Gemariah
Two men named Gemariah appear in Jeremiah, both functioning as officials under Judah's last kings. The first is Gemariah the son of Shaphan, a scribe in whose chamber Baruch read the prophet's roll and who himself appealed to the king not to burn it. The second is Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, sent on embassy from Zedekiah to Nebuchadnezzar.
Gemariah Son of Shaphan, the Scribe
The first Gemariah is one of the princes of Judah whose chamber serves as the platform for Jeremiah's word. "Then Baruch read in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of Yahweh, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan, the scribe, in the upper court, at the entry of the new gate of Yahweh's house, in the ears of all the people" (Jer 36:10). His own son carries the report further: "And when Micaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of Yahweh, he went down into the king's house, into the scribe's chamber: and, look, all the princes were sitting there, [to wit,] Elishama the scribe, and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes" (Jer 36:11-12).
When the king moves to destroy the roll, Gemariah is among the small group of officials who try to stop him: "Moreover Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll; but he would not hear them" (Jer 36:25). His chamber gives the prophecy a public hearing, and he himself stands on the side of preservation against the king's intent.
Gemariah Son of Hilkiah, Envoy to Babylon
The second Gemariah is named in the heading of Jeremiah's letter to the exiles. The letter is sent "by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon)" (Jer 29:3). His role is that of a royal envoy, paired with another courier; the prophet's letter to the exiled community is delivered through their hands.