36:12 Elnathan: See the note for 26:22.

Jer. 36:18 This is the only time that ink is mentioned in the Old Testament.

Jer. 36:18 INK (Manners & Customs of the Bible by James M. Freeman; pub. 1972 by Logos International; pp. 288,289)
"He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book."

The ink of the ancients was usually composed of lampblack, soot, or pulverized charcoal, prepared with gum and water. It was sold in small particles or grains. When needed for use some of the grains were put into the inkhorn, (see note on Ezek. 9:2) and mixed with water until the mixture became of the consistence of our modern printer's ink. It was of an intense glossy black, retaining its color for ages, yet easily obliterated with sponge and water. This is thought to be referred to in Numbers 5:23, and Colossians 2:14. The ink still used in the East is mostly of this character.

Ink is also mentioned in II Corinthians 3:3; II John 12, and III John 13.
For a description of books, see note on Job 19:23,24.

Jer. 36:20-26 Having been informed of the content of the roll, the king orders it brought to him and read. After having read barely three or four pages, the King tore it and burned it in the brasier.

Jer. 36:22 THE HEARTH (Manners & Customs of the Bible by James M. Freeman; pub. 1972 by Logos International)
"The king sat in the winter house in the ninth month, and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him." Ach, "hearth", is a portable furnace or stove. The rooms of Oriental houses are sometimes warmed at the present day by means of such pots or furnaces. "They have the form of a large pitcher, and are placed in the cavity sunk in the middle of the apartment. When the fire has burnt down, a frame like a table is placed over the pot, and the whole is then covered with a carpet; and those who wish to warm themselves sit upon the floor and thrust their feet and legs, and even the lower part of their bodies, under the carpet." - ROBINSON'S Gesenius.

Jer. 36:23 In strong contrast with the reaction of King Josiah, who tore his clothes when he heard the Word of GOD (II Kings 22:11-23:3; 34:21-24), Jehoiakim tore the roll of the prophecy and tried to destroy the Word of GOD.

Jer. 36:27-32 After the destruction of the roll by Jehoiakim, Jeremiah was ordered to take another roll and write all the earlier words with additional commentaries about Jehoiakim.

Jer. 36:30 He will not have anyone to sit upon the throne of David: His son Jehoiachin governed only three months and was carried captive to Babylonia (see II Kings 24:8,12,15). His body shall be cast out: The punishment for having cast the roll into the fire (v.23; 22:18,19).

Jer. 37:1-38:28 Zedekiah Imprisons Jeremiah (Holman Bible Handbook; David S. Dockery, General Editor; pub. by Holman Bible Publishers)
During the siege of Jerusalem in 588 B.C. the Babylonians temporarily withdrew from the city to fight an army sent out by Egypt, one of Judah's allies. Jeremiah warned Zedekiah that the city's relief was only temporary. The Babylonians would push back the Egyptians and then destroy Jerusalem. Jeremiah was arrested as a traitor, beaten, and imprisoned for a lengthy period of time in the dungeon. Zedekiah eventually sent for Jeremiah to see if he had any new word from the LORD. Jeremiah repeated his earlier message of judgment, protested his innocence, and asked the king not to send him back to the dungeon. Zedekiah granted his request and sent him to the courtyard of the guard.

While similarities between chapters 37 and 38 might suggest they are parallel accounts of the same events, differences in details make it more likely that chapter 38 records events subsequent to those of chapter 37. While in the courtyard of the guard, Jeremiah continued to proclaim his message of impending judgment. Several royal officials complained to Zedekiah, arguing that Jeremiah should be put to death as a traitor. With the king's approval they lowered the prophet into a muddy cistern, where they intended to let him starve. Ebed-Melech, a palace official, objected to the king, who agreed to let Ebed-Melech rescue Jeremiah from the cistern. Zedekiah again met privately with the prophet. The king expressed his fear that the Babylonians would deliver him over to the hostile pro-Babylonian Jewish party. Jeremiah assured the king that if he surrendered to the Babylonians his life would be preserved. At the same time he warned that resistance would result only in humiliation and ruin. Zedekiah warned Jeremiah to keep their conversation a secret and allowed him to remain in the courtyard of the guard.

Jer. 37:1 Zedekiah: Josiah's third son to occupy the throne. His appointment represented the prophecy of 36:30 about Jehoiachin, his brother.

Jer. 37:3 Pray now: See 21:1; 34:21,22. The petition may have been directed toward making the temporary suspension of the siege of the city (v.5) permanent.

Jer. 37:7 Pharaoh's army was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar (see Ezek. 30:21-26) and returned to their own land.

Jer. 37:11-21 While trying to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin, during a brief lifting of the siege (v.12), Jeremiah was apprehended and put into prison (v.15).

Jer. 37:13 You are crossing over to the Chaldeans: The accusation by Irijah was justified because Jeremiah had called for surrender to the Babylonians (21:9; 38:2) and many had already deserted (38:19; 39:9; 52:15).

Jer. 37:15 And flogged him: See the note for 20:2.

Jer. 37:16 See section 5 of "TRUTH IN ACTION" at the end of Jeremiah.

Jer. 37:16 Into the house of the cistern, and into the vault (KJV-into the dungeon, and into the cabins): The place of solitary confinement, probably a cistern conditioned for this use.

Jer. 37:17-21 The king secretly met with Jeremiah in order to obtain help for his uprising, but he went away disillusioned (see 21:1). However, he changed Jeremiah's place of confinement (v.21; 32:2) and provided him with food until the fall of the city.

Jer. 38:1-13 Jeremiah recommended surrender time and time again, and this was considered dangerous by the royal pro-Egyptian counselors Gedaliah, Jucal (the Jucal of 37:3) and Pashur, who asked the king to condemn him to death. Jeremiah was placed in a cistern and abandoned there to die, but Ebed-melech, an official of the court (eunuch), rescued him.

Jer. 38:7 The king sitting in the gate of Benjamin: To hear complaints and resolve litigations. This permitted Ebed-melech to approach him with a complaint.

Jer. 38:9 For there is no more bread: But compare with 37:21. If there hadn't been bread, bringing Jeremiah out wouldn't have served him much.

Jer. 38:10 Thirty is read as "three" in some Hebrew manuscripts. If the correct citation is 30, perhaps it was necessary protection for carrying out the order.

Jer. 38:14-28 Zedekiah had Jeremiah brought to him again, who continued to call for surrender. Since Zedekiah feared those who had already deserted and the court officials, he continued wavering.

Jer. 39:1-40:6 Jerusalem's Fall and Jeremiah's Release (Holman Bible Handbook; David S. Dockery, General Editor; pub. by Holman Bible Publishers)
After a long siege Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Zedekiah ran for his life, but the Babylonians captured him near Jericho and brought him to Nebuchadnezzar. Before the king's eyes the Babylonians executed his sons and the nobles of Judah. They then put Zedekiah's eyes out and took him to Babylon. The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and carried most of the population away into exile, leaving only poor behind.

In the midst of this disaster, Jeremiah was not forgotten. By royal order Nebuzaradan, one of Nebuchadnezzar's high-ranking officials, released Jeremiah from the courtyard of the guard and turned him over to Gedaliah.

Details of the prophet's release follow a brief parenthesis indicating that Ebed-Melech was spared [compare 38:7-13). After his initial release Jeremiah somehow got mixed in with those being taken into exile. Nebuzaradan freed him and gave him the option to go to Babylon or stay in the land. Jeremiah decided on the latter and returned to Gedaliah, the newly appointed governor.

Jer. 39:1 The ninth year and the tenth month were January of 588 B.C. (see 52:4; II Kings 25:1).

Jer. 39:2 The city fell on July 18, 586 B.C. (see 52:5,6; II Kings 25:2,3). Some experts, using a different method of calculation, date the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.

Jer. 39:3 The Babylonian officials constituted a united military government. Only three of them are mentioned: Nergal-sharezer, of Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim the Rabsaris, and Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag (Nergal-sharezer, v.13). A contemporary Babylonian inscription cites Nergal-sharezer as governor of Sin-magir (Samgar). "Rabsaris" is the title of a high functionary. "Rabmag" is someone of high office.

Jer. 39:4 By the road to Araba (KJV-the way of the plain): A broad valley that extended from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea. Jericho was a principal city of the Araba.

Jer. 39:5 Riblah in the land of Hamath: A Syrian city situated along the banks of the Orontes River, 56 km. (33.6 miles) northeast of Baalbek and south of Cades (see 52:9; II Kings 25:6).

Jer. 39:13 See the note for verse 3.

Jer. 39:14 Gedaliah son of Ahikam: See the note for 26:24.