Baruch
“Blessed”
Summary
The faithful friend and secretary of the prophet Jeremiah who wrote down his prophecies and accompanied him through persecution and exile.
☩Background
Baruch son of Neriah was of noble Jewish family, brother of Seraiah who served King Zedekiah. His name means 'blessed.' He was a man of considerable learning and ability who devoted himself to serving the prophet Jeremiah as his secretary and faithful companion. Josephus describes him as well-skilled in the Hebrew language and a man of unusual acquirements.
☩Writing Jeremiah's Prophecies
In the fourth year of Jehoiakim (605 B.C.), Jeremiah dictated all his prophecies to Baruch, who wrote them on a scroll. Baruch then read these words publicly in the temple on a fast day. When the king's officials heard the prophecies, they warned Baruch and Jeremiah to hide, then reported to the king. Jehoiakim had the scroll read to him, but as each section was read, he cut it off with a knife and threw it into the fire. Afterward, Jeremiah dictated the words again to Baruch, with many additions.
☩Personal Message from God
During the dark days before Jerusalem's fall, Baruch became discouraged and sought great things for himself. Through Jeremiah, God rebuked this ambition but also comforted him with the promise: 'I will give you your life as a prize in all places where you go.' This message acknowledged his trials while assuring him of survival through the coming catastrophe.
☩Witness and Exile
Baruch witnessed the purchase deed when Jeremiah bought his ancestral field in Anathoth during the siege—a prophetic act declaring that houses and fields would again be bought in the land. After Jerusalem fell, Baruch remained with Jeremiah at Mizpah. When the remnant determined to flee to Egypt against Jeremiah's warning, they accused Baruch of turning the prophet against them, and both men were carried unwillingly to Egypt. Nothing certain is known of his death; traditions differ on whether he died in Egypt or was taken to Babylon.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Baruch," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Baruch," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Baruch," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).