Baruch

Baruch, the son of Neriah, was a royal scribe in Jerusalem. He worked as a secretary for the prophet Jeremiah. His brother, Seraiah, was a staff officer in Zedekiah’s administration (Jeremiah 51:59–64). Baruch’s family likely held a high position in Judah's administration.

In the fourth year of King Jehoiakim of Judah (605 BC), God told Jeremiah to write down the messages he had given to Israel, Judah, and other nations (Jeremiah 36:1–3). Jeremiah asked Baruch to write the prophecies (Jeremiah 36:4) and read them to the people (36:8–19). When Jehoiakim heard the message, he destroyed the scroll and ordered the arrest of Baruch and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:21–26). However, they hid, and Jeremiah repeated the prophecies while Baruch wrote them down again (Jeremiah 36:27–32).

Around that time, God sent Baruch a personal message through Jeremiah (Jeremiah 45). Baruch might have worried about losing career opportunities or personal comfort because of his connection with Jeremiah. God reassured Baruch with a promise of protection and advised him not to seek "great things" for himself, as Judah's destruction was certain.

When Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 BC, Baruch stayed with Jeremiah and others who remained. Baruch seemed influential because the rebel leaders wanted to go to Egypt. When Jeremiah warned them not to go (Jeremiah 42), they accused Baruch of influencing Jeremiah. The leaders ignored the warning and took Baruch and Jeremiah to Egypt (Jeremiah 43:1–7). We do not know how, when, or where Baruch died. One tradition says he was taken to Babylon when Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt. It is also possible that Baruch died in Egypt.

God warned Baruch not to seek greatness, and he appeared to die without honor. However, his legacy may be the book of Jeremiah. He likely helped create this book, which warns of judgment and clearly expresses hope for the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34).

In 1975, a clay impression (called a bulla) from a scribe’s seal was found. It had the words “[Belonging to] Berechiahu, son of Neriahu, the scribe.” (Berechiahu is the long form of the name Baruch.) Each scribe and government official had a unique seal with his name. They used it to seal documents, like a signature today. The seal was pressed into soft clay to make an impression (bulla), which was attached to the signed document. Baruch's bulla is from the time of Jeremiah and Baruch. Other bullae found include names of people in Jeremiah, like:

1. “Gemariah son of Shaphan” (Jeremiah 36:10–12, 25)

2. Ishmael (Jeremiah 40:7–41:10)

Most scholars agree that Baruch's bulla was made by Baruch's seal, Jeremiah’s scribe. These bullae, small artifacts from an ancient civilization, provide independent historical proof of some details in Jeremiah’s account.

Passages for Further Study

Jeremiah 32:9–15; 36:1–21, 26–32; 43:1–7; 45:1–5