The Meaning of Jeremiah 36:23 Explained

Jeremiah 36:23

KJV: And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.

YLT: and it cometh to pass, when Jehudi readeth three or four leaves, he cutteth it out with the scribe's knife, and hath cast unto the fire, that is on the stove, till the consumption of all the roll by the fire that is on the stove.

Darby: And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four columns, he cut it with the scribe's knife, and cast it into the fire that was in the pan until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was in the pan.

ASV: And it came to pass, when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, that the king cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass, [that] when Jehudi  had read  three  or four  leaves,  he cut  it with the penknife,  and cast  [it] into the fire  that [was] on the hearth,  until all the roll  was consumed  in the fire  that [was] on the hearth. 

What does Jeremiah 36:23 Mean?

Verse Meaning

After Jehudi had read a few columns of text, Jehoiakim reached over and cut off what he had read and tossed it into the fire. He did this with the whole scroll; he burned it all up. This was a symbolic act; Jehoiakim was claiming that Jeremiah"s prophecies would come to an end just as surely as his scroll came to an end. [1] Jehoiakim"s slow, methodical destruction of the scroll made his rejection of its message a much more emphatic gesture than if he had burned the whole thing at once in a fit of rage. [2]
Scrolls consisted of several sheet of papyrus or parchment that had been glued together and wrapped around a small rod. As the reader rolled the scroll off the rod and read it from right to left, the printing appeared in parallel, perpendicular columns that resembled doors. The Hebrew word for "column," delathoth, literally means "door." Binding documents in book (codex) form was unknown in Old Testament times.
This king"s response to hearing the Lord"s Word stands in stark contrast to that of his father Josiah, who tore his clothes in remorse when he heard the law scroll read to him ( 2 Kings 22:11-20). Josiah had feared and called the people to repentance, but Jehoiakim feared nothing and called for the prophet"s arrest.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 36:1-32 - A Vain Attempt To Destroy God's Word
These written words had been directly given from God, Jeremiah 36:18. The fast was instituted to seek divine help in the approaching conflict with Nebuchadnezzar. But of what good is a fast while the evils of apostasy and disobedience are unredressed? It was against these that Jeremiah protested; and his words were read to a vast concourse of people by Baruch his faithful friend. It was the month of December, and the royal chamber was warmed by a brazier of burning charcoal. As Jehudi read, the godless king cut the roll with a penknife and consigned it to the fire. All down the ages false priests have dealt thus with the Word that condemned them. But a sailor does not escape shipwreck by destroying the chart which indicates the rocks on which he is drifting. God's words are eternal, though the material on which they are written may perish. He who rejects God's truth does so at his peril, while God hides His faithful servants in the secret of His presence, secure from the attacks of enemies. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 36

1  Jeremiah causes Baruch to write his prophesy,
5  and publicly to read it
11  The princes, having intelligence thereof by Michaiah,
14  send Jehudi to fetch the roll and read it
19  They will Baruch to hide himself and Jeremiah
20  The king, Jehoiakim, being certified thereof, hears part of it and burns the roll
27  Jeremiah denounces his judgment
32  Baruch writes a new copy

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 36:23 mean?

And it came to pass when had read Jehudi three columns or four [that the king] cut it with knife the scribe's and cast [it] into the fire that [was] on the hearth until was consumed all the scroll in on the hearth
וַיְהִ֣י ׀ כִּקְר֣וֹא יְהוּדִ֗י שָׁלֹ֣שׁ דְּלָתוֹת֮ וְאַרְבָּעָה֒ יִֽקְרָעֶ֙הָ֙ בְּתַ֣עַר הַסֹּפֵ֔ר וְהַשְׁלֵ֕ךְ אֶל־ הָאֵ֖שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶל־ הָאָ֑ח עַד־ תֹּם֙ כָּל־ הַמְּגִלָּ֔ה עַל־ עַל־ הָאָֽח

וַיְהִ֣י ׀  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כִּקְר֣וֹא  when  had  read 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
יְהוּדִ֗י  Jehudi 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדִי  
Sense: son of Nethaniah and servant of king Jehoiakim.
שָׁלֹ֣שׁ  three 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
דְּלָתוֹת֮  columns 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: דַּל 
Sense: door, gate.
וְאַרְבָּעָה֒  or  four 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
יִֽקְרָעֶ֙הָ֙  [that  the  king]  cut  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: קָרַע  
Sense: to tear, tear in pieces.
בְּתַ֣עַר  with  knife 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תַּעַר  
Sense: razor, sheath (making naked).
הַסֹּפֵ֔ר  the  scribe's 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סָפַר 
Sense: to count, recount, relate.
וְהַשְׁלֵ֕ךְ  and  cast  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הָאֵ֖שׁ  the  fire 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הָאָ֑ח  the  hearth 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַח  
Sense: fire-pot, brazier.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
תֹּם֙  was  consumed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: תָּמַם  
Sense: to be complete, be finished, be at an end.
הַמְּגִלָּ֔ה  the  scroll 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְגִלָּה  
Sense: roll, book, writing.
הָאָֽח  the  hearth 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַח  
Sense: fire-pot, brazier.