Late kingdom of Judah · c. 605–580 BC
Baruch in the Bible
Jeremiah’s scribe. Name meaning: “Blessed” (the usual meaning of the Hebrew Baruch)
The son of Neriah, Baruch is the scribe of the prophet Jeremiah. At Jeremiah’s dictation, he writes the words of the LORD in a scroll and reads them in the house of the LORD; when King Jehoiakim burns the scroll, he writes it again. A witness to the purchase of the field at Anathoth during the siege of Jerusalem, he receives a personal word from God (Jer 45), then is carried off to Egypt with Jeremiah.
Key moments
- He writes at Jeremiah’s dictation Jeremiah 36:4
- He reads the scroll in the house of the LORD Jeremiah 36:10
- King Jehoiakim burns the scroll Jeremiah 36:23
- The LORD hides Baruch and Jeremiah Jeremiah 36:26
- He rewrites the scroll, with more words added Jeremiah 36:32
- He receives the deed for the field at Anathoth Jeremiah 32:12
- “Seekest thou great things for thyself?” Jeremiah 45:5
- He is taken to Egypt with Jeremiah Jeremiah 43:6–7
Strengths
- Faithfulness
- Obedience
- Courage
- Perseverance
Weaknesses
Baruch gives way to discouragement: “Woe is me now! … I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest” (45:3). The LORD tells him not to seek “great things” for himself, since he is about to bring evil upon all flesh (45:5).
Lessons for today
- God uses those who write, read, and preserve his word: Baruch does all three, in the shadow of the prophet (Jer 36:4, 8; 32:12-14).
- You can burn a scroll, but not the word of God: the king throws the scroll into the fire, and God has another one written, with even more words (Jer 36:23, 28, 32).
- It is fine to admit your discouragement to God, but there is no room to seek “great things” for yourself when God is judging his people (Jer 45:3-5).
- Serving God faithfully does not shield you from hardship, but he keeps those who serve him: “thy life will I give unto thee for a prey” (Jer 45:5; 36:26).
Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book.
Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.
And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.
People around Baruch
- Jeremiah — The prophet whose scribe and companion he is, all the way to Egypt
- Seraiah — Son of Neriah and of the same family, chief chamberlain (Jer 51:59)
- Gemariah — Scribe, son of Shaphan, in whose chamber Baruch reads the scroll (Jer 36:10)
- Jehoiakim — King of Judah who burns the scroll Baruch wrote
- Johanan — Military commander who accuses him of stirring up Jeremiah and takes him to Egypt (Jer 43:3-6)
Quiz: how well do you know Baruch?
What was the name of the father of Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe?
Jeremiah hands the deed “unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah”: Neriah is his father, Maaseiah his grandfather. Hilkiah was Jeremiah’s father. Jeremiah 32:12
What role did Baruch serve for Jeremiah?
The text calls him “Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah”: at Jeremiah’s dictation, he writes the words of the LORD in a scroll. Jeremiah 36:32
What did King Jehoiakim do with the scroll Baruch wrote?
The king “cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed.” Jeremiah 36:23
There are many more questions like these in Bible Academy, each with its explanation and verse. Start your free trial.