And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem.

JEREMIAH 36:9KJV
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Jeremiah 36:9 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 36:9 mean?

Jeremiah 36:9 describes a moment in the fifth year of King Jehoiakim’s reign when a fast was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and those who came from the surrounding cities of Judah. This verse sets the scene for a public religious gathering, where the people are called to humble themselves before the LORD.

The verse is part of a narrative where Jeremiah, through his scribe Baruch, delivers a message from God during a politically tense time. The fast (a time of not eating, often linked to seeking God’s mercy) was likely called because of national distress or fear of coming judgment. The mention of both Jerusalem’s residents and visitors from other cities shows the seriousness and wide reach of this event.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 36:9

  • "Fast" (צּוֹם, tsom): This word means a period of abstaining from food, usually as an act of repentance or seeking divine help. Its use here signals that the people recognized a need for collective humility or repentance.
  • "Proclaimed" (קָרָא, qara’): This verb means to call out or announce publicly. The official nature of this proclamation shows it was not a private act but a communal, organized event.
  • "Before the LORD" (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, lifnei YHWH): This phrase means in the presence of God, emphasizing that the fast was a spiritual act directed toward God, not just a social or political gesture.

Why Jeremiah 36:9 matters

  • The verse clarifies that the fast was not a regular, scheduled event but a special response to a crisis, which helps explain the urgency and seriousness of the following events in the chapter.
  • By including both Jerusalem’s residents and people from other cities, the verse highlights the unity and collective concern of Judah at this time.
  • This verse sets the stage for Jeremiah’s prophetic message to be read aloud, showing how public worship and prophetic warning were closely linked in Judah’s history.

Where else these words appear

“ninth” Hebrew H8671 · used in 17 verses

  • Leviticus 25:22 And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.
  • 1 Chronicles 24:11 The ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,
  • Jeremiah 39:1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.

“fast” Hebrew H6685 · used in 22 verses

  • 2 Samuel 12:16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
  • Esther 9:31 To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.
  • Jeremiah 36:6 Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD'S house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities.

“Jehoiakim” Hebrew H3079 · used in 37 verses

  • 2 Kings 23:34 And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there.
  • 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.
  • Jeremiah 35:1 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,

“fifth” Hebrew H2549 · used in 44 verses

  • Genesis 1:23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
  • Numbers 29:26 And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:
  • 1 Chronicles 26:3 Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Elioenai the seventh.