Jeremiah 32:12

Jer 32:12 And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle’s [son], and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.

Ver. 12. And I gave the evidences of the purchase unto Baruch.] Who was Jeremiah’s household servant, and his scribe or notary, such as was afterwards Paulus Coneordiensis to Cyprian.

In the sight of Hanameel, &c.] Here was good husbandry, which Bishop Andrews was wont to say was good divinity. {a}

Before all the Jews who sat in the court of the prison.] Whither they came likely to hear the prophet, as the well affected here did to hear and see the martyrs in Queen Mary’s days. To Mr Bradford (by his keeper’s courtesy) there was such resort at his lecture and ministration of the sacrament, that commonly his chamber was well nigh filled therewith. {b}

{a} Fuller’s Church Hist.

{b} Acts and Mon., 1457.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Baruch--Jeremiah's amanuensis and agent (Jer 36:4, &c.).

before all--In sales everything clandestine was avoided; publicity was required. So here, in the court of prison, where Jeremiah was confined, there were soldiers and others, who had free access to him, present (Jer 38:1).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He afterwards adds, that he gave both to his scribe Baruch, the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the presence of Hanameel, and in the presence of the witnesses who had subscribed the writings, and in the presence of all who stood there, that is, in the court of the prison. Hence we may again plainly conclude, that he is narrating a real history, and not a vision exhibited to him: the seller, Hanameel, was present together with witnesses and other Jews; and he says that he gave up the writing with certain orders, for otherwise it would have been merely the delivering up of a book. If he had only deposited it with Baruch, the people would have learnt nothing; but the orders are added, I charged Baruch, saying, etc. We hence may also conclude, that this oracle was given to the Prophet, not only that it might continue for posterity, even after the time of exile was completed, but that it might also be then published and made known to all the Jews. He then says, Thus saith Jehovah He had not yet shewn the design of the prophecy; but when he said that the affair was carried on by the command of God, he rendered them all attentive. Take, he says, these writings, and put them in an earthen or a potter’s vessel It seems strange that he did not bid him to put them in another kind of vessel, for that vessel might become decayed, and so the writings might have perished. But we know that even the most precious treasures are deposited in earthen vessels. It is then no wonder that God commanded the prophecy to be put in an earthen vessel. Were any one disposed to understand something more refined, it might be said, that the promise, which apparently was not very firm, was an earthen vessel; for what is more frail than a voice which is dissipated into air? The Jews were driven into exile; they had heard from the mouth of Jeremiah, that the prefixed period was seventy years: but they might, in the meantime have despaired, since only the sound of the voice had reached their ears. However this may be, since the oracle, which was a pledge of deliverance, had been laid up in an earthen vessel, it remained safe and undecayed, because the treasure had been deposited there by God’s command.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(12) Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah.—This is the first mention of a man who played a more or less prominent part in connection with Jeremiah’s later work. Nothing is known of his father or grandfather, but the fact that both are named indicates that he belonged to the nobler families of Judah; and this is confirmed, partly by the fact that his brother Seraiah (Jer_51:59, where see Note) held a high position in the court of Zedekiah, partly by Josephus, who describes him as of “a very illustrious house,” and “highly educated” (Ant. x. 6, § 12). The mention of Chelcias (the Greek form for Hilkiah) among his ancestors, in the apocryphal book that bears his name (Bar_1:1), may indicate a connection with the family of the high-priest in the reign of Josiah (2Ki_22:4-14), and we may find in this fact an explanation of his regard tor Jeremiah. In relation to the prophet, he appears in Jer_36:4 as acting as his secretary, as accused of instigating Jeremiah to preach submission to the Chaldæans (Jer_43:3), as sharing his sufferings and dangers (Jer_36:26), and, according to Josephus (as above), as thrown into prison with him. He was probably an influential member of the Chaldæan party in the court of Judah, protesting against the policy which courted an alliance with Egypt and entered into intrigues and schemes of rebellion against the power of Babylon. The book that bears his name is probably pseudonymous, but it bears witness, in the very fact of its being ascribed to him, to the importance of the position which he occupied in the politics of the time. Here he is present as at least visiting the prophet in prison, even if he did not share his imprisonment, and Jeremiah hands over the deeds of conveyance to his custody.

Before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.—The incidental mention of these is interesting, as showing the freedom of access which was permitted to the prisoner. Looking to the freedom and fulness of the prayer that follows (Jer_32:17-25), it is a legitimate inference that they formed, as it were, a congregation of disciples, on whom the prophet sought to impress, by the transaction of the purchase, his own sure and certain hope of the restoration of his people.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. Baruch] the first mention of the prophet’s faithful amanuensis.

mine uncle’s son] See on Jer_32:7. From this v. together with ch. Jer_51:59 we gather that Seraiah, chief chamberlain to Zedekiah, was Baruch’s brother.

in the court of the guard] See on Jer_32:2.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And I charged Baruch before them,.... Before his kinsman, the witnesses of the deed, and the Jews that were in the court:

saying, as follows:

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

This

Baruch (as appeareth from Jer 36:4,26) was a scribe, and an attendant upon Jeremiah, and one who wrote things for him, and from his mouth. He made this purchase with all the usual formalities; to make it public, he signed and sealed it before witnesses, and delivered it to Baruch, to keep in the presence of them all, and in the presence of the Jews who casually were in the place when the thing was done.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Baruch - This Baruch (chap. xlvi, 4, 26,) was a scribe, and an attendant upon Jeremiah. Witnesses - He made this purchase with all the usual formalities; he signed and sealed it before witnesses, and delivered it to Baruch to keep, in the presence of all the Jews.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

in the presence of Hanamel my uncle And until now, he calls him “my uncle’s son.” Perhaps there were two. Otherwise, I do not know what it means. Some are inclined to say that Hanamel was both Jeremiah’s uncle and his uncle’s son; e.g. Reuben married the daughter of his brother Simon, and she bore him Jemuel, and Simon had already begotten Jamin. Hence, Jamin is Jemuel’s uncle, since he is his mother’s brother, and also his uncle’s son, since he is the son of Simon, Jemuel’s father’s brother. This is, however, not the method of expression, for we do not find anywhere in the Bible, that the mother’s brother is called an uncle.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.