Jeremiah 36:9
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.
Original Language Analysis
וַיְהִ֣י
H1961
וַיְהִ֣י
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
1 of 23
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
בֶּן
the son
H1121
בֶּן
the son
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
5 of 23
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
יְהוּדָ֖ה
of Judah
H3063
יְהוּדָ֖ה
of Judah
Strong's:
H3063
Word #:
8 of 23
jehudah (or judah), the name of five israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
קָרְא֨וּ
that they proclaimed
H7121
קָרְא֨וּ
that they proclaimed
Strong's:
H7121
Word #:
11 of 23
to call out to (i.e., properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
לִפְנֵ֧י
before
H6440
לִפְנֵ֧י
before
Strong's:
H6440
Word #:
13 of 23
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi
יְהוָ֛ה
the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֛ה
the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
14 of 23
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
15 of 23
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
הָעָ֗ם
and to all the people
H5971
הָעָ֗ם
and to all the people
Strong's:
H5971
Word #:
16 of 23
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
in Jerusalem
H3389
בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
in Jerusalem
Strong's:
H3389
Word #:
17 of 23
jerushalaim or jerushalem, the capital city of palestine
וְכָל
H3605
וְכָל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
18 of 23
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
הָעָ֗ם
and to all the people
H5971
הָעָ֗ם
and to all the people
Strong's:
H5971
Word #:
19 of 23
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
הַבָּאִ֛ים
that came
H935
הַבָּאִ֛ים
that came
Strong's:
H935
Word #:
20 of 23
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
מֵעָרֵ֥י
from the cities
H5892
מֵעָרֵ֥י
from the cities
Strong's:
H5892
Word #:
21 of 23
a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
Cross References
2 Chronicles 20:3And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.Jeremiah 36:22Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him.Jonah 3:5So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.Esther 4:16Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
Historical Context
This fast occurred just months after Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt at Carchemish (605 BC), establishing Babylon as the dominant power. Jehoiakim had become Babylon's vassal but would foolishly rebel three years later. Fasts in Israel were called during national emergencies, military threats, or seeking divine guidance in crisis.
Questions for Reflection
- When have you engaged in religious activities while refusing to obey God's clear commands?
- How does this passage expose the danger of substituting ritual observance for genuine repentance?
- What modern equivalents exist to Judah's "fasting without listening" to God's prophetic word?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
In the fifth year of Jehoiakim...in the ninth month—This dates the event to December 604 BC, approximately nine months after the initial dictation (v.1, fourth year). They proclaimed a fast before the LORD (קָרְאוּ־צוֹם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, qar'u-tzom lifnei YHWH)—A national fast suggested crisis, likely fear of Babylonian invasion after Nebuchadnezzar's recent victories. Fasting without repentance, however, is religious theater.
The irony is profound: the people gather for a solemn assembly seeking God's favor while actively rejecting His word through Jeremiah. The ninth month (Kislev) was winter, when travel was difficult—suggesting genuine alarm. Yet outward religiosity divorced from covenant faithfulness is the essence of hypocrisy that prophets consistently condemned.