Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1712)

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J E R E M I A H.

CHAP. XLV.

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The prophecy we have in this chapter concerns Baruch only, yet is

intended for the support and encouragement of all the Lord’s people

that serve him faithfully and keep closely to him in difficult trying

times. It is placed here after the story of the destruction of

Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jews, but was delivered long

before, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, as was the prophecy in the

next chapter, and probably those that follow. We here find,

I. How Baruch was terrified when he was brought into trouble for

writing and reading Jeremiah’s roll,

ver. 1-3.

II. How his fears were checked with a reproof for his great

expectations and silenced with a promise of special preservation,

ver. 4, 5.

Though Baruch was only Jeremiah’s scribe, yet this notice is taken of

his frights, and this provision made for his comfort; for God despises

not any of his servants, but graciously concerns himself for the

meanest and weakest, for Baruch the scribe as well as for Jeremiah the

prophet.

Jeremiah’s Address to Baruch.	B. C. 607.

     

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

ch. xxxvi.,

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!
v. 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

(Prov. xxiv. 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,
v. 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?

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1712)

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