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Bible Overview is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in Bible study. Each month we feature a book of the Bible (in order) by Bible scholar and lecturer, Mary Jane Chaignot.
This month we will look at the first of two additions to the book of Jeremiah. This one is called “I Baruch.” Baruch, as you might recall, was the secretary and confidant of Jeremiah (although there are two other individuals by that name in the OT). He was the one who copied Jeremiah’s oracles against the nation and had them delivered to King Jehoiakim, who proceeded to burn every page. So, Baruch simply made another copy. But scholars doubt that that Baruch actually wrote this letter. If you want to read some of the history previous to this selection, you can find the earlier books in our archives.
The Bible Time-Line is another quick reference for locating individuals or specific books. We encourage readers to share their Bible study success stories on this site. Email us at overview@biblewise.com to be included on next month's site.
Addition to Jeremiah – I Baruch
According to the introductory verses, Baruch presumably read this letter to Jeconiah, son of Jehoiakim, who was the deposed king of Judah in Babylon. The reading should have occurred five years after the destruction of Jerusalem. This immediately raises some red flags because most scholars are of the opinion that Baruch and Jeremiah were taken from Jerusalem to Egypt a few years after Jerusalem’s collapse, and neither one was ever in Babylon.
Those same scholars are quick to point out that this narrative lacks the cohesion that would be evident of a single author. Even if Baruch wrote the first half, it would be very unlikely he wrote the rest. In fact, some scholars think these were four separate writings that were simply joined together by a redactor. That doesn’t bode well for it being a unified whole, but some scholars do see an overarching framework that is typical of OT prophecy.
In essence, the book brings together several themes. It starts with a narrative, follows with a prayer, adds a Wisdom poem, and ends with a psalm of hope or consolation. Even if all of these elements were separate writings, the fact that they were at some point joined together -- and in this particular order -- actually gives the book a sense of movement. It addresses the issue of exile, displacement, and restoration in a way that would have been very helpful for the Jewish people at various key moments in their history. In order to accomplish this task, the author borrowed many phrases and themes from other OT writings, including Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, and Daniel. Most scholars decry the lack of original material. Nonetheless, this book is an attempt to explain the historical facts of exile in terms that were consistent with Judah’s spiritual history. The bottom line is that bad things did happen to them, but not because they were wrong about God. Bad things happened because they weren’t committed enough to living the vision laid out in the Jewish scriptures.
So it is that in the introduction, Baruch sets the stage for the reading that supposedly took place in the fifth year of captivity in Babylon. Upon hearing these words, the people in exile reacted with tears, fasting, and prayers. They quickly gathered whatever funds they could spare to send to the priests who remained in Jerusalem so the sacrificial system would remain intact. Additionally, Baruch would take back some of the sacred vessels along with the people’s instructions on how the money was supposed to be used. The sacrifices in Jerusalem were supposed to include prayers for the Babylonian king as well as for those who were still in exile.
This all sounds good except for some blatant historical fallacies inherent in these verses. In addition to the fact that Baruch might not ever have been in Babylon, scholars don’t think any of the sacred vessels were returned until the Persian era. Once again, Belshazzar is identified as Nebuchadnezzar’s son. It seems like the sort of thing that would have happened if the text had actually been written years (possibly centuries) later.
The second section then moves into a prayer. The prayer has essentially two parts. The first is where it becomes apparent that the people deserved the punishment they had been given. It is as though the author publicly confesses all their transgressions, of which there were many. In addition to the basic ones of disobedience and not listening to the words of the Lord, the people also ignored the warnings of Moses and all the prophets. Each person did what he wanted and followed other gods, doing what was evil. Is it any wonder that finally God carried out His threats?
Having said all that, however, Baruch turned that confession into a prayer for the exiled community. The people had been chastened. They had suffered. Now it was time to pray for deliverance and the granting of God’s favor. If God would save them, then the whole world would know that they were His people. He affirmed in this prayer that the people had truly learned their lesson. Now, they cry out in anguish with wearied spirits. They ask for pity. He also knows that God is still God, in all His might. God can restore them; He can wipe the slate clean.
The prayer is then followed by a Wisdom poem that is loosely based on phrases found in Job, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. Everything about this poem suggests a new author. Not only was this originally written in Greek, but the name for God is different. It asks the age-old question: “Who knows where Wisdom lives?” Obviously, people don’t. Not the powerful or the wealthy or the wise or the ancestors. No mortal of any kind knows Wisdom. Yet, God does. God knows Wisdom and has given Israel the way to knowledge of her through His commandments. The Law will last forever as will those who keep it. The poem ends with a song of joy – “We are happy because we know the things that please God!”
The last section is best defined as a psalm of encouragement and hope. This psalm is closely related to phrases found in second Isaiah, chapters 40-55. Again, there is considerable movement in this section. It begins with the psalmist speaking to the exiles on God’s behalf. They should take heart. Yes, they had been punished but they were not destroyed. The author also attributes great grief to God who had to bring up another nation to inflict this punishment on His chosen people. But this will not be the end of the story. As the children of Israel continue to cry out to God, they will be rescued from the tyranny and torment of their enemies. Then they will be able to return to Jerusalem, and Jerusalem will once again be filled with glory.
The author then addresses Jerusalem directly. The nation will rejoice when her children are returned to her from their captivity. From then on it will be an eternal city, and its splendor will be shown to every nation under heaven. It ends with very uplifting images about God’s devotedness to His people.
So why didn’t this make it into the canon? Scholars vary in their answers, but few think this book was ever included in the Jewish scriptures. Because of its affinity with Daniel, most think it was probably written around the same time (roughly 160 BCE), while others think it might not have been written until the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE, which would easily explain why it was not considered to be canonical. However, it is included in some of the older manuscripts of the Septuagint. That doesn’t mean it was known at the time of that translation, only that it circulated in Greek. There are no Hebrew copies or even fragments of this book. Apparently, the only ones who seemed to find it useful were the early Church Fathers from around the second century CE. Occasional references occur through the fifth century, but after that it was virtually ignored.
This book can be divided into four sections: 1:1-14 – Introduction; 1:15-3:8 – A Confession of Sins; 3:8-4:4 – A Wisdom Poem; 4:5-5:9 – Promises of Consolation and Restoration. |
