But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.
But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us—Facing unwelcome prophetic word, the leaders resort to conspiracy theory, accusing Baruch of manipulating Jeremiah. Setteth thee on (mesit, מֵסִית) means to incite, instigate, or seduce—the same verb used for leading into idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:6). This accusation is doubly ironic: they claim Baruch incites Jeremiah to evil counsel, when they themselves are being incited to rebellion; they accuse Baruch of pro-Babylonian sympathies while themselves fleeing to Egypt against God's command.
The motive they attribute is specific: for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon. This reveals their fundamental fear—Babylonian retribution for Gedaliah's assassination. Rather than trust God's promise of protection if they remained in Judah (42:11-12), they presumed Jeremiah's counsel was politically motivated, designed to deliver them to Babylon.
This pattern—rejecting God's word by attacking the messenger's motives—appears throughout Scripture. When prophets spoke uncomfortable truth, they were accused of false motives: Elijah was called 'troubler of Israel' (1 Kings 18:17), Amos was called a conspirator (Amos 7:10), Jesus was accused of demonic possession (John 8:48), Paul was charged with causing riots (Acts 24:5). Attacking messenger credibility avoids confronting the message itself.
Historical Context
Baruch son of Neriah was Jeremiah's faithful scribe and companion (Jeremiah 36:4), who wrote down Jeremiah's prophecies and read them publicly despite danger (Jeremiah 36:10-19). He had already faced persecution for his association with Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:26) and received a personal oracle addressing his discouragement (Jeremiah 45). The accusation that Baruch controlled Jeremiah was absurd—Baruch was scribe, not prophet; disciple, not master. Yet conspiracy theories need not be plausible, only useful. By blaming Baruch, the leaders avoided direct confrontation with Yahweh's word. Historically, Baruch apparently accompanied Jeremiah to Egypt (43:6), where both suffered with the rebellious remnant. Ancient tradition (not Scripture) claims Baruch eventually traveled to Babylon, where he died among the faithful exiles.
Questions for Reflection
How does attacking the messenger's motives allow us to avoid confronting an unwelcome message from God?
What role does fear (like the remnant's fear of Babylon) play in causing us to reject God's revealed will?
In what ways might we attribute false motives to those delivering biblical truth we find uncomfortable?
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Analysis & Commentary
But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us—Facing unwelcome prophetic word, the leaders resort to conspiracy theory, accusing Baruch of manipulating Jeremiah. Setteth thee on (mesit, מֵסִית) means to incite, instigate, or seduce—the same verb used for leading into idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:6). This accusation is doubly ironic: they claim Baruch incites Jeremiah to evil counsel, when they themselves are being incited to rebellion; they accuse Baruch of pro-Babylonian sympathies while themselves fleeing to Egypt against God's command.
The motive they attribute is specific: for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon. This reveals their fundamental fear—Babylonian retribution for Gedaliah's assassination. Rather than trust God's promise of protection if they remained in Judah (42:11-12), they presumed Jeremiah's counsel was politically motivated, designed to deliver them to Babylon.
This pattern—rejecting God's word by attacking the messenger's motives—appears throughout Scripture. When prophets spoke uncomfortable truth, they were accused of false motives: Elijah was called 'troubler of Israel' (1 Kings 18:17), Amos was called a conspirator (Amos 7:10), Jesus was accused of demonic possession (John 8:48), Paul was charged with causing riots (Acts 24:5). Attacking messenger credibility avoids confronting the message itself.