The Faithful Scribe and Companion of Jeremiah
The Identity: A Loyal Servant
Baruch, the son of Neriah, was the devoted scribe, secretary, and lifelong companion of the Prophet Jeremiah during the final, tumultuous years of the Kingdom of Judah. He was not a prophet himself, yet his role was absolutely critical to the preservation and dissemination of God’s Word at a time when the message was rejected, and the messenger was persecuted.
Baruch’s primary contribution to biblical history was acting as the Prophet’s voice and pen, transcribing Jeremiah’s prophecies and delivering them to a rebellious people and a hostile royal court.
The Commission: Writing the Scroll
In the fourth year of King Jehoiakim’s reign, God commanded Jeremiah to record all the prophecies given against Israel, Judah, and the nations, hoping the people would repent (Jeremiah 36:2-3). Since Jeremiah was forbidden to enter the Temple, he dictated the entire scroll to Baruch:
“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.” (Jeremiah 36:4, KJV)
Baruch then faced the immense danger of delivering this message of doom to the people assembled in the Temple, reading the scroll aloud in the chamber of Gemariah.
The Persecution: A Public Trial
The reading of the scroll quickly reached the ears of the princes and then the king himself, Jehoiakim. The king’s reaction was one of defiant blasphemy. As the scribe Jehudi read the prophecies aloud, the king methodically cut the scroll with a penknife and threw it into the fire:
“And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire.” (Jeremiah 36:23, KJV)
The king then sought to arrest both Jeremiah and Baruch, but the Lord providentially hid them (Jeremiah 36:26). Later, under divine command, Baruch wrote a new scroll, adding many more words to the original prophecies that Jehoiakim had burned.
The Warning: Dealing with Discontent
Baruch was a man who sacrificed his personal future—comfort, security, and prestige—to obey God’s command through Jeremiah. This heavy burden led him to a moment of despair, which God addressed directly through the prophet:
“Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch; Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.” (Jeremiah 45:2-3, KJV)
In response, God assured Baruch that while the entire nation faced ruin, his own life would be preserved:
“Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. 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.” (Jeremiah 45:4-5, KJV)
Baruch’s enduring legacy is one of unwavering, sacrificial obedience. He teaches us that true heroism often lies not in prophecy, but in the quiet, faithful support of the prophetic Word, even when facing mortal danger and the loss of earthly ambition.