1 The message that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote 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 the LORD, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: 3 You said, Woe is me now! for the LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest. 4 You shall tell him, the LORD says: 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. 5 Do you seek great things for yourself? Don’t seek them; for, behold, I will bring evil on all flesh, says the LORD; but your life will I give to you for a prey in all places where you go.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, 1706
Verses 1-5
Baruch was employed in writing Jeremiah’s prophecies, and reading them, see 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.