Bible Commentaries
Jeremiah 36

Verses 1-32

Jeremiah 36:23 And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.

Jeremiah 36:23 Word Study on “leaves” - Strong says the Hebrew word “deleth” ( דֶּלֶת ) (H1817) used here literally means, “something swinging, i.e. the valve of a door,” and comes from a primitive root ( דָּלָה ) (H1802) meaning properly, “to dangle, i.e. to let down a bucket (for drawing out water); figuratively, to deliver,” and is translated in the KJV as, “draw (out), x enough, lift up.” The Enhanced Strong says the word ( דֶּלֶת ) (H1817) is used 88 times in the Old Testament, being translated in the KJV as, “doors 69, gates 14, leaves 4, lid 1.”

Comments - Ancient historians tell us that prior to the first century A.D., the Scriptures were contained on scrolls, which were rolled up for easy storage and handling. Scribes wrote in short columns as the scroll was unrolled on one end and rolled up on the other end. It was read the same way, as the scroll was unrolled a section at a time. The question is asked if the leaves that Jehudi cut with his knife were in a book or the columns of a scroll. Modern translations show that scholars debate over this issue. Some translations read, “columns,” while others read, “leaves.”

Rotherham, “So then it came to pass when Jehudi had read three or four columns that he cut it up into fragments with a scribes knife, and cast them into the fire that was in the stove, until, all the roll, was consumed on the fire that was on the stove.”

YLT, “and it cometh to pass, when Jehudi readeth three or four leaves , he cutteth it out with the scribe's knife, and hath cast unto the fire, that is on the stove, till the consumption of all the roll by the fire that is on the stove.”