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the people in the Lord’s house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the
ears of all Judah that come out of their cities” (Jer. 36:6).
)
is also closely related to
“book” (
) (Ps. 56:8).
Many “books” are named in the Old Testament: the “book” of remembrance (Mal.
3:16), “book” of life (Ps. 69:28), “book” of Jasher (Josh. 10:13), “book” of the
generations (Gen. 5:1), “book” of the Lord, “book” of the chronicles of the kings of Israel
and of Judah, and the annotations on the “book” of the Kings (2 Chron. 24:27). Prophets
wrote “books” in their lifetime. Nahum’s prophecy begins with this introduction: “The
burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite” (1:1).
Jeremiah had several “books” written in addition to his letters to the exiles. He wrote
a “book” on the disasters that were to befall Jerusalem, but the “book” was torn up and
burned in the fireplace of King Jehoiakim (Jer. 36). In this context, we learn about the
nature of writing a “book.” Jeremiah dictated to Baruch, who wrote with ink on the scroll
(36:18). Baruch took the “book” to the Judeans who had come to the temple to fast.
When the “book” had been confiscated and burned, Jeremiah wrote another scroll and
had another “book” written with a strong condemnation of Jehoiakim and his family:
“Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah;
who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim
king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like
words” (Jer. 36:32).
Ezekiel was commanded to eat a “book” (Ezek. 2:8-3:1) as a symbolic act of God’s
judgment on and restoration of Judah.
)
can also signify “letter.” The prophet Jeremiah wrote a letter to the Babylonian
exiles, instructing them to settle themselves, as they were to be in Babylon for 70 years:
“Now these are the words of the letter (
) that Jeremiah the prophet sent from
Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the
priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried
away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon …” (Jer. 29:1).
The contents of the
varied. It might contain a written order, a commission, a
request, or a decree, as in: “And [Mordecai] wrote in the king Ahasuerus’ name, and
sealed it [
] with the king’s ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on
mules, camels, and young dromedaries” (Esth. 8:10). In divorcing his wife, a man gave
her a legal document known as the
of divorce (Deut. 24:1). Here
meant a
“certificate” or “legal document.” Some other legal document might also be referred to as
a
. As a “legal document,” the
might be published or hidden for the
appropriate time: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences
[
], this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is
open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days” (Jer. 32:14).
The Septuagint gives the following translations:
(“scroll; document”) and
(“letter; document; writing; book”). The
KJV
gives these senses: “book; letter;
evidence.”
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