John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 36:23
And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves ,.... 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 had read a few of them. The Rabbins F19 T. Hieros. Moed Katon, fol. 83. 2. 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... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 36:20-32
We have traced the roll to the people, and to the princes, and here we are to follow it to the king; and we find, I. That, upon notice given him concerning it, he sent for it, and ordered it to be read to him, Jer. 36:20, 21. He did not desire that Baruch would come and read it himself, who could read it more intelligently and with more authority and affection than any one else; nor did he order one of his princes to do it (though it would have been no disparagement to the greatest of them),... read more