Jakautunut kuningaskuntaLeaderWise manc. 620–580 BC
Gemariah was the son of the scribe Shaphan and one of the prominent officials in Judah during King Jehoiakim's reign. He is known for his role concerning the prophet Jeremiah's prophecies, when he allowed Baruch to read aloud Jeremiah's scroll in his chamber at the temple. Gemariah was among those who warned King Jehoiakim against burning the scroll containing the Lord's words.
Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, read aloud the prophet's words to all the people from Gemariah's chamber in the house of the Lord, at the upper court near the entrance of the new gate.
10Then, in the hearing of all the people, Baruch read Jeremiah's words from the scroll at the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court at the entrance of the New Gate of the LORD's house.
12he went down to the king's palace, to the chamber of the scribe, 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.
14So all the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, "Bring the scroll you read in the hearing of the people, and come." So Baruch son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them.
When King Jehoiakim began cutting up and burning the scroll containing Jeremiah's prophecies, Gemariah was among those who urgently pleaded with the king not to burn it, but the king would not listen to them.
The role of Gemariah's father Shaphan as background
Gemariah's father Shaphan was the scribe who played a key role during King Josiah's religious reform when the Book of the Law was found in the temple, giving the family a prominent position.
3In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the LORD with these orders:
8Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD." Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
9Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: "Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and handed it over to the workmen appointed to oversee the house of the LORD."