Jeremiah 36:28
Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
The rewriting process would have been laborious. Ancient scrolls required careful preparation of writing materials, precise scribal technique, and significant time investment. That God commanded complete replication, not summary, underscores the importance of preserving His exact words. Each phrase matters; nothing is expendable.
This event established a precedent for Scripture's preservation. When later manuscripts wore out or were destroyed, careful copying preserved the text. The remarkable consistency among Hebrew manuscripts (evidenced by Dead Sea Scrolls matching medieval Masoretic texts) demonstrates the scribal community's reverence for exact preservation—perhaps influenced by this very incident. God's command to Jeremiah became the model for all subsequent Scripture preservation.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the labor-intensive process of hand-copying Scripture increase your appreciation for the Bible's preservation?
- In what ways does God's insistence on preserving His exact words inform how carefully we should handle biblical interpretation?
- How does Scripture's indestructibility encourage you when contemporary culture dismisses or attacks biblical truth?
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Analysis & Commentary
Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned. God's command to replicate the destroyed scroll demonstrates the permanence and authority of divine revelation. The phrase "all the former words" (kol-hadevariym harishonim) emphasizes complete restoration—nothing of God's message is lost despite human opposition. This affirms the doctrine of Scripture's preservation through divine providence.
The specific mention of "Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned" assigns responsibility and foreshadows judgment. Royal authority, which should have protected and honored God's word, instead attacked it. This covenant violation would bring specific consequences (verses 30-31). The contrast between divine and human authority is stark: the king burns the scroll; God commands its rewriting. Human power proves impotent against divine purposes.
Theologically, this verse teaches:
The Reformation principle of Scripture's self-authentication finds support here—God's word validates itself despite human response.