Who was the scribe and faithful companion of the prophet Jeremiah? Baruch ben Neriah was Jeremiah’s scribe and trusted companion. He wrote down Jeremiah’s prophecies and publicly read them when the prophet was restricted from entering the Temple.
Jeremiah 36 describes Baruch writing a scroll as Jeremiah dictated his messages. Baruch then read the scroll to the people in Jerusalem and later before officials. When King Jehoiakim heard the words, he cut the scroll apart and burned it piece by piece, but Jeremiah dictated the messages again and Baruch rewrote them.
Baruch’s role was more than that of a copyist. Jeremiah 45 preserves a personal message addressed to him, acknowledging his fear and weariness while urging him not to seek great things for himself during a national catastrophe. Baruch also remained associated with Jeremiah during the Babylonian siege and its aftermath.
Baruch is not another name for Jeremiah, Isaiah, or Ezekiel. Later Jewish and Christian traditions attributed additional writings to him, including the Book of Baruch, but those later works should be distinguished from the biblical narratives about his service to Jeremiah.