Bible Commentaries

Jeremiah Comforts Baruch.

v. 1. The word that Jeremiah, the prophet, spake unto Baruch, the son of Neriah, his secretary and, in a sense, his fellow-worker, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, as the latter dictated his prophecies from the thirteenth year of Josiah to the fourth of Jehoiakim, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,

v. 2. Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch, for even the disciple of the prophet was not spared by the Lord as far as reproving the faults of those whose welfare He sought was concerned,

v. 3. Thou didst say, Woe is me now! namely, on account of the hatred of his enemies, for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow, that which he felt on account of the depravity of his people. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest. The grief which Baruch felt was intensified by fear for his own life on account of the suspicions of his own countrymen, 43:3. All of this seemed to him to amount to a very harsh treatment on the part of God.

v. 4. Thus shalt thou say unto him, The Lord saith thus, Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. Cf. Jer 31:28; Isa 5:5.

v. 5. And seekest thou great things for thyself? as the one solitary human being that thought to find himself an exception in the general destruction. Seek them not; for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord, in a universal punishment; but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest. Baruch was not to claim exemption in the general overthrow, but he had the consolation of knowing that his life would be spared, no matter what else he might have to endure. "This is part of God's design in suffering His servants to be tempted, that their temptations may adapt them for ministering to their fellow-servants when tempted. "