A Scroll for Future Days (36:1-32) 607member of the royal family (Torrey 1923: 108; Rainey 1975; Lemaire 1979;
Avigad l 986b: 28). Jerahmeel could not be a grown son of Jehoiakim, who is
only 30 years old at the time (2 Kgs 23:36; Jer 36:9), but he could belong to the
royal family, as kings had large harems and thus, many sons.
Seraiah the son of Azriel. For the inscriptional evidence on both names, see
Appendix I.
and Shelemiah son of Abdeel. The LXX omits, which is likely another loss
attributable to haplography (homoeoteleuton: 'l ... 'l). Rudolph and Janzen
(1973: 118) both agree. On the name "Shelemiah," see Appendix I.
Baruch, the scribe, and Jeremiah the prophet. The LXX again omits the titles.
Baruch is called "the scribe" here and in v 3 2, and Stipp ( 1997: 191) points out
that the LXX has the title in neither place. The omission in v 32, however, is
likely due to a larger loss by haplography. On Baruch's professional standing
and his descent from a distinguished scribal family, see Note for 36:4.
but Yahweh hid them. A rare statement of explicit theology in the Jeremiah
narrative (see §Introduction: Theology in the Prose). The LXX has "but they
were hidden," which is considered the original reading by many commenta-
tors (Duhm; Volz; Rudolph; Holladay; McKane). Perhaps it is (cf. v 19;
26:24; 28: 17), although it is less dramatic. Giesebrecht notes that cL, Aq,
Symm, T, S, and Vg all support MT. About the closest we come to the present
statement is in 32:8, where the narrator quotes Jeremiah as saying, after Han-
amel comes to him about buying the field: "Then I knew that this was the
word of Yahweh."MESSAGE AND AUDIENCE
In this narrative segment the audience is told that a fast was called in Je-
hoiakim's fifth year, in the ninth month, that brought people throughout Judah
to Jerusalem. Why the fast was called is not said, but the audience will know.
On this occasion, Baruch read a scroll from Jeremiah in the Temple, in the
chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan, where he was able to address a large as-
sembly, perhaps in the court below. Micaiah son of Gemariah was on hand to
hear the reading, and when it was over he went down to the palace to inform
the princes assembled in Elishama's chamber. Present were Elishama the
scribe, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of
Shaphan, and Zedekiah son of Hananiah, among others. Micaiah told them
what he had just heard, .at which point the princes dispatched Jehudi, whom
the audience is told was of Cushite ancestry, to bring Baruch to the palace with
scroll in hand. Baruch came with the scroll. The princes then told him to sit
down and read the scroll, which he did, and they were visibly moved. In fact,
they were shaken and told Baruch that the king would have to be informed, but
before going to the king they asked him how the scroll was written. Did he take
it from dictation? Yes, he did. Jeremiah dictated the words and he wrote them
in ink on the scroll. The princes then told Baruch to go with Jeremiah into