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The prestige that became associated with the name of Jeremiah, the prophet, after the Exile, also touched his faithful secretary Baruch. Thus, in accord with a procedure of that day, Baruch was made the author of a whole series of writings posterior to him by a few centuries, of which the Bible has preserved at least one.
This work lacks literary unity. Most of it is made up of parts taken from, or dependent on, other biblical passages (Dan 9; Job 28; Isa 40–66). It comprises four very different parts: an introductory account, a psalm of repentance, a hymn of instruction, and a message of consolation. It is difficult to propose a date; however, scholars believe that the whole was not anterior to the second century B.C. The so-called Letter of Jeremiah, which has been appended to this Book, may be from the same time, if not more recent.
The Book of Baruch has the honor of revealing the profoundly religious soul of the Jews dispersed throughout the world who, quite surprisingly, still remained united with their people. Their faith testifies to a very vivid sense of national sin; in their eyes, Israel’s past has been nothing but one long infidelity. Defeat and captivity are the aftermath and the just chastisement of this constant rebellion.
However, this Book contains, above all, a message of hope: in the face of Israel’s infidelity rests God’s immutable faithfulness. The Lord will bring about conversion and bestow pardon, and the covenant will be revived to be more beautiful than before. It will be an eternal covenant that will gather the dispersed children into a radiant Jerusalem, city of God forever.
The Book of Baruch may be divided as follows:
I: Introduction (1:1-15a)
II: Prayer for the Exiles in Babylon (1:15b—3:8)
III: Praise of Wisdom (3:9—4:4)
IV: Prophetic Discourse of Exhortation and Consolation for Jerusalem (4:5—5:9)
V: The Letter of Jeremiah (6:1-72)