the cars of the king; that is, the sum and substance of
them; for it can't be thought they should remember
every word in the roll; but the main of it they did,
and rehearsed it in a very audible manner.
Ver. 1. So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll, &c.3
The same person the princes sent to Baruch to come to
them, and bring the roll with him, ver. 14. This the
king did, out of curiosity, and to satisfy himself of the
truth of what the princes said; and by this it appears
they had told him of the roll, which contained what
they had given him a summary of, and where it was:
and he took it out of Elisharon the scribe's chamber; or,
out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe; who knew
where it was, being present at the reading of it in the
secretary's office, and saw where it was laid; or, how-
ever, was directed by the secretary where it was, and
might have the key of the chest or scrutoire given him
in which it was laid: and dchudi read it in the ears of
the king, and in the ears of all the princes that stood
by the king: as he doubtless was ordered; and
which he did so loudly, clearly, and distinctly, that
the king and all the princes could hear; which princes
were those who had heard it before, and were come
to the king to acquaint him with the substance
of it; and who stood by the side of the king, or
about him, in honour to him; though there might be
also others besides them, who were before with the
king, and waiting on him; and Abarbinel thinks that
other princes distinct from those that went to the king
are meant. When it is said that Jehudi read the roll
in the hearing of the king and princes, it mast be un-
derstood of a part of it only, and not the whole; as a
following verse shews.
Ver. 22. Now the king sat in the winter-house, in the
ninth month, &c.3 The month Cisleu, which answers
to part of November, and part of December; and so.
was the midst of winter, and a proper time for the king
to be in his winter-house; though, as this was a fast-
day, it would have been more proper for him to have
been at the worship of God in the temple, ver. 9. This
winter-house probably was a winter-parlour, as distin-
guished from a summer-parlour, Judg. iii. 20. and both
might be under the same roof, or parts of the same
house; only the one might be more airy and cool, and
the other more close and warm. Kings had their sum-
mer and winter houses; see Amos iii. 15. this circum-
stance is mentioned for the sake of what follows, the
burning of the roll; and accounts for there being a fire
at hand to do it: and there was a fire on the hearth burn-
ing before him; there was a stove, or some such vessel
or mstrutnent, in which a large fire of wood was made,
at which the king sat to keep himself warm while the
roll was reading, and about which the princes stood.
Ver. 23. And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had
read three or four leaves, &c.] Either three or four of
the breadths of parchment, which were glued together,
and rolled up; or three or four of the columns in those
breadths. The meaning is, he bad read a few of them.
The Rabbins {s} would have it, that three or four verses
in the book of the Lamentations are meant: he cut it
with the penknife; that is, he cut the roll to pieces with
a penknife he had in his hand, or lay near him. It is
difficult to say who it was that did this; whether
hudi that read the roll, or Jehoiakim the king that
heard it; most inferpreters understand it of the latter;
but the cotmexion of' the words carries it to the former;
for the nearest antecedent to the relative he is Jehudi;
though it is highly probable he did it at the king's com-
mand; or, however, saw by his countenance and beha-
viour that such an action would be grateful to him; and
that he was highly displeased with what had been read,
and could not hear any longer with patience: and castit
into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was
consumed in the fire that was on the hearth; that is, he
cast it into the fire, and there let it lie, until it was
wholly consumed; a very impious action, to burn the
word of God; a full evidence of an ungodly- mind; a
clear proof of the enmity of the heart against God, and
of its indignation against his word and servan.ts; and
yet a vain attempt to frustrate the divine predictions in
it, or avert the judgments threatened; but the ready
way to bring them on.
Vet. 0,4. Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their gar-
ments, &c.] They were not struck with horror at such
an impious action as the burning of the roll; nor afraid
of the judgments and wrath of God threatened in it;
nor did they rend their garments in token of sorrow and
mourning on account of either, as used to be when any
thing blasphemous was said or done, or any bad news
were brought. The Jews from hence conclude, that
whenever a man sees the book of the law torn ot' cut to
pieces, he should rend his garmentst. The persons
here meant are not the princes that first heard the roll
read in the secretary's office, for they were aft'aid, ver.
16. unless they now dissembled in the king's presence,
or had shook off their fears; however, if they are in-
cluded, three must be excepted, whose names are men-
tioned in the following verse; and those who are more
especially designed are expressed in the next clause:
neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all
these words; not all that were in the roll, for they only
heard a part; but all that were in that part, which
was enough to make them fear and tremble; but they
were hardened in their sins; and by the hardness and
irapenitence of their herarts treasured up wrath against
the day of wrath. These servants of the king seetn to
be those in waiting, and not the princes that came to
him; however, they were not all of this complexion
and character, since it follows:
Ver. c25. Nevertheless, Elnathan, and Delaiah, and
Gemariah, &c.] Three of the five princes mentioned
in ver. 12: had made intercession to the Idng, that he
would not burn the roll; or suffer it to be burnt; this
they did either at first, as soon as the roll was brought,
that if the king should not like it, yet they besought
him that he would not destroy it; or rather when they
saw what Jehudi was going to do with it, either by the
express order, or at the connivance of the king; then
they humbly entreated that such an action might not
be done, which gave them a secret horror, though they
might endeavour to hide it as much as possible: but he
would not hear them; or he would not receive it of them,
as the Targum; that is, their supplication and inter-
cession; but either east the roll into the fire himself,

{s} T. Hieros. Moed Katon, fol. 83. 2.
{t} T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 26. 1.