Baruch: Blessed.1. The secretary of the prophet Jeremiah
(Jeremiah 32:12; 36:4) He was of
the tribe of Judah
(Jeremiah 51:59) To him Jeremiah dictated his
prophecies regarding the invasion of the Babylonians and the
Captivity. These he read to the people from a window in the
temple in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of
Judah
(Jeremiah 36:1)ff He afterwards read them before the
counsellors of the king at a private interview; and then to the
king himself, who, after hearing a part of the roll, cut it with
a penknife, and threw it into the fire of his winter parlour,
where he was sitting. During the siege of Jerusalem by
Nebuchadnezzar, he was the keeper of the deed of purchase
Jeremiah had made of the territory of Hanameel
(Jeremiah 32:12) Being
accused by his enemies of favouring the Chaldeans, he was cast,
with Jeremiah, into prison, where he remained till the capture
of Jerusalem (B.C. 586) He probably died in Babylon.
2.
(Nehemiah 3:20; 10:6; 11:5)