Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day.

JEREMIAH 36:2KJV
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Jeremiah 36:2 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 36:2 mean?

Jeremiah 36:2 records God instructing Jeremiah to take a scroll and write down all the messages God has spoken against Israel, Judah, and other nations, covering everything from the time of King Josiah up to the present day. This command is about preserving and sharing God’s words of warning and judgment that Jeremiah had received over many years.

In this verse, God is speaking directly to Jeremiah, telling him to collect and record all the prophecies he has delivered. The situation is serious: Jerusalem is facing judgment, and God wants these warnings written down so they can be read aloud to the people. The verse marks a turning point, as Jeremiah’s spoken messages are now to be formally documented for public reading and future generations.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 36:2

  • "roll" (מְגִלָּה, megillah): This word refers to a scroll, the common writing material of the time, made from sheets of parchment or papyrus rolled up. The use of "megillah" emphasizes the act of making a permanent, official record.
  • "book" (סֵפֶר, sefer): While often translated "book," in this context it means a written document or scroll. The combination of "megillah" and "sefer" underlines that Jeremiah is to create a formal, organized record, not just loose notes.
  • "write" (כָּתַב, kathav): This verb means to inscribe or record in writing, highlighting the shift from oral prophecy to written scripture.
  • "words" (דָּבָר, davar): This term means "words" or "messages," and here it refers specifically to the prophetic messages God has given Jeremiah, stressing that nothing is to be left out.

Why Jeremiah 36:2 matters

  • Jeremiah 36:2 clarifies that God’s messages were not just for Jeremiah’s immediate audience but were meant to be preserved for future generations, showing the importance of written scripture.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of God’s warnings by requiring them to be documented and read aloud, making it harder for the people to ignore or forget what God has said.
  • This command sets the stage for the dramatic events that follow in the chapter, where the written scroll is read to the people and leaders, and eventually destroyed by the king, showing the tension between God’s word and human authority.

Where else these words appear

“roll” Hebrew H4039 · used in 19 verses

  • Psalms 40:7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
  • Jeremiah 36:23 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.
  • Ezekiel 2:9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;

“Josiah” Hebrew H2977 · used in 48 verses

  • 1 Kings 13:2 And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
  • 2 Chronicles 33:25 But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.
  • Jeremiah 1:3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.