He pronounced - He used to say aloud, he dictated. Baruch's office was merely mechanical. He contributed nothing but hand, pen, and ink.

Then Baruch answered them,.... At once, without any hesitation, plainly and fully:

he pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth; that is, the Prophet Jeremiah delivered by word of mouth, not the substance only of this roll, but the express words of it, and everyone of them, and that clearly and distinctly, without any hesitation, or premeditation; by which it is plain it was by the Spirit of the Lord he did it; neither matter nor words were Baruch's, but were exactly as they were delivered:

and I wrote them with ink in the book; as they saw with their eyes, and which was the manner of writing with the Jews so early; Baruch had no further concern in this matter than to provide pen, ink, and parchment, and to make use of them as he did, just as the prophet dictated and directed him.

Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.

36:18 He pronounced - This could not but add to the princes fear, they must needs conceive that without a special influence of God, it had been impossible, that Jeremiah should have called to mind all that he had spoken at several times in so many years.

18. his mouth-Baruch replies it was by the oral dictation of the prophet; Jer 36:2 accords with this view, rather than with the notion that Jeremiah repeated his prophecies from manuscripts.

ink-his specification of the "ink" implies: I added nothing save the hand, pen, and ink.

36:9-19 Shows of piety and devotion may be found even among those, who, though they keep up forms of godliness, are strangers and enemies to the power of it. The princes patiently attended the reading of the whole book. They were in great fear. But even those who are convinced to the truth and importance of what they hear, and are disposed to favour those who preach it, often have difficulties and reserves about their safety, interest, or preferment, so that they do not act according to their convictions, and try to get rid of what they find troublesome.