Son of Shaphan; official during Jehoiakim's reign; opposed burning scroll.
Gemariah
Named in 4 verses of Jeremiah, first in Jeremiah 36:10.
גְּמַרְיָ֫הוּGemariah
The name means “accomplishment or perfection of the Lord.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869
About Gemariah Written by AI
Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, was an official during the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, as recorded in Jeremiah 36. He is first mentioned as the owner of the chamber in the upper court of the temple where Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, read the prophet's scroll to the people (Jeremiah 36:10). When the officials heard about the scroll, they sent for Baruch to read it to them, and they were alarmed by its content (Jeremiah 36:11 to 16). The officials, including Gemariah, advised Baruch and Jeremiah to hide while they reported the matter to the king (Jeremiah 36:19). When King Jehoiakim heard the words of the scroll, he cut it with a scribe's knife and burned it in the fire, despite the pleas of Gemariah and some other officials (Jeremiah 36:23 to 25). Gemariah's opposition to the king's actions demonstrates his respect for the prophetic word and his concern for the consequences of rejecting God's message. However, his efforts were ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the destruction of the scroll.
Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.
Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897
This entry is on the name Gemariah, and may cover more than one person or place by that name.
Jehovah has made perfect. (1.) The son of Shaphan, and one of the Levites of the temple in the time of Jehoiakim (Jer. 36:10; 2 Kings 22:12). Baruch read aloud to the people from Gemariah’s chamber, and again in the hearing of Gemariah and other scribes, the prophecies of Jeremiah (Jer. 36:11-20), which filled him with terror. He joined with others in entreating the king not to destroy the roll of the prophecies which Baruch had read (21-25).
(2.) The son of Hilkiah, who accompanied Shaphan with the tribute-money from Zedekiah to Nebuchadnezzar, and was the bearer at the same time of a letter from Jeremiah to the Jewish captives at Babylon (Jer. 29:3, 4).
M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.
Where the Bible names him
- Jeremiah 36:10
From the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan the scribe, which was in the upper courtyard at the opening of the New Gate of the house of the LORD, Baruch read from the scroll the words of Jeremiah in the hearing of all the people.
- Jeremiah 36:11
When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD from the scroll,
- Jeremiah 36:12
he went down to the scribe’s chamber in the king’s palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the scribe, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials.
- Jeremiah 36:25
Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.
From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.