1 The word that Ieremiah the Prophet spake vnto Baruch the sonne of Neriah, when he had written these words in a booke at the mouth of Ieremiah, in the fourth yeere of Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah king of Iudah, saying,
2 Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel vnto thee, O Baruch,
3 Thou didst say, Woe is me now, for the Lord hath added griefe to my sorow, I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.
4 ¶ Thus shalt thou say vnto him, The Lord saith thus, Behold, that which I haue built will I breake downe, and that which I haue planted I will plucke vp, euen this whole land:
5 And seekest thou great things for thy selfe? seeke them not: for behold, I wil bring euill vpon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I giue vnto thee for a pray in all places whither thou goest.
An encouragement sent to Baruch.
- Baruch was employed in writing Jeremiah's prophecies, and reading them, see ch. #Jer 36|, and was threatened for it by the king. Young beginners in religion are apt to be discouraged with little difficulties, which they commonly meet with at first in the service of God. These complaints and fears came from his corruptions. Baruch had raised his expectations too high in this world, and that made the distress and trouble he was in harder to be borne. The frowns of the world would not disquiet us, if we did not foolishly flatter ourselves with the hopes of its smiles, and court and covet them. What a folly is it then to seek great things for ourselves here, where every thing is little, and nothing certain! The Lord knows the real cause of our fretfulness and despondency better than we do, and we should beg of him to examine our hearts, and to repress every wrong desire in us.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.