Jeremiah 36:16
When they heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear. And they said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
These officials didn't just hear the words; they trembled, looking to each other in fear, a vivid picture of their shared alarm. Their immediate response, "We must report this to the king," wasn't just about tattling; it revealed a sense of official duty mixed with the hope that the king might somehow provide a solution to the dreadful pronouncements.
After hearing Jeremiah's entire message read aloud by Baruch, the officials reacted with palpable fear, looking at each other in alarm and realizing the gravity of the prophet's words. Their immediate thought wasn't to dismiss the message but to acknowledge their official duty: they must report these dire pronouncements to King Jehoiakim, despite their own fear and the potential consequences.
As the powerful words of God's judgment echoed in the room, a palpable fear swept through the officials. Why did their fear manifest as trembling and looking to each other?
When Baruch finished reading Jeremiah's scroll, the officials didn't react with anger or dismissal. Instead, the text says they "turned one to another in fear" (or "trembled each to his neighbor"). This wasn't just a mild unease; it was a visceral reaction to the weight of God's impending judgment.
Acknowledging Divine Authority
This fear stemmed from a dawning recognition of God's power and the truth of Jeremiah's warnings. They knew Jeremiah had been prophesying for years, and his words often proved true. This encounter forced them to confront the reality of God's judgment.
Shifting Focus
However, their fear was also described as looking to each other. This suggests a fear that was outward-focused rather than inward. True godly fear leads to self-examination and repentance. Their communal trembling, while acknowledging the message, didn't immediately lead to deep personal conviction or a turning towards God.
They heard God's message, they feared its implications, yet their immediate thought was to report it to the king. What drove this sense of obligation?
The officials' response, "We must report all these words to the king," reveals a complex mix of motives. While they felt the tremors of divine warning, their primary action was rooted in their role as royal counselors.
Official Responsibility
As high-ranking officials, they had a duty to inform the king, especially about matters that could have national implications – and a scroll filled with prophecies of doom certainly qualified. They saw it as their official obligation, a matter of state security.
Courtly Religion
This action also highlights the nature of "courtly religion." They acknowledged God's message and its potential consequences, but their ultimate allegiance seemed to remain with the earthly king. Their religion was performed within the bounds of political expediency, aiming to neither offend God greatly nor lose favor with the king. Their fear of God was tempered by their fear of political repercussions.
Understand the original words
pachad · Hebrew Noun
A state of alarm or dread, often prompted by the realization of divine judgment or the impending consequences of sin against God. In a biblical context, it frequently signifies a recognition of God's holiness or authority.
melek · Hebrew Noun
A term referring to the sovereign ruler of a nation, holding judicial and administrative power. In the Old Testament, the king is often depicted as responsible for leading the nation in covenant faithfulness to Yahweh.
The officials' fear highlights the weighty reality of God's judgment, but their immediate decision to report to the king, rather than repenting, reveals a courtly religion more concerned with political expediency than genuine obedience to God.
c. 630 BC
King Josiah's Reign Begins
Josiah becomes king of Judah and begins a significant religious reformation, seeking to restore worship to Yahweh alone. Many officials likely absorbed some religious principles during his reign.
c. 626 BC
Jeremiah Begins Prophesying
Jeremiah receives his call from God to prophesy to Judah, beginning a ministry that would span over 40 years, warning of impending judgment.
609 BC
Death of King Josiah
Josiah is killed in battle at Megiddo, a tragic event that marked the end of his reform efforts and a turning point for Judah, leading to a period of unstable leadership and increasing political turmoil.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, prince of Babylon, defeats the Egyptian army at Carchemish and begins deporting some of Judah's elite, including young men like Daniel, to Babylon. This signals the increasing power of Babylon over Judah.
Saul confesses his sin and fear when confronted with God's word, mirroring the princes' fear in Jeremiah 36, though Saul's fear is more personal and less about reporting to an earthly authority.
Luke 12:4-5Jesus warns his followers not to fear those who can kill the body but not the soul, contrasting with the princes' fear of the king which overrides their fear of God's judgment.
Acts 5:29Peter and the apostles declare they must obey God rather than men, a principle the princes in Jeremiah 36 struggle with as they feel compelled to report to the king.
Romans 1:18This passage speaks of God's wrath being revealed against ungodliness, which is the core message the princes are afraid of when they hear Jeremiah's scroll read aloud.
Proverbs 29:25The fear of man brings a snare, which directly applies to the princes who, out of fear of the king, are caught in a difficult situation of knowing God's judgment but hesitating to fully obey Him.
barnesJeremiah 36:16: "Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and other, and said unto Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words."
They were afraid both one and other - literally, "they trembled each to his neighbor," i. e., they showed their alarm by their looks and gestures one to another. They felt that what he had so consistently prophesied for a period of 23 years would in all probability be fulfilled. We will surely tell - Rather, We must…
calvinJeremiah 36:15-16: "And they said unto him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read it in their ears."
And they said unto him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read it in their ears.
Et dixerunt, sede agedum, et lege ipsum (volumen) in auribus nostris; et legit Baruch in auribus ipsorum.
Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and other, and said unto Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words.
1…
These officials didn't just hear the words; they trembled, looking to each other in fear, a vivid picture of their shared alarm. Their immediate response, "We must report this to the king," wasn't just about tattling; it revealed a sense of official duty mixed with the hope that the king might somehow provide a solution to the dreadful pronouncements.
After hearing Jeremiah's entire message read aloud by Baruch, the officials reacted with palpable fear, looking at each other in alarm and realizing the gravity of the prophet's words. Their immediate thought wasn't to dismiss the message but to acknowledge their official duty: they must report these dire pronouncements to King Jehoiakim, despite their own fear and the potential consequences.
After hearing Jeremiah's entire message read aloud by Baruch, the officials reacted with palpable fear, looking at each other in alarm and realizing the gravity of the prophet's words. Their immediate thought wasn't to dismiss the message but to acknowledge their official duty: they must report these dire pronouncements to King Jehoiakim, despite their own fear and the potential consequences.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Jeremiah 36:16 is available in the Sola app.
c. 605-604 BC— this verse
Jeremiah Dictates Scroll to Baruch
Jeremiah, unable to go to the Temple himself, dictates his prophecies of judgment, accumulated over 23 years, to his scribe Baruch, who then reads them publicly.
c. 604 BC
Scroll Read to Officials
Baruch reads the scroll to the people at the Temple, and then to officials. These officials, hearing the terrifying words, become fearful and decide they must report the contents to King Jehoiakim.
c. 604 BC
King Jehoiakim Destroys the Scroll
After hearing the scroll read, King Jehoiakim defiantly cuts it into pieces and throws it into the fire, then orders the arrest of Jeremiah and Baruch. This act of defiance intensifies the conflict between the king and God's prophet.
"When they heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear. And they said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.”" — These officials didn't just hear the words; they trembled, looking to each other in fear, a vivid picture of their shared alarm. Their immediate response, "We must report this to the king," wasn't…
