And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?
17. How didst thou write ] They desired to know how far the words might be Baruch’s own, so as to be able to state to the king to what extent, if any, the prophet’s amanuensis was responsible.
at his mouth ] omit with LXX, as a gloss spoiling the sense here, and introduced from Jer 36:17.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The scroll might have been drawn up by Baruch from memoranda of his own without the prophets direct authority. The princes therefore did not ask from curiosity, but to obtain necessary information.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 17. How didst thou write all these words? – At his mouth?] So the text should be pointed. They wished to know whether he had not copied them, or whether he wrote as Jeremiah prophesied.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This now seemed but a reasonable question, considering they were the substance of what he had been prophesying for so many years. The thing seemed strange to the princes, prophets being not used to study and pen their discourses, but to speak them extempore.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. What they wished to knowwas, whether what Baruch had read to them was written by him frommemory after hearing Jeremiah repeating his prophecies continuously,or accurately from the prophet’s own dictation.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they asked Baruch,…. The following question, which may seem at first sight an odd, needless, and trifling one, as some have called it:
saying, tell us now, how didst thou write all these words at his mouth? this question does not regard the manner of writing them, whether with ink or not, for that they could see with their eyes, and yet Baruch’s answer seems to have respect to this, as if he so understood them; nor barely the matter of them, as whether it was the substance of what was contained in the roll that Jeremiah dictated, and that only, leaving it to Baruch to use what words he would, or whether the express words were dictated by him; but rather it seems to have regard to the possibility of doing it: by the question it appears, that Baruch had told the princes that the prophet had dictated all these things to him, and he had taken them down in writing from his mouth; now they wanted more satisfaction about the truth of this matter. It was a difficulty with them how it was possible for Jeremiah to recollect so many different discourses and prophecies, delivered at different times, and some many years ago, and so readily dictate them to Baruch, as fast as he could write them; wherefore they desire he would tell them plainly and faithfully the truth of the matter, how it was, that so they might, if they could, affirm it with certainty to the king; since, if this was really fact which he had related, these prophecies originally, and the fresh dictating of them, must be from the Spirit of God, and would certainly have their accomplishment.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The king’s counsellors were, no doubt, so astonished when they heard that these threatenings had been written as the Prophet had dictated them, that they were agitated by different thoughts, as the unbelieving are wont to be; and not receiving as they ought to have done, the heavenly doctrine, they vacillated, and could not pursue a uniform course. Such, then, was the uncertainty that possessed the minds of the princes; for they could hardly believe that these words had been delivered by memory, but had suspicion of some trickery, as the unbelieving imagine many such things respecting God’s servants; and they seem to act thus designedly, that they may obscure God’s favor, which appears before their eyes. For this purpose, then, they are said to ask Baruch how he took the words from the mouth of Jeremiah (105)
(105) Some have made two questions here, — “How didst thou write all these words? from his mouth?” The answer seems to favor this construction; as usual in Scripture, the last question is answered first, and then the first: Baruch said, “From his mouth he pronounced to me all these words;” and then he adds, answering the first question, “and I wrote on the book with ink.” — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(17-19) Tell us now, How didst thou write . . .?The question was clearly put as a judicial interrogatory. The princes were anxious to ascertain how far each of the parties concerned was responsible. Had Baruch exercised any discretion in writing so that the words were his, though the substance was Jeremiahs? or had he, on his own responsibility, and without the prophets will, published what had been written privately? or had every syllable as it was read come from the prophets lips? The scribes answer showed that the last hypothesis answered to the facts of the case. On hearing this they, obviously with a friendly regard, advise him and the prophet to hide themselves till they should see what effect the report would have on the kings mind. It would appear from Jer. 36:19 that Jeremiah, though shut up and unable to go into the house of the Lord (Jer. 36:5), was not actually so imprisoned as to hinder him from concealing himself. Either, therefore, we must assume that he was in a libera custodia, that gave him facilities for an escape, which the princes connived at, or that by shut up he meant only hindered by some cause or other. The latter seems the more probable hypothesis. In the concealment of the prophet we find a parallel to that of Elijah and the other prophets under Ahab (1Ki. 17:3; 1Ki. 18:4), of Polycarp (Mart. Polyc. c. 5), perhaps also of Luther in the Wartburg.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. How didst thou write Two points seem to be involved in this question, which is not one of mere curiosity, but of earnest interest: namely, authority and accuracy. As to both the answer was most conclusive.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 36:17-18. And they asked Baruch, &c. Mr. Green, on Psalms 13 observes, that these words should be placed and pointed thus:How didst thou write all these words? From his mouth? And Baruch answered them, From his mouth. He pronounced all these words unto me, and I wrote, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 36:17 And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?
Ver. 17. Tell us, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth? ] Praeposteram movent interrogationem; they put an odd question, saith one, when they should rather have bethought themselves of breaking off their sins by repentance. God loves obedience and not questioners, saith Luther.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Tell: Joh 9:10, Joh 9:11, Joh 9:15, Joh 9:26, Joh 9:27
Reciprocal: Pro 26:5 – a fool Jer 36:4 – wrote
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 36:17. See my comments at verse 2 as to writing so much from memory. These men thought the same about Baruch and asked him how he did it.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
They asked Baruch how he wrote the scroll, and Baruch replied that he had written it as Jeremiah dictated the prophecies to him. They evidently wanted to make sure that Jeremiah was the source of the prophecies, and not Baruch.