Baruch
Chapter 1
Introduction
These are the words of the book written by Baruch, the son of Neriah, descended from Maseiah, from Zedekiah, from Hasadiah, from Hilkiah.
They were written in the fifth year, on the seventh day of the month, at a time when the Chaldeans had taken Jerusalem and burned it.
Baruch read the words of this book to Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, in front of all the people who had gathered to hear it read.
He read it aloud to the nobles and the king’s sons, the elders, and everyone else, from the youngest to the oldest—that is, all those living in Babylon near the River Sud.
Then the people wept, fasted, and prayed before the Lord.
They also gathered money according to each one’s ability,
and sent it to Jerusalem, to the priest Jehoiakim, son of Hilkiah, and the son of Shallum, along with the other priests and people living in Jerusalem with him.
This same Baruch had undertaken to return to Judea on the tenth day of the month of Sivan with the sacred vessels that had been taken from the temple of the Lord. These were the silver vessels crafted by Zedekiah, son of Josiah, king of Judah,
after Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had carried off Jeconiah, the artisans, the nobles, and the people of the land, taking them captive to Babylon.
The letter said:
Look, we are sending you money; buy with it victims for the holocaust and for sin offerings and incense; prepare offerings and present them on the Altar of the Lord our God.
Pray for the life of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and Balthasar, his son, so that they may be successful in all that they do.
Thus the Lord will give strength and light to our eyes. We will live under the protection of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, and his son, Belshazzar. We shall have a long life serving them, and we will find favor before them.
Pray to the Lord our God for us as well, for we have sinned against the Lord our God; even to this day, the Lord’s anger and fury have not been turned away from us.
Finally, read this book, which we are sending to you, so that you can read it publicly in the house of the Lord on the day of the Feast and other appropriate days.
You will say: May everyone acknowledge the justice of our God, but on this day, shame and confusion befit the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
our kings and princes, our priests, our prophets, and our ancestors,
because we have sinned before the Lord.
We have disobeyed him and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God, nor have we followed the commandments that the Lord had given us.
From the day the Lord brought our ancestors out of Egypt until now, we have disobeyed the Lord our God and rebelled against him instead of listening to his voice.
Because of this, from the day the Lord brought our ancestors out of Egypt to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, the evils and the curse that the Lord pronounced through Moses, his servant, have followed us ever since.
We did not listen to the voice of the Lord our God, speaking through the words of the prophets he sent to us,
but each of us followed his perverted heart, serving false gods and doing what displeases the Lord our God.
Commentaries
Introduction.
These verses communicate Baruch’s message to the Babylonian exiles, emphasizing its expected impact (5-7) and urging them to offer burnt offerings, sin offerings, incense, and gifts (10). Notably, the text shows admiration for Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of the oppressive empire, in contrast to Psalm 137:8ff, which calls for Babylon’s destruction and celebrates vengeance. This contrast suggests either a late literary work, when memories of Chaldean cruelty have faded—though this is unlikely—or a pro-Chaldean movement that maintains a Jewish identity. The author’s aim appears to be a reinterpretation of Judah’s fall and exile, drawing parallels to later Seleucid or Ptolemaic rule. Instead of focusing on external oppression, the message shifts inward, highlighting personal and communal faults as the cause of suffering. This new outlook encourages reflection and repentance, presenting exile not just as punishment but as an opportunity for transformation rooted in accountability and spiritual renewal.
First Part.
The first part of the penitential liturgy starts with a confession of sins. Recognizing guilt depends on a prior, fundamental acknowledgment: God is just (15), and God’s justice and goodness reveal the disobedient and unfaithful behavior that has characterized the Israelite people since they left Egypt. Therefore, this confession comes from a sincere, repentant heart that, in the presence of divine greatness and justice, feels completely exposed—stripped of what the Lord expected from the believer—reminding us of the first man in paradise (Gn 3:10). The key is not to hide or conceal our nakedness, but to acknowledge it and accept that, even so, God is willing to embrace us in a project of love and justice where we play a vital role.
Penitential Liturgy.
This can be divided into four parts: 1:15-2:10, which highlights Israel’s confession of sins; 2:11-18, which emphasizes the plea for deliverance; 2:19-35 and 3:1-8, which call on God to fulfill his promises.