A prophetic work by Jeremiah's scribe

This book is an appendix to Jeremiah. The sixth chapter does not belong to it but is a separate Epistle of Jeremiah to the captives going into Babylon. Baruch was the devoted secretary who stood by the Prophet throughout; he it was who wrote the two series of Jeremiah's prophecies at the latter's dictation, Jeremiah 36:4, Jeremiah 36:18 and Jeremiah 36:32. He was consoled by the Prophet when in distress, Jeremiah 45; and he ministered to him in prison, Jeremiah 32:16. Josephus, Ant. X., ix. 1, says that when Jerusalem was taken, Jeremiah "desired of Nabuzardan that he would set at liberty his disciple Baruch, the son of Neri, one of a very eminent family, and exceedingly skillful in the language of his country."

Contents and Divisions of Baruch

A. Baruch 1:1-14. Preface

Baruch is described as reading the book (which follows) in the presence of the captives in Babylonia; they are filled with repentance, and send to the temple in Jerusalem the silver vessels which had been taken away; at the same time they ask for prayers and sacrifices from the High-Priest in Jerusalem both for themselves and for Nabuchodonosor, and for Baltassar his son.

B. Baruch 1:15-5:9. The contents of the Book

1:15-3:8. A prayer of repentance; in it we can trace many parallels to Deuteronomy 28, to Jeremiah, Daniel, and to Isaiah; Daniel 9 should especially be compared. 3:9-5:9. An exhortation to the dispersed Israelites. It contains many parallels to Job, Jeremiah, and Proverbs.

C. Baruch 6. The Epistle of Jeremiah

It should be compared with Isaiah 40-66, and with Psalm 113. These two portions of the Book of Baruch, omitting the Epistle for the present, are of very different character. The prayer of repentance was almost certainly written originally in Hebrew, as perhaps also the second portion and the Epistle. The second portion, 3:9-5:9, is in a quite different style; it is highly oratorical, and of very great beauty. The personifications of Wisdom, Baruch 3:14-38, and of Jerusalem, Baruch 4:8-37, should be especially noted.

Theology of Baruch

The terms in which God is addressed are of interest. Thus note,

the Eternal God, Baruch 4:7, 10, 14, 22, 35;
the Everlasting Savior, Baruch 4:22;
the Holy One, Baruch 4:22, 37, Baruch 5:5;
the Most High, Baruch 4:20;
the Maker, Baruch 4:7;
the Almighty, Baruch 3:1; etc.

The reference to "Sheol," Baruch 3:11, is to be noted. We should hardly expect a book of the later Maccabean period to speak thus of the next world, see infra. The most famous text of this book is Baruch 3:37-38. It is quoted as referring to the Messiah, by, at least thirty Fathers during the first five centuries.

Date of Baruch

There is nothing in the language of the book to compel us to assign it to a later date than the time of the Captivity; and though St. Jerome says in his Preface to his translation of Jeremiah: "I have omitted the book of Baruch his secretary, the Hebrews neither read it nor possess it," yet Origen, by using "obeli" in his Hexaplar text, shows that he had a Hebrew text before him. Indeed there can be but little doubt that the original language was Hebrew; for the former portion of the book, at least, is full of Hebraisms. Modern critics, however, vary in the dates they assign to the book; thus while Ewald attributes it to about the year 320 B.C., others refer it to the year 70 A.D., or shortly after. We have indicated above the reference to the underworld, such a reference seems hardly compatible with a late date.

Canonicity of Baruch

Baruch is excluded from the Protestant Canon, but it has always found a place in the Canon of the Catholic Church. In the Latin lists its presence is often not detected because it was grouped together with Jeremiah. The same must be said of the Epistle, which seems to be referred to in 2 Mace 2:2. And while, as already said, at least thirty Fathers quote Baruch 3:37-38, as a Messianic text, we find Tertullian, St. Cyprian, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, and St. Athanasius, all including the Epistle in the Canon. As an example of St. Jerome's procedure, it should be noted that, while in the Preface to Jeremiah above quoted he omits Baruch, he elsewhere (Ep. lxxvii), quotes Baruch 5:5 simply as "Baruch" without reservation; cf. also Ep. xxxi; "Baruch receives an epistle from Jeremiah," words which may refer to Baruch 6, viz. our Epistle of Jeremiah, though possibly they refer to Jeremiah 36.


by
Very Rev. Hugh Pope, O.P., S.T.M.
Doctor in Sacred Scripture,
Member of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, and
late Professor of New Testament Exegesis at the Collegio Angelico, Rome.