Jeremiah 36:28 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 36:28 mean?

Jeremiah 36:28 records God’s instruction to Jeremiah to take another scroll and write on it all the words that had been on the first scroll, which King Jehoiakim of Judah had burned. This verse shows that even though the king tried to destroy God’s message by burning the scroll, God told Jeremiah to rewrite everything.

In this scene, God is speaking directly to Jeremiah after Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, destroyed the first scroll containing Jeremiah’s prophecies. The verse highlights God’s determination to have His words preserved, regardless of human opposition. It also sets up the continuation of Jeremiah’s prophetic work, despite the king’s attempt to silence it.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 36:28

• "Roll" (מְגִלָּה, megillah): This word means a scroll or rolled-up writing material. The use of "another roll" emphasizes that the physical destruction of the first scroll did not erase God’s message.
• "Burned" (שָׂרַף, saraph): This word means to burn or consume with fire. The verse specifically points out that Jehoiakim burned the first scroll, making God’s command to rewrite it an act of defiance against the king’s attempt to suppress the message.
• "Write" (כָּתַב, kathav): This word means to inscribe or record. God’s instruction to "write in it all the former words" stresses the importance of preserving the exact message that was lost.

Why Jeremiah 36:28 matters

• Jeremiah 36:28 clarifies that God’s message cannot be destroyed by human actions, even by a king’s deliberate attempt to erase it.
• The verse highlights the persistence of God’s word and the responsibility of the prophet to faithfully repeat what was lost, not to change or shorten it.
• This verse connects to the larger story in Jeremiah 36, showing the conflict between God’s prophet and the political power of the day, and how God’s purposes move forward despite opposition.