Jeremiah 36 20

Jeremiah 36:20 kjv

And 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.

Jeremiah 36:20 nkjv

And they went to the king, into the court; but they stored the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the hearing of the king.

Jeremiah 36:20 niv

After they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the king in the courtyard and reported everything to him.

Jeremiah 36:20 esv

So they went into the court to the king, having put the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the secretary, and they reported all the words to the king.

Jeremiah 36:20 nlt

Then the officials left the scroll for safekeeping in the room of Elishama the secretary and went to tell the king what had happened.

Jeremiah 36 verses

Jeremiah 36 20 meaning

Jeremiah 36:20 describes the sequence of events as King Jehoiakim's officials approach him in the royal court to report on the scroll discovered earlier. Before directly addressing the king, they first placed the physical scroll for safekeeping in the chamber of Elishama the scribe. Subsequently, they relayed the full content of the scroll's divine message to the king by verbally recounting its words, ensuring he heard its pronouncements.

Jeremiah 36 20 Context

Jeremiah 36 recounts the dramatic saga of God's written word delivered to Judah during King Jehoiakim's volatile reign (c. 609-598 BCE). Faced with God's impending judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem due to their sin, the Lord commanded Jeremiah to write all the prophetic words previously spoken. Jeremiah dictated these messages of warning and call to repentance to his scribe, Baruch, who then publicly read the scroll to the people and officials. In verse 20, the officials who heard Baruch read the scroll reported its contents to King Jehoiakim. The act of storing the scroll away reflects both their careful handling of important documents and possibly an attempt to shield the scroll from the king's notorious wrath, anticipating his negative reaction to Jeremiah's prophetic denunciations against the royal house and nation.

Jeremiah 36 20 Word analysis

• Then they went in: Hebrew: וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ (vayavo'u) - "And they came." Implies immediate action following the events described in the preceding verses. The officials understood the gravity of the scroll's contents and felt compelled to report to the highest authority swiftly.
• to the king: King Jehoiakim, a rebellious and wicked king, known for his pride, oppression, and disdain for prophetic warnings. He opposed Jeremiah's message.
• into the court: Hebrew: הֶחָצֵֽר (hechatzēr) - The courtyard, indicating the royal administrative or reception area, where the king held audience. It signifies a formal setting for significant matters.
• but they had stored: Hebrew: וְאֶת־הַמְּגִלָּ֙ה֙ הִפְקִ֤ידוּ (ve'et-hammegillah hiphqidu) - "But the scroll they committed/deposited/entrusted." The verb הִפְקִידוּ implies careful placement or assignment for safekeeping, not merely discarding. This action is pivotal, suggesting either protection of the physical scroll, an effort to control the presentation of its message, or a mixed motive by the officials who recognized its import.
• the scroll: Hebrew: הַמְּגִלָּה (hammegillah) - The written parchment or papyrus, containing Jeremiah's dictated prophecies. It represents the tangible, authoritative Word of God. The divine message was recorded to endure, providing a permanent record of God's warnings and intentions.
• in the chamber of Elishama the scribe: Hebrew: בְּלִשְׁכַּ֕ת אֱלִישָׁמָ֥ע הַסֹּפֵֽר (belishkat Elishama hassopher) - A chamber was a designated room in a large house or palace. Elishama was a high-ranking official, a scribe, whose chambers would be a secure place for official documents. This detail adds authenticity to the storage location and implies that the officials had considered its safekeeping important. It highlights that the word was given an institutional "storage," though it did not prevent the king's subsequent destruction of it.
• and they told all the words: Hebrew: וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִֽים (vayyagidu lammelekh et kol-haddevarim) - "And they declared/reported to the king all the words." The officials recited the message verbatim, or at least its essential points. This ensures the king's responsibility for hearing the divine warning, even if second-hand.
• in the hearing of the king: Emphasizes that the king was the direct recipient of the reported message, implying direct accountability for his response.

Words-group analysis

• "they went in to the king, into the court": This phrase details the formal protocol observed by the officials, demonstrating their commitment to bring the grave message to the supreme authority of the land. It underscores the political stage upon which divine revelation unfolds, and the hierarchical structure involved in communicating prophetic truth to rulers.
• "but they had stored the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe": This conjunction "but" highlights a significant deviation from simply presenting the scroll. The act of storing the scroll separately from its verbal recitation indicates careful thought and strategy on the part of the officials. This decision could stem from a desire to:
  • Protect the precious physical document from the king's potential wrath.
  • Give themselves an opportunity to gauge the king's reaction before revealing the source directly.
  • Distance themselves from the actual writing to mitigate their own risk, by acting merely as messengers of a message they themselves had just heard. The scribe's chamber suggests an official, safe repository, ironically for a document the king would soon try to annihilate.
• "and they told all the words in the hearing of the king": This phrase confirms that the content of the scroll, the very word of God, was indeed communicated to King Jehoiakim. The "all the words" signifies thoroughness, not just a summary, making the king fully aware and therefore responsible for the prophecy's pronouncements. The focus is on the act of hearing, emphasizing the king's personal encounter with God's truth, however indirectly conveyed.

Jeremiah 36 20 Bonus section

The actions of these officials (princes, often referred to as 'sarim') are noteworthy for their ambiguity. While they fulfilled their duty by relaying the message to the king, their decision to hide the physical scroll prior to this suggests a complex motive. They were not simply passive conveyors; they exercised discretion. This choice can be interpreted as a practical measure to:

• Protect Jeremiah and Baruch by not directly linking them to the scroll in the king's immediate presence.
• Anticipate and prepare for Jehoiakim's negative response, knowing his volatile nature towards messages of judgment.
• Potentially preserve the scroll itself, understanding its immense value and sacredness, even if Jehoiakim would later attempt to destroy its copies.This act underscores the peril faced by those who convey unpopular divine messages to unrighteous rulers, necessitating a blend of courage, caution, and wisdom in fulfilling their mandate. Their actions indirectly preserved the continuity of Jeremiah's prophecies through future re-writing (Jer 36:32).

Jeremiah 36 20 Commentary

Jeremiah 36:20 serves as a crucial transition point, where the divinely inspired message, painstakingly recorded by Baruch, reaches its intended, albeit most resistant, audience: King Jehoiakim. The officials' decision to "store the scroll" before delivering its content verbally to the king reveals their shrewdness, and perhaps a measure of respect or fear concerning the scroll's ultimate fate. It shows a desire to both deliver the message and potentially preserve the physical artifact from Jehoiakim's well-known tyrannical disposition. The fact that they "told all the words" confirms the message's complete transfer, despite its secondary conveyance, thus placing full accountability on Jehoiakim for his subsequent reaction. This scene powerfully sets the stage for the dramatic confrontation between God's word and human defiance, underscoring the king's deliberate rejection of truth.