Jeremiah 36:22-23
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The seemingly cozy scene of a fire burning in the king's winter house isn't just setting the mood; it's a subtle foreshadowing of the judgment to come. This "winter house" and its warmth are about to be consumed by a much hotter, more destructive fire when the king burns God's message, turning a place of comfort into a symbol of impending wrath.
It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before him. As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot.
English Standard Version (ESV)
King Jehoiakim has just received a scroll containing God's urgent message of judgment, read to him by his officials. This verse sets the scene in a comfortable winter apartment, with a fire burning, as the king dismisses the scroll's contents. What immediately follows is the king's shocking defiance: he cuts up the scroll and throws it into the fire, utterly rejecting God's warning.
Picture this: a king, nestled in his winter palace, seeking warmth from a crackling fire. It's a scene of comfort, but what does it reveal about his heart?
The setting of Jeremiah 36:22 is deliberately painted with sensory details.
A Season of Cold
The ninth month of the Jewish calendar corresponds to our November or December. It was a time when Palestine experienced its cold, rainy season. The "winter house" wasn't just a room; it was a specific apartment within the palace designed for warmth and shelter during these colder months.
The Brazier's Glow
The "fire on the hearth" was likely a brazier – a portable pot or pan filled with burning coals. This was a common way to heat rooms in the ancient Near East, especially since chimneys weren't standard. It provided physical warmth, a stark contrast to the chilling message Jeremiah was delivering.
This scene of physical comfort starkly contrasts with the spiritual coldness and defiance of King Jehoiakim. While the fire offered warmth, his heart was far from God's truth, setting the stage for his violent rejection of God's word.
The king was literally surrounded by warmth and comfort. But this very comfort seems to have fueled his defiance when God's message arrived. How can comfort become a barrier?
The physical setting of King Jehoiakim's comfortable winter palace becomes a powerful symbol of his spiritual state.
Deaf to the Divine
Ask a follow-up
While the scroll of God's word was being read, the king was preoccupied with his physical comfort. The warmth from the brazier offered a tangible, immediate satisfaction, making the spiritual pronouncements of judgment seem distant and irrelevant.
Rejection Fueled by Ease
Instead of causing Jehoiakim to reflect or repent, the words from Jeremiah (read by Jehudi) only provoked anger. The comfortable environment seemed to insulate him, making him feel impervious to divine threat. He didn't just dismiss the message; he violently destroyed it, cutting it up and throwing it into the fire – an act of utter contempt born from a place of perceived security.
This illustrates how a life focused solely on physical comfort and worldly security can harden the heart against God's voice. When we are too comfortable, we may become unwilling to face truths that challenge our status quo or threaten our ease.
The king's act of burning God's word in his warm winter house, surrounded by comfort, starkly contrasts with the severe judgment he was actively defying, highlighting his hardened heart and impending doom.
c. 7th Century BC
Jehoiakim's Reign Begins
Jehoiakim becomes king of Judah, appointed by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt. His reign is marked by unfaithfulness to God and oppressive rule.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers Judah and carries away nobles, including Daniel, to Babylon. This signals Judah's increasing vulnerability.
c. 605-598 BC
Jeremiah's Prophecies Recorded
Jeremiah dictates his prophecies to his scribe Baruch, including the message about Babylon's impending conquest, to be read in the Temple.
Winter, c. 605-598 BC— this verse
Baruch Reads Scroll to King Jehoiakim
During the cold winter, in his heated chamber, King Jehoiakim hears portions of Jeremiah's scroll read by his scribe. He contemptuously cuts and burns the scroll.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports Jehoiakim, his family, and many more citizens to Babylon after a rebellion. This marks a further decline for Judah.
c. 587-586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar finally destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the Davidic dynasty and scattering the remaining population into exile.
This passage also mentions a 'winter house,' suggesting a practice of having specially designed apartments for colder seasons in royal residences, paralleling the setting in Jeremiah 36:22.
John 18:18This verse describes a fire burning in a courtyard during a cold night, illustrating the common necessity of fires in dwellings during cooler seasons in the ancient Near East, similar to the fire in the king's winter house.
Proverbs 26:27This proverb warns that digging a pit can result in the digger falling into it, which echoes the king's act of burning God's word and the ultimate self-destructive consequences that will follow.
Romans 1:18This verse speaks of God's wrath being revealed against ungodliness and unrighteousness, directly relating to King Jehoiakim's violent rejection of God's message and his subsequent divine judgment.
2 Corinthians 2:15-16This passage highlights that believers are a 'fragrance of Christ' to God, whether that leads to life or death, offering a perspective on Jeremiah's obedience in delivering a message that ultimately brought judgment, emphasizing that faithfulness to God is acceptable regardless of the outcome.
calvinJeremiah 36:22-23: "Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him."
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.
Et factum est, cum legisset Jehudi tres paginas et quatuor (hoc est, tres vel quatuor) scidit cultello scribae (vel, graphio) et projecit in i…
pooleJeremiah 36:22: "Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him."
The ninth month with them answered part of our November and December, which was a time of the year called for fires.
The seemingly cozy scene of a fire burning in the king's winter house isn't just setting the mood; it's a subtle foreshadowing of the judgment to come. This "winter house" and its warmth are about to be consumed by a much hotter, more destructive fire when the king burns God's message, turning a place of comfort into a symbol of impending wrath.
King Jehoiakim has just received a scroll containing God's urgent message of judgment, read to him by his officials. This verse sets the scene in a comfortable winter apartment, with a fire burning, as the king dismisses the scroll's contents. What immediately follows is the king's shocking defiance: he cuts up the scroll and throws it into the fire, utterly rejecting God's warning.
King Jehoiakim has just received a scroll containing God's urgent message of judgment, read to him by his officials. This verse sets the scene in a comfortable winter apartment, with a fire burning, as the king dismisses the scroll's contents. What immediately follows is the king's shocking defiance: he cuts up the scroll and throws it into the fire, utterly rejecting God's warning.
"It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before him. As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in t…" — The seemingly cozy scene of a fire burning in the king's winter house isn't just setting the mood; it's a subtle foreshadowing of the judgment to come. This "winter house" and its warmth are about to…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
