Jeremiah 45:5

5 And seekest thou great things to thee? do not thou seek, for lo! I shall bring evil on each man, saith the Lord, and I shall give to thee thy life into health, in all places, to which ever places thou shalt go. (And seekest thou great things for thyself? do not thou seek them, for lo! I shall bring in evil upon each person, saith the Lord, but at least I shall save thy life for thee, in every place, wherever thou shalt go. That I shall do for thee.)

Jeremiah 45:5 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 45:5

Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek [them] not
Riches and wealth honour and esteem, peace and prosperity; these were not to be sought after and expected, when the whole nation would be involved in such a general calamity. Baruch perhaps expected that his reading the roll to princes would have been a means of preferring him at court, of advancing him to some post or office, in which he might have acquired wealth, and got applause, and lived in peace and plenty all his days; but this was not to be looked for; when, if he observed, the very roll he wrote and read contained in it prophecies of the general ruin of the nation. The Jews restrain this to the gift of prophecy they suppose Baruch sought after, which was not to be enjoyed out of the land of Canaan: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh;
not upon every individual person in the world; but upon all the inhabitants of Judea, who should either die by the sword or by famine, or by pestilence, or be carried captive, or be in some distress or another: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither
thou goest;
suggesting that he should be obliged to quit his native place and country, and go from place to place; as he did, after the destruction of Jerusalem, along with the prophet; and even into Egypt with the Jews that went there; where his life would be in danger, and yet should be preserved; he should be snatched as a brand out of the burning, when Jerusalem was taken; and in other places, when exposed, though he should lose everything, yet not his life; which should be as dear to him as a rich spoil taken by the soldier, being a distinguishing mercy.

Jeremiah 45:5 In-Context

1 The word that Jeremy, the prophet, spake to Baruch, the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in the book, of the mouth of Jeremy (from the mouth of Jeremiah), in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and said,

2 The Lord God of Israel saith these things to thee, Baruch.

3 Thou saidest, Woe to me (a) wretch, for the Lord (hath) increased sorrow to my sorrow; I travailed in my wailing, and I found not rest (I laboured in my wailing/I am wearied from my wailing, and I could not find any rest).

4 The Lord saith these things, Thus thou shalt say to him, Lo! I destroy them, which I builded, and I draw out them, which I planted, and all this land. (The Lord saith these things, Thou shalt say this to him, Lo! I destroy those, whom I built up, and I draw out those, whom I planted, yea, even the entire earth.)

5 And seekest thou great things to thee? do not thou seek, for lo! I shall bring evil on each man, saith the Lord, and I shall give to thee thy life into health, in all places, to which ever places thou shalt go. (And seekest thou great things for thyself? do not thou seek them, for lo! I shall bring in evil upon each person, saith the Lord, but at least I shall save thy life for thee, in every place, wherever thou shalt go. That I shall do for thee.)