Jeremiah 36:32 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 36:32 mean?

Jeremiah 36:32 describes how Jeremiah’s message was put into writing again after King Jehoiakim burned the first scroll. Baruch wrote as Jeremiah dictated, restoring the earlier words and adding many similar ones. The destruction of the first scroll did not bring the message to an end.

The verse follows the instruction in verse 28 to take another scroll. The phrase “from the mouth of Jeremiah” pictures Jeremiah speaking while Baruch, a trained writer, records his words. The final phrase points to a longer document than the one the king burned.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 36:32

• “roll” — מְגִלָּה (megillah): This means a scroll, a writing rolled up for storage. The word helps readers picture the written document Jeremiah handed to Baruch.
• “scribe” — סֹפֵר (sofer): This describes a person whose work includes writing and handling documents. Baruch’s title identifies his role in recording Jeremiah’s spoken words.

Why Jeremiah 36:32 matters

• Jeremiah and Baruch have distinct roles in producing the scroll. Jeremiah supplies the words “from the mouth,” while Baruch writes them down.
• The new scroll preserves the earlier message rather than replacing it with a different one. Baruch writes “all the words” of the book Jehoiakim burned, along with the added words.
• The added words are described as “like” the earlier ones. That phrase connects them with the message already given, though the verse does not list the additions separately.