Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Jeremiah 45:5

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Jeremiah 45:5. And seekest thou great things for thyself? — Nothing better can be expected of this people: thy hopes in reference to them are vain. Expect no national amendment, till national judgments have taken place. And as for any benefit to thyself, think it sufficient that God has determined to preserve thy life amidst all these dangers.

But thy life will I give unto thee for a prey — This is a proverbial expression. We have met with it before, Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 38:2; Jeremiah 39:18; and it appears to have this meaning. As a prey or spoil is that which is gained from a vanquished enemy, so it is preserved with pleasure as the proof and reward of a man's own valour. So Baruch's life should be doubly precious unto him, not only on account of the dangers through which God had caused him to pass safely, but also on account of those services he had been enabled to render, the consolations he had received, and the continual and very evident interposition of God in his behalf. All these would be dearer to him than the spoils of a vanquished foe to the hero who had overcome in battle.

Spoil may signify unlooked-for gain. The preservation of his life, in such circumstances, must be more than he could reasonably expect; but his life should be safe, and he should have it as a spoil, whithersoever he should go. This assurance must have quieted all his fears.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

A message for Baruch (45:1-5)

Jeremiah gave this word of encouragement to his assistant Baruch on the occasion when Baruch had to read the scroll of God’s judgments to the people (45:1; see 36:1-32). Baruch was distressed, but, says Jeremiah, think how much more distressed is God, who is about to destroy the very nation that he has built up (2-4). Baruch was thinking how his unpopular announcements might affect his own security or advancement; but, says Jeremiah, when divine judgment falls on Judah, Baruch will be thankful enough just to come out alive (5).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

THE PROMISE TO BARUCH

"The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiachim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch: Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for Jehovah hath added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest. Thus shalt thou say unto him, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up; and this in the whole land. And seekest thou great things for thyself?, seek them not; for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith Jehovah; but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest."

"In the fourth year of Jehoiachim" "This prophecy is dated 604 B.C. when the first roll (`these words') was written (Jeremiah 36 :ff)."H. Wheeler Robinson, Jeremiah, p. 492.

"I am weary with my groaning" "There were three grounds, probably, for Baruch's discouragement: (1) he was overwhelmed with the prophet's words on the seriousness of the peoples' sin and the shattering consequences of it; (2) he had probably already suffered some indignities because of his association with the `prophet of doom,' and may have anticipated more to come; and (3) he saw his own personal air castles of ambition and advancement come crashing down around him."Broadman Bible Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971), p. 183.

"And this in the whole land" God's reply reveals that when a whole society is being destroyed, there will certainly be hardship and disaster for many individuals, and warns Baruch to give up his thoughts of ambition and self-advancement. They could not come in that situation where God was plucking up and tearing down the kingdom of Israel.

"But thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest" Nevertheless would bless his faithful children, not with the prosperity and peace for which they longed; but he would grant them life, when all around them were perishing. What a precious gift is life, under whatever conditions!

"For a prey" "This means that God will allow Baruch to escape with his life, as in Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 28:2, and Jeremiah 39:18."C. F. Keil, Keil-Delitzsch's Old Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 273. However, the words, "In all places whither thou shalt go," are somewhat ominous, indicating that, "Baruch will be obliged to avoid destruction by flight, but that God will thereby save his life."Ibid.

The discerning comment of Albert Barnes is a fitting conclusion to my comments on this little chapter.

"The long catalog of calamities pronounced against Israel by Jeremiah made a painful impression upon Baruch's mind. He was ambitious, of noble birth, being the grandson of Maaseiah the governor of Jerusalem during the times of Josiah; he was a scribe and probably looked forward to high office of state. This short prophecy commands Baruch to give up his ambitions and to be satisfied with being able to escape with his life. When the last memorials of Jeremiah's life were added to the history of the fall of Jerusalem, Baruch added this chapter in his old age; and then, being humbled by the weight of years, and by the sorrows of private and public ,disasters, he probably read this little chapter with far different feelings from those which he had when first Jeremiah revealed to him what the Lord had prophesied concerning his faithful scribe."Barnes' Notes (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House), p. 254.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

It afterwards follows, And seekest thou great things for thyself? We now see clear enough why he reproved Baruch, it was, because he was too careful as to himself, and too timid; and thus it was that he was impeded in his duty. He then says, And dost thou seek for thyself? The particle לך , lac, for thyself, is put here emphatically; for here God sets Baruch in the balance, and the whole people together, with the temple and divine worship. “Dost thou,” he says, “outweigh them? Is thy life of more value than the temple, the safety of the people, and all my gifts which so much excel?” It was then God’s purpose in this way to make Baruch ashamed of himself, because he preferred a frail life to so many things and so glorious. Dost thou, then, he says, seek great things, גדלות , gidalut, for thyself? that is, “Shall thy state be eminent while the temple is burnt with fire, while the land is laid waste, while most men perish, and the remnant are driven into exile and captivity? Art thou then alone to be deemed sacred? Art thou alone to be exempt from loss and trouble? See, is all this right?” Here then he made Baruch himself the judge.

But as Baruch might as yet flatter himself, he immediately restrains him; Seek not, he says, for we know how men from self-love seek their own indulgence. That Baruch then might not persist in his course, God puts a check on all his ambitious feelings; Seek not, he says. He afterwards adds a ground of consolation. Baruch has been thus far severely reproved, as he deserved, on account of his self-indulgence; but God now forgives him, and adds a comfort which might in part alleviate his sorrow; For behold, he says, I will bring evil on all flesh, and 1 will give thee thy life for a prey in all p1aces whither thou goest Here God frees Baruch from that distressing fear by which he had been debilitated, so as not to possess suitable firmness for his work. he then says, “Fear not, for thy life shall be safe to thee while all around thee are destroyed.” Baruch thought that he should perish while the people were safe and secure; but God declares that none of the people would be safe, and that he would be safely preserved while all the rest were perishing.

I will bring evil, he says, on all flesh He speaks indeed briefly, but Baruch must have well considered what he had received from the mouth of the Prophet, for he ought to have been fully persuaded as to the faithfulness and immutable purpose of God. God then assumes this fact, that ruin was nigh as to the whole people and other nations. He afterwards adds, Thy life will I give thee as a prey Of this kind of language we have before spoken. To give one his life for a prey was to deliver him as it were from instant death. As when all things are exposed to plunder, if one snatched this or that and escaped, he would have something saved; or as if one plucked anything from the burning, he would have it preserved; so when all things were thrown into such a confusion, that death would beset men on every side, he who could escape in safety would have his life as a prey when removed from all danger. Then God bids Baruch to be content with the benefit of being safe, while others, as I have said, were perishing. Now follows, —

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 45

Now as we move into chapter 45, we are moving into the final part of Jeremiah's prophecies. This is known as the sixth part of the prophecies in which we have miscellaneous prophecies that are of... come from the different periods of Jeremiah's life, but they are directed for the most part against the nations that are round about Israel. And God brings these nations around Israel - Egypt, the Gentile powers, Philistia, Tyre, Babylon and so forth - He brings them into a prophetic view as God declares the judgments that will come upon these various nations.

But chapter 45 is a message to Baruch who was Jeremiah's friend and scribe. Jeremiah dictated it to Baruch who was a scribe and who wrote the words of Jeremiah in a book.

So this is,

The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying ( Jeremiah 45:1 ),

Now you remember Jehoiakim took the scroll and he cut it with his penknife and tossed it in the fire. Now at the time that Jeremiah gave to him these words and Baruch wrote them, God also gave a special word to Baruch.

Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch ( Jeremiah 45:2 );

Wouldn't that be something to have God give you a personal message? Heavy duty, you know. And yet, I have had God give to me personal messages right out of His Word. When right out of the Word of God the Word just seems to speak to you. And you knew it was God speaking to you right out of the book and just a personal application. It just fits so perfectly and was so appropriate for the moment. "Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch."

You did say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest ( Jeremiah 45:3 ).

Actually Jehoiakim, when he cut up the scroll, was seeking Baruch. He was going to really give it to him for reading that scroll. And Baruch was in hiding. And he heard that Jehoiakim was after him and all and he says, "Woe is me! For the Lord has added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest." That's what Baruch was saying.

But thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land ( Jeremiah 45:4 ).

I built this nation; I'm going to break it down. I've planted; I'm going to pluck it up.

And seekest thou great things for thyself? Don't seek them ( Jeremiah 45:5 ):

The whole thing's going to go down, Baruch. I'm going to pluck the place up. I'm going to break it down. So it is foolish at this point to seek great things for yourself. Seek them not.

for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places wherever you go ( Jeremiah 45:5 ).

In other words, "I'll spare your life wherever you go. But I'm going to bring destruction." Therefore, the message of the Lord to Baruch basically was "Don't seek great things for yourself. The whole system's going down the tube so why seek great things for yourself?" Jesus said, "What shall it profit a man, if he would gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" ( Mark 8:36 ) What if you could gain the whole world? What joy do you think you would have being the richest man in hell? What should it profit a man if he would gain the whole world and lose his own soul? "Don't seek great things for yourself. It's all coming down, Baruch. Don't worry about it. Don't seek a great name. Don't seek greatness for yourself. Seek God. God will protect you wherever you go. He'll be with you. He'll give you your life. But don't seek after great things for yourself."

Jeremiah had one of the most difficult ministries that any servant of God has ever been called to perform. For from the beginning his ministry was destined for failure. God told Jeremiah in the beginning, "I'm going to send you to these people, but they're not going to listen to you." And so it happened. Jeremiah came and spoke the word of the Lord faithfully to them, but they didn't listen. "And because they will not listen, thus I am going to bring upon them all of the evil that I have declared." And Jeremiah had to stand by helplessly knowing what was happening. Seeing the decay. Seeing the downhill plunge. Seeing the people headed towards destruction. Calling out, crying out, warning them, but unable to do anything to turn them or to stop them from their own disastrous path to oblivion. He had to watch and oversee the death of the nation that God might be faithful and righteous in His judgment so that no one could say, "Well, God didn't warn us," or, "God didn't tell us," or, "Oh, if God had only told us, things would be different." God is always faithful. He always has His servants there to warn and to speak the truth.

I feel that there are tremendous parallels that can be drawn between the nation of Israel at this time of their decline and fall and the United States, in that Israel was known as a people of God. In their beginning they were founded upon God. They experienced the blessings of God and God made them a strong and powerful nation. And you can see the parallel. In the beginning our founding fathers were looking to God for guidance in the establishing of these United States. And they established the Constitution guaranteeing the freedoms of worshipping God. One nation under God. Acknowledged the fact that we were a nation under God and we were known as a nation under God. And God blessed and prospered our nation. But Israel, when they became prosperous, got their eyes off of God and began to worship and serve other gods, the gods of their own hands, the gods of materialism. Even as we in the United States today are burning our incense to the gods of materialism. And having forsaken the true and the living God, they became forsaken by God and they were weakened and they ultimately failed. Jeremiah had to watch the fall. Seeing what was going on, warning them, but with no avail. He had to see the tragic consequence of a nation who had turned their backs on God.

I am deeply concerned of the horrible moral conditions that exist in the United States today. I am deeply concerned about the prevalence of pornography, the exploitation of sex, of the openness of homosexuals and lesbians. And of the latest advocating of incest, encouraging parents to have sexual experiences with their own small children. We are about as low as we can go. When these people can even get a voice in a national publication like Time Magazine this week where they espouse their views. It can't go on.

Now God has His faithful remnant and God will be faithful to His remnant. They shall escape. But the judgment of God is going to fall heavy and hard. You can be sure of that. God's Word gives vivid details of His judgment that is coming very soon. Jesus spoke in great detail of that judgment. And turning to His followers He said, "Pray always, that you'll be accounted worthy to escape all of these things that are going to come to pass upon the earth, and to be standing before the Son of man" ( Luke 21:36 ). Pray that you'll be that faithful remnant. More than pray--commit your life to God. Serve the Lord. Put Him first. "Beware," Jesus said, speaking of these last days, "lest at any time your own heart be overcharged with surfeiting, the dining pleasures, drinking, drunkenness, or the cares of this life, that that day come upon you by surprise" ( Luke 21:34 ). For it will come as a surprise upon all who are dwelling upon the earth. Be careful it doesn't take you by surprise. Live after the Spirit. Walk after the Spirit. Be led by the Spirit. Turn from a life of the flesh and the seeking of the satisfying or gratifying of your flesh to live a life after the Spirit. "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near" ( Isaiah 55:6 ). And, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" ( Matthew 6:33 ).

Even as in Israel womanhood became degraded, I notice how they are attempting to degrade womanhood today starting with pretty little teenage girls and making them sex symbols. How tragic. We hold them up as examples to the women. God help us. For when women become degraded that's always the final straw.

You that are the Lord's, serve Him. Make a new commitment of your life to God. "God, I'm going to live after the Spirit. I'm going to follow after You. I'll forsake Egypt. I'll forsake the flesh. And I'll live fully after Thee, O God." The time has come for you to make that kind of commitment and to lead your family in it that they might escape these things that are shortly coming to pass, as God's judgment is certain to fall upon this godless generation. Time will show whose word is going to stand: that of the agnostic, or that of God; that of the liberal press, that of the mocker, or that of the true and the living God. But the thing is, when God's Word was proved true, it was then too late.

God warned through Noah, "There's going to be a flood." "Ahh, flood, whoever heard of a flood?" "Water is going to fall from heaven." "Ahh, whoever heard of rain?" Noah went in. God shut the door. It began to rain. "We believe you now. Wow!" Too late. There are many believers too late. God's Word is going to stand. It's important that we stand on God's Word. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

It was wrong, therefore, for Baruch to expect a life of comfort and ease. Baruch was an educated man whose brother was a high official under King Zedekiah (Jeremiah 51:59). His grandfather had been the ruler of Jerusalem during Josiah’s reign (cf. Jeremiah 32:12; 2 Chronicles 34:8). He may have entertained hopes of attaining a position of distinction in the nation, but he, too, would have to participate in the fallout of Yahweh’s judgment. The Lord promised to bless Baruch by preserving his life wherever he went because of his faithful service.

"Ironically, the very suffering through which Baruch passed because of his loyalty to Jeremiah gained him honor beyond anything he could have anticipated." [Note: Thompson, p. 684.]

"A crisis doesn’t ’make a person’; a crisis reveals what a person is made of." [Note: Wiersbe, p. 135.]

The Lord’s command not to seek great things for himself presupposes a proud motive. Seeking to serve the Lord in a significant position of ministry is not wrong in itself, provided one’s motive is to glorify God. It is seeking position for one’s own glory that is wrong.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek [them] not,.... Riches and wealth honour and esteem, peace and prosperity; these were not to be sought after and expected, when the whole nation would be involved in such a general calamity. Baruch perhaps expected that his reading the roll to princes would have been a means of preferring him at court, of advancing him to some post or office, in which he might have acquired wealth, and got applause, and lived in peace and plenty all his days; but this was not to be looked for; when, if he observed, the very roll he wrote and read contained in it prophecies of the general ruin of the nation. The Jews restrain this to the gift of prophecy they suppose Baruch sought after, which was not to be enjoyed out of the land of Canaan:

for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh; not upon every individual person in the world; but upon all the inhabitants of Judea, who should either die by the sword or by famine, or by pestilence, or be carried captive, or be in some distress or another:

but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest; suggesting that he should be obliged to quit his native place and country, and go from place to place; as he did, after the destruction of Jerusalem, along with the prophet; and even into Egypt with the Jews that went there; where his life would be in danger, and yet should be preserved; he should be snatched as a brand out of the burning, when Jerusalem was taken; and in other places, when exposed, though he should lose everything, yet not his life; which should be as dear to him as a rich spoil taken by the soldier, being a distinguishing mercy.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      1 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,   2 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch;   3 Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.   4 Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.   5 And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.

      How Baruch was employed in writing Jeremiah's prophecies, and reading them, we had an account Jeremiah 36:1-32; Jeremiah 36:1-32, and how he was threatened for it by the king, warrants being out for him and he forced to abscond, and how narrowly he escaped under a divine protection, to which story this chapter should have been subjoined, but that, having reference to a private person, it is here thrown into the latter end of the book, as St. Paul's epistle to Philemon is put after his other epistles. Observe,

      I. The consternation that poor Baruch was in when he was sought for by the king's messengers and obliged to hide his head, and the notice which God took of it. He cried out, Woe is me now!Jeremiah 45:3; Jeremiah 45:3. He was a young man setting out in the world; he was well affected to the things of God, and was willing to serve God and his prophet; but, when it came to suffering, he was desirous to be excused. Being an ingenious man, and a scholar, he stood fair for preferment, and now to be driven into a corner, and in danger of a prison, or worse, was a great disappointment to him. When he read the roll publicly he hoped to gain reputation by it, that it would make him to be taken notice of and employed; but when he found that, instead of that, it exposed him to contempt, and brought him into disgrace, he cried out, "I am undone; I shall fall into the pursuers' hands, and be imprisoned, and put to death, or banished: The Lord has added grief to my sorrow, has loaded me with one trouble after another. After the grief of writing and reading the prophecies of my country's ruin, I have the sorrow of being treated as a criminal; for so doing; and, though another might make nothing of this, yet for my part I cannot bear it; it is a burden too heavy for me. I fainted in my sighing (or I am faint with my sighing; it just kills me) and I find no rest, no satisfaction in my own mind. I cannot compose myself as I should and would to bear it, not have I any prospect of relief or comfort." Baruch was a good man, but, we must say, this was his infirmity. Note, 1. Young beginners in religion, like fresh-water soldiers, are apt to be discouraged with the little difficulties which they commonly meet with at first in the service of God. They do but run with the footmen, and it wearies them; they faint upon the very dawning of the day of adversity, and it is an evidence that their strength is small (Proverbs 24:10), that their faith is weak, and that they are yet but babes, who cry for every hurt and every fright. 2. Some of the best and dearest of God's saints and servants, when they have seen storms rising, have been in frights, and apt to make the worst of things, and to disquiet themselves with melancholy apprehensions more than there was cause for. 3. God takes notice of the frets and discontents of his people and is displeased with them. Baruch should have rejoiced that he was counted worthy to suffer in such a good cause and with such good company, but, instead of that, he is vexed at it, and blames his lot, nay, and reflects upon his God, as if he had dealt hardly with him; what he said was spoken in a heat and passion, but God was offended, as he was with Moses, who paid dearly for it, when, his spirit being provoked, he spoke unadvisedly with his lips. Thou didst say so and so, and it was not well said. God keeps account what we say, even when we speak in haste.

      II. The reproof that God gave him for talking at this rate. Jeremiah was troubled to see him in such an agitation, and knew not well what to say to him. He was loth to chide him, and yet thought he deserved it, was willing to comfort him, and yet knew not which way to go about it; but God tells him what he shall say to him,Jeremiah 45:4; Jeremiah 45:4. Jeremiah could not be certain what was at the bottom of these complaints and fear, but God sees it. They came from his corruptions. That the hurt might therefore not be healed slightly, he searches the wound, and shows him that he had raised his expectations too high in this world and had promised himself too much from it, and that made the distress and trouble he was in so very grievous to him and so hard to be borne. Note, The frowns of the world would not disquiet us as they do if we did not foolishly flatter ourselves with the hopes of its smiles and court and covet them too much. It is our over-fondness for the good things of this present time that makes us impatient under its evil things. Now God shows him that it was his fault and folly, at this time of day especially, either to desire or to look for an abundance of the wealth and honour of this world. For, 1. The ship was sinking. Ruin was coming upon the Jewish nation, an utter and universal ruin: "That which I have built, to be a house for myself, I am breaking down, and that which I have planted, to be a vineyard for myself, I am plucking up, even this whole land, the Jewish church and state; and dost thou now seek great things for thyself? Dost thou expect to be rich and honourable and to make a figure now? No." 2. "It is absurd for thee to be now painting thy own cabin. Canst thou expect to be high when all are brought low, to be full when all about thee are empty?" To seek ourselves more than the public welfare, especially to seek great things to ourselves when the public is in danger, is very unbecoming Israelites. We may apply it to this world, and our state in it; God in his providence is breaking down and pulling up; every thing is uncertain and perishing; we cannot expect any continuing city here. What folly is it then to seek great things for ourselves here, where every thing is little and nothing certain!

      III. The encouragement that God gave him to hope that though he should not be great, yet he should be safe: "I will bring evil upon all flesh, all nations of men, all orders and degrees of men, but thy life will I give to thee for a prey" (thy soul, so the word is) "in all places whither thou goest. Thou must expect to be hurried from place to place, and, wherever thou goest, to be in danger, but thou shalt escape, though often very narrowly, shalt have thy life, but it shall be as a prey, which is got with much difficulty and danger; thou shalt be saved as by fire." Note, The preservation and continuance of life are very great mercies, and we are bound to account them such, as they are the prolonging of our opportunity to glorify God in this world and to get ready for a better; and at some times, especially when the arrows of death fly thickly about us, life is a signal favour, and what we ought to be very thankful for, and while we have it must not complain though we be disappointed of the great things we expected. Is not the life more than meat?