Jeremiah 36:19 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 36:19 kjv
Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye be.
Jeremiah 36:19 nkjv
Then the princes said to Baruch, "Go and hide, you and Jeremiah; and let no one know where you are."
Jeremiah 36:19 niv
Then the officials said to Baruch, "You and Jeremiah, go and hide. Don't let anyone know where you are."
Jeremiah 36:19 esv
Then the officials said to Baruch, "Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are."
Jeremiah 36:19 nlt
"You and Jeremiah should both hide," the officials told Baruch. "Don't tell anyone where you are!"
Jeremiah 36 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:1 | The Lord had said to Abram, "Go from your country, your people... | Divine instruction for relocation |
| Exod 2:3 | When she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him... | Hiding for child protection |
| 1 Kgs 17:3 | "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan." | Prophet instructed to hide for safety |
| 1 Kgs 18:4 | While Jezebel was killing the Lord's prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them... | Protection of prophets from persecution |
| Ps 27:5 | For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me... | God as a hiding place |
| Ps 31:20 | In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigue... | God's protective presence |
| Ps 91:1-4 | Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty... | Security in God's protection |
| Isa 49:2 | He made my mouth like a sharpened sword... he hid me in the shadow of his hand. | Prophet protected by God |
| Jer 20:10 | "Terror on every side!" they cry. "Denounce him! Let's denounce him!"... | Hostility towards prophets |
| Jer 26:20-23 | Uriah son of Shemaiah... prophesied against this city... King Jehoiakim... sent Elnathan... to bring Uriah back from Egypt... and put him to death. | King's persecution of a prophet |
| Jer 38:7-10 | But Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian eunuch... interceded with the king for Jeremiah. | Intervention by officials to save prophet |
| Ezek 3:25-26 | they will bind you with ropes... so you cannot go out among the people or rebuke them... | Restrictions on prophet's ministry |
| Amos 7:10-13 | Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam... "Amos is raising a conspiracy..." | Religious opposition to prophet's message |
| Zech 1:4-6 | "Do not be like your ancestors... the prophets entreated them: 'Turn from your evil ways'..." | Rejection of prophetic word |
| Matt 2:13 | An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt..." | Divine instruction to flee persecution |
| Matt 10:16 | "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." | Prudence in ministry and danger |
| Matt 10:23 | When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. | Instruction to flee persecution |
| Acts 5:40 | They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak... | Persecution of God's messengers in NT |
| Acts 9:24-25 | but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch... So his followers took him by night... | Apostolic escape from danger |
| Acts 23:16 | But when Paul's nephew heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul. | Protecting a messenger from a plot |
| Phil 1:7 | for you have all shared with me in God’s grace—both in my imprisonment and in my defending and confirming the gospel. | Standing firm despite imprisonment |
| Heb 11:37-38 | They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword... | Faith in the face of extreme persecution |
Jeremiah 36 verses
Jeremiah 36 19 meaning
Jeremiah 36:19 conveys a urgent warning and a practical command from the royal officials to Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe. After hearing the prophetic words against Judah and Jerusalem from the scroll, the officials recognized the immense danger posed by King Jehoiakim's probable wrath. Their instruction was for Baruch and Jeremiah to immediately and completely go into hiding, ensuring no one would know their whereabouts, thus safeguarding them from the king's certain retribution. It highlights the perceived threat to the lives of the prophets due to their faithful proclamation of God's message.
Jeremiah 36 19 Context
Jeremiah chapter 36 details the writing of Jeremiah's prophecies on a scroll by his scribe Baruch. This occurred in the fourth year of King Jehoiakim's reign (around 605 BC), a time of significant geopolitical turmoil with the rising Babylonian empire. God commanded Jeremiah to record all the words he had spoken against Israel, Judah, and all nations since Josiah's reign, in the hope that hearing it might lead the people to repentance and avert the coming judgment. Baruch read this scroll publicly in the temple courts. Later, he read it to a group of royal officials in the scribes' chamber. Upon hearing the scroll's content – a message of imminent destruction for Jerusalem and Judah – these officials reacted with great fear and distress, sensing the grave danger this prophecy would pose to Jeremiah and Baruch, especially knowing King Jehoiakim's defiance and hostile attitude towards God's prophets and messages. Verse 19 specifically captures their protective response before presenting the scroll to the king.
Jeremiah 36 19 Word analysis
- Then (וַיֹּאמְרוּ / va·yo·meru): A temporal conjunction indicating the sequence of events. It marks the immediate reaction of the officials after hearing the scroll's contents.
- the officials (הַשָּׂרִים / ha·sa·rim):
śarîm(שָׂרִים), meaning "princes," "chiefs," or "officials." These were high-ranking court administrators. Their advice to hide suggests they recognized the king's volatile nature and the severity of the prophetic message, implying a degree of respect for the warning, even if not full conversion to faith. - said to Baruch (אֶל־בָּרוּךְ / el-ba·rukh): Baruch was Jeremiah's scribe and close confidant, instrumental in delivering the written word. The instruction is directed at him, as he was the immediate conduit for the scroll.
- You and Jeremiah (אַתָּה וְיִרְמְיָהוּ / at·ta wə·yir·mə·ya·hu): Specifically names both the scribe and the prophet. Both were seen as primary targets for the king's anger, due to their direct involvement with the message.
- must go into hiding (הִסָּתֵר֙ / his·sa·ter): This is a Niphal Imperative of the verb סָתַר (sātar), meaning "to hide oneself," "be concealed." It's an active and urgent command for self-preservation, emphasizing the necessity of immediate action. It reflects the gravity of the officials' fear for their safety.
- and no one must know where you are (וְאִישׁ לֹֽא־יֵדַע֙ אֵיפֹ֥ה אַתֶּֽם / wə·’ish lo ye·da’ ‘e·fo ‘at·tem): This phrase stresses the absolute secrecy required. The extent of the hiding was crucial for their protection, highlighting the perilous environment for God's messengers.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Then the officials said to Baruch": This phrase shows the hierarchical structure and the flow of authority. The officials, acting out of a sense of responsibility and perhaps concern for justice or their own positions, address Baruch first, as he was the one presenting the scroll.
- "You and Jeremiah must go into hiding": This imperative sentence reveals the urgency and directness of the command. It's a pragmatic counsel driven by the imminent danger, demonstrating that even those outside the prophetic office sometimes recognized the value, or at least the danger, of God's word.
- "and no one must know where you are": This final clause amplifies the need for absolute secrecy. It suggests a thorough attempt to obscure their location, acknowledging the widespread power of the king to find dissenters.
Jeremiah 36 19 Bonus section
The officials' warning to Baruch and Jeremiah to hide is not just an act of prudence but can also be seen as a fulfillment of God's protective promise to Jeremiah earlier in his ministry (Jer 1:8, 19). Though delivered through human agents, this provision for safety underscores that even in hostile environments, God orchestrates means to preserve His messengers and His message. This event further illustrates the principle that faithfully delivering God's truth can bring personal danger, necessitating reliance on divine guidance for practical survival strategies. The narrative also sets up the dramatic conflict between the temporary power of an earthly king to destroy a physical scroll, and the enduring, eternal power of God's spoken word, which cannot be extinguished.
Jeremiah 36 19 Commentary
Jeremiah 36:19 marks a crucial juncture in the narrative, revealing the profound impact of God's unyielding word on those who hear it, even those within the secular power structure. The royal officials, not necessarily converted believers, exhibit remarkable prudence and perhaps a vestige of reverence for the divine word by immediately apprehending the king's likely violent reaction to Jeremiah's prophecies of judgment. Their counsel for Baruch and Jeremiah to hide is an act of significant protection, prioritizing the safety of the prophet and his scribe, and by extension, the integrity of the divine message. This action directly contrasts with King Jehoiakim's later defiant act of burning the scroll, showcasing different responses to uncomfortable truth. The officials, caught between the prophet's challenging message and the king's tyrannical disposition, choose a path of discreet assistance, demonstrating a fragile but crucial layer of protection for God's servants. This highlights the practical need for wisdom and caution in ministry, even for divinely appointed messengers, and God's sovereign use of human agents for their protection.