Jeremiah 45

Chapter 45 of Jeremiah is the shortest chapter in the book. It stands between the message delivered to the Judeans who had gone down to Egypt (Jeremiah 44) and the oracles against the nations (Jeremiah 46 and following). Chronologically, however, it reaches back to a time earlier than the preceding chapters, the fourth year of Jehoiakim, linking it to the period in Jeremiah 36 when Baruch was writing down Jeremiah's words.

Outline

• Verse 1 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim, as Baruch the son of Neriah was writing in a book the words dictated by Jeremiah, Jeremiah speaks to him.
• Verses 2–3 The LORD recalls Baruch's lament. Baruch had said that the LORD had added grief to his sorrow, that he was worn out with sighing, and that he found no rest.
• Verse 4 The LORD declares that He will break down what He has built and pluck up what He has planted, and that this applies to the whole land.
• Verse 5 The LORD tells Baruch not to seek great things for himself. Though disaster will come upon all flesh, He promises that Baruch's life will be given to him as a prey wherever he goes.

Key Verses

• Jeremiah 45:4 "that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up"
• This corresponds to the words spoken at Jeremiah's call, when God appointed him to root out and pull down, to build and to plant (Jeremiah 1:6–10).
• Jeremiah 45:5 "And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not"
• The older Korean Revised Version renders the verb as "plan" or "undertake" great things, while the New Korean Revised Version renders it "seek."
• The word "prey" (spoil taken in war) in the latter part of the verse is understood to mean that, even amid the turmoil, Baruch would at least escape with his life.

People and Places

• Baruch: The son of Neriah, a scribe who wrote down Jeremiah's words.
• Jeremiah: Conveys God's word to Baruch.
• Josiah: The father of Jehoiakim, mentioned by name only.
• Jehoiakim: The son of Josiah and king of Judah. According to Jeremiah 46:2, his fourth year was the year Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptian army at Carchemish, commonly dated to about 605 BC.
• No places are specifically mentioned.

Interpretive Considerations

• In the Masoretic Text (the traditional Hebrew text), this chapter appears out of chronological order, so some scholars regard it as a colophon concluding the preceding material. In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament), the oracles against the nations are placed earlier, so this section comes near the end of the book, immediately before chapter 52.
• The text does not specify what "great things" Baruch hoped for. Some interpret them as expectations of status or security, but this is conjecture.
• There is an apocryphal book bearing Baruch's name, the Book of Baruch. The Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church accept it as deuterocanonical, while Protestantism does not include it in the canon. Later traditions about Baruch's subsequent life should likewise be distinguished from the text of this chapter.
• The chapter is not directly quoted in the New Testament. Because of its theme of self-denial, however, it is sometimes read alongside passages such as Mark 8:34–35.

In the Korean Church

Jeremiah 45:5 is often cited as a sermon text for examining the motives and ambitions of ministers and believers.