Baruch was the son of Neriah and a member of a distinguished family in Judah. His brother Seraiah was a high-ranking officer in the court of King Zedekiah.[1] Baruch was confidant and secretary of the prophet Jeremiah.
When Jeremiah bought property in his hometown of Anathoth, he gave Baruch copies of the deed, and instructed him to put them in a pottery jar to preserve them for a long time.[2] In the Book of Jeremiah, Jeremiah dictated to Baruch all the words spoken to him by God, Baruch then read the scroll to the people of Judah. After King Jehoiakim destroyed the scroll, Jeremiah again dictated the same scroll to Baruch.
In Jeremiah, chapter 45, Jeremiah relates a message from God to Baruch: "I will destroy this nation that I have built—For though I will bring great evil upon all these people, I will protect you wherever you go, as your reward."
After the murder of Gedaliah the governor of Judah, Baruch accompanied Jeremiah to Egypt.
Etymology[]
Baruch comes from a Hebrew word that means "Blessed".