The Deuterocanon
Baruch
The scribe's own scroll, confession from Babylon, with the Letter of Jeremiah against idols.
Presented as the work of Jeremiah's secretary, written from Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem. It is short and composite, moving from a confession of national sin, through a poem on wisdom identifying her with the law, to a section in which Jerusalem herself speaks to her exiled children. Attached to it in most editions is the Letter of Jeremiah, a separate piece mocking idols at length, which the Orthodox and Catholics count differently from one another. Fragments of the Letter in Greek were found at Qumran. Scripture for Catholics and Orthodox, Apocrypha for Anglicans and Protestants, and absent from the Hebrew Bible.
If you remember one thing
Printed with the Letter of Jeremiah, a sharp satire on idols that reads like the funniest chapter in the Apocrypha.
Who, when, and why
- Written
- Attributed to Jeremiah's scribe; usually dated later.
- First readers
- Exiles in Babylon.
- Why it was written
- Confession, and a call to return to wisdom.
How it is shaped
- 1 to 3:8Confession of sin
- 3:9 to 4:4A poem in praise of wisdom
- 4:5 to 5:9Jerusalem consoles her children
- 6The Letter of Jeremiah, against idols
What it keeps coming back to
A verse to carry
“Learn where there is wisdom, where there is strength, where there is understanding, so that you may at the same time discern where there is length of days, and life.”
Baruch 3:14
Passages that trouble readers
Attribution
Presented as the work of Jeremiah's secretary, but the historical details do not fit that setting well, and most scholars treat it as later and composite.
Named here rather than skipped. Where Christians read a passage differently, we say so instead of choosing for you.
Who receives this book
Scripture for Catholic and Orthodox churches; among the Apocrypha in Protestant traditions.
No one from this book has a write-up yet. The hall is still filling.
A quiz for Baruch is on the workbench. In the meantime, the games for the judges, the kings, and the prophets are open.