Literary Assistants

We know very little about how most Biblical authors prepared their materials. We know only what they have told us. Jeremiah explained how he used Baruch as his literary assistant: “Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote on a scroll of a book, at the instruction of Jeremiah, all the words of the Lord which He had spoken to him” (36:4). When the king’s officials heard Baruch read these messages, they asked: “Tell us now, how did you write all these words—at his instruction?” Baruch answered them, “He proclaimed with his mouth all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink in the book” (36:17, 18).MOL 14.5

Baruch, known as a scribe (36:26), apparently was well educated. Jeremiah employed the literary skills of this man to prepare in written form his messages given orally: “Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the instruction of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And besides, there were added to them many similar words” (36:32).MOL 14.6