Jeremiah 36:19
Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye be.
Original Language Analysis
לֵ֥ךְ
H1980
לֵ֥ךְ
Strong's:
H1980
Word #:
5 of 13
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
וְיִרְמְיָ֑הוּ
thee thou and Jeremiah
H3414
וְיִרְמְיָ֑הוּ
thee thou and Jeremiah
Strong's:
H3414
Word #:
8 of 13
jirmejah, the name of eight or nine israelites
וְאִ֥ישׁ
and let no man
H376
וְאִ֥ישׁ
and let no man
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
9 of 13
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
אַל
H408
אַל
Strong's:
H408
Word #:
10 of 13
not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
יֵדַ֖ע
know
H3045
יֵדַ֖ע
know
Strong's:
H3045
Word #:
11 of 13
to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including o
Cross References
1 Kings 17:3Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.Jeremiah 36:26But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them.1 Kings 18:4For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)1 Kings 18:10As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
Historical Context
Jehoiakim's reign (609-598 BC) was marked by violence, injustice, and persecution of prophets. He had built his palace with forced labor and shed innocent blood (22:13-17). The princes' warning reflects their insider knowledge of the king's murderous intentions. Hiding prophets during persecution would become a pattern (1 Kings 18:4, 13; Hebrews 11:38).
Questions for Reflection
- How do you respond when you recognize biblical truth but find submission to it personally costly?
- What does this passage teach about the complex loyalties believers face when human authority conflicts with divine truth?
- When have you, like these princes, occupied an uncomfortable middle ground between full obedience and outright rebellion against God's word?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah (לֵךְ הִסָּתֵר, lekh histater—"go, hide yourselves"). The urgency is clear: סָתַר (satar, to hide/conceal) in the reflexive form indicates self-concealment. And let no man know where ye be—The princes, knowing Jehoiakim's violent temperament (he murdered the prophet Urijah, 26:23), issue a warning that saves the prophet's and scribe's lives.
This is remarkable: governmental officials who will report to the king simultaneously protect the prophets they're reporting about. Their divided loyalty shows internal conflict—duty to the king versus recognition of divine truth. They cannot embrace the message (no recorded repentance), but neither will they participate in its suppression through violence. This ambiguous middle ground characterizes those who respect God's word intellectually while refusing personal submission.