Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them.
Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll, he refused to listen to them.
The writer is showing how three officials tried to stop the king from destroying God's written message, but the king ignored their wise counsel.
📚 Historical Context
During the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah in the early 6th century BC, the prophet Jeremiah was commanded by God to write down warnings of judgment on a scroll, which was then read to the king. Officials like Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah pleaded with the king not to burn the scroll, recognizing its divine importance, but he ignored their intercession and destroyed it anyway. This event reflects the broader conflict between God's prophetic word and the stubborn resistance of Judah's leaders amid rising threats from Babylon.
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