Jeremiah 36 29

Jeremiah 36:29 kjv

And 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?

Jeremiah 36:29 nkjv

And you shall say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, 'Thus says the LORD: "You have burned this scroll, saying, 'Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and cause man and beast to cease from here?' "

Jeremiah 36:29 niv

Also tell Jehoiakim king of Judah, 'This is what the LORD says: You burned that scroll and said, "Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this land and wipe from it both man and beast?"

Jeremiah 36:29 esv

And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, 'Thus says the LORD, You have burned this scroll, saying, "Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut off from it man and beast?"

Jeremiah 36:29 nlt

Then say to the king, 'This is what the LORD says: You burned the scroll because it said the king of Babylon would destroy this land and empty it of people and animals.

Jeremiah 36 verses

Jeremiah 36 29 meaning

Jeremiah 36:29 details God's direct accusation against King Jehoiakim of Judah, delivered through Jeremiah, for his egregious act of burning the scroll containing divine prophecies. This burning was an overt act of defiance, expressing Jehoiakim's unbelief and rejection of the LORD's message that the Babylonian king would assuredly invade, utterly devastate the land, and strip it of all its inhabitants and livestock. The verse underscores God's steadfastness in delivering His word, despite human attempts to suppress it.

Jeremiah 36 29 Context

Jeremiah chapter 36 details the writing, public reading, and destruction of Jeremiah's prophetic scroll, followed by God's reaffirmation and amplification of the message. In the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign (c. 605/604 BCE), Jeremiah dictated all the prophecies God had given him since Josiah's time to his scribe, Baruch. This scroll, filled with warnings of judgment against Judah and its neighbors, was publicly read twice: first by Baruch in the temple courts (verses 9-10), then by the royal officials to King Jehoiakim (verses 14-19).

Jehoiakim, an ungodly king installed by Egypt, was determined to resist God's message of impending Babylonian subjugation. Upon hearing just a few columns of the scroll, he impulsively seized it, cut it with a scribe's knife, and threw it into a burning brazier (verse 23), an act demonstrating profound contempt for the divine word. He did this despite pleas from his officials. God then instructed Jeremiah to dictate a new scroll to Baruch, which contained the original message "and many similar words were added to them" (verse 32), alongside a specific, severe judgment against Jehoiakim for his blasphemous act. Jeremiah 36:29 is part of this intensified, re-dictated prophecy, serving as the explicit divine condemnation for the king's brazen rejection.

Jeremiah 36 29 Word analysis

• And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you are to say:

  • And concerning Jehoiakim: The Hebrew, "ʿal-yəhôyāqîm," explicitly targets the king, framing the following declaration as a direct divine verdict against him. "Jehoiakim" (יהוֹיָקִים, Yəhôyāqîm) means "Yahweh raises up," an ironic name for a king who vehemently opposed the LORD.
  • king of Judah: Identifies his high office, intensifying the gravity of his rebellion. He was God's chosen earthly representative, yet he defied God's word.
  • you are to say: Marks Jeremiah's role as a divine messenger. He must convey this specific message from God.

• 'Thus says the LORD:

  • Thus says the LORD (kōh-ʾāmar YHWH): The quintessential prophetic formula, underscoring the absolute authority and divine origin of the subsequent message. It signals that this is not Jeremiah's opinion but a direct word from God.

• You have burned this scroll, saying,

  • You have burned (śāraftāʾ): From the verb שָׂרַף (śāraf), meaning "to burn completely, to consume." This implies not just destruction but a deliberate act of hostility, an attempt to obliterate God's word, showing contempt.
  • this scroll (hammegillâ hazzōʾt): Refers to the physical written record of Jeremiah's prophecies. The definite article "this" refers to the specific scroll Jehoiakim destroyed.
  • saying: Indicates the stated reason or justification Jehoiakim gave for his action, which exposed his hardened heart.

• "Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land and remove man and beast from it?"'

  • Why have you written in it: Jehoiakim's rhetorical question is not seeking an answer but expressing rejection and incredulity. He saw the prophecy as an unacceptable lie or threat.
  • the king of Babylon: Refers to Nebuchadnezzar, whom God used as His instrument of judgment against Judah. Acknowledging Babylon's role was politically unpopular.
  • will certainly come (bōʾ yāḇōʾ): A strong Hebrew infinitive absolute construction (verb root bo "come" used twice). It emphasizes absolute certainty, inevitability, and divine decree. It was not a possibility but a determined action.
  • and destroy (wəšikkēt): From שָׁכַךְ (šāḵaḵ), meaning "to subside, be subdued," or in hiphil stem, "to lay waste, devastate." This points to a thorough and brutal devastation of the land.
  • this land: Specifically refers to the land of Judah, Jerusalem, and its surrounding territories.
  • and remove man and beast from it:
    • remove (wəhišbît): From שָׁבַת (šāḇat), meaning "to cease, to make to cease, to exterminate." Here, it signifies depopulation and utter desolation, a comprehensive destruction of all life.
    • man and beast: A common biblical phrase for all living creatures. Its inclusion signifies the total, comprehensive nature of the judgment – the land would be made utterly desolate, unfit for human or animal habitation. This imagery connects to ancient Near Eastern conquest descriptions and also echoes covenant curses where the land would be rendered desolate.

Words-group Analysis:

• "And concerning Jehoiakim... 'Thus says the LORD: You have burned this scroll": This phrase encapsulates the direct confrontation between divine authority and human defiance. The official king is addressed, only to be charged with rejecting the very word of his divine Sovereign. His act of burning the scroll is not just a political act but a religious rebellion.

• "Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land and remove man and beast from it?": This entire quote reveals Jehoiakim's perspective. He perceived the prophecy not as divine truth, but as a dangerous, treasonous political message. His questioning ("Why have you written?") underlines his refusal to believe or accept the severe, comprehensive judgment (Babylonian invasion, land destruction, total depopulation) that awaited Judah because of its sins. This shows not only defiance but an inability to reconcile God's just wrath with his desired national stability. The emphasis on "certainly come" underscores the futility of his resistance against a divinely orchestrated plan.

Jeremiah 36 29 Bonus section

The account of Jehoiakim burning Jeremiah's scroll, specifically highlighted in Jeremiah 36:29, bears significant symbolic weight beyond a mere act of defiance. It is one of the few instances in Scripture where a human ruler so brazenly and deliberately attempts to obliterate the written word of God. This act prefigures the broader cultural and spiritual destruction that unfolded in Judah, signaling a deep rejection of truth and covenant fidelity. It illustrates the principle that those who suppress the truth do so to their own condemnation. Ironically, by burning the scroll, Jehoiakim ensured that God's judgment would not only come but would be further clarified and expanded against him personally, proving that the word of God cannot be chained or silenced by human hands or political power. This incident served as a dramatic, visible lesson to the surrounding remnant that God's word stood firm regardless of human reception.

Jeremiah 36 29 Commentary

Jeremiah 36:29 serves as a potent reminder of the inviolability of God's word and the severe consequences of its rejection. King Jehoiakim's act of burning the scroll was an audacious, desperate attempt to erase an uncomfortable truth and assert human autonomy over divine will. He believed that destroying the physical medium could nullify the message. However, this act ironically propelled the prophecy into greater prominence and certainty. God's response was not one of defeat but an intensification: His word, though attacked, not only remained but gained more severe dimensions (Jer 36:32). Jehoiakim's rhetorical question, "Why have you written in it...?", reveals his pride and profound spiritual blindness, refusing to acknowledge the justice of God's impending judgment through Babylon. The explicit mention of the "certainty" of Babylon's coming and the "removal of man and beast" signifies that no amount of human defiance can alter the course of God's sovereign plan for judgment and ultimate restoration. This event powerfully demonstrates that human actions cannot thwart God's ultimate purposes; instead, they often become catalysts for His intensified actions.