Bible Figure
Neriah
figure in the Book of Jeremiah, son of Mahseiah, father of Baruch
Neriah was the father of Baruch and Seraiah and a member of a Judean family associated with the prophet Jeremiah's final decades.
Biography
Scripture gives little direct biography of Neriah. He is repeatedly identified as the father of Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe and companion, and of Seraiah, who traveled with King Zedekiah to Babylon. Jeremiah 51 calls Seraiah son of Neriah and gives him responsibility for reading Jeremiah's written oracle against Babylon and symbolically sinking the scroll in the Euphrates. Neriah himself is not described as speaking or acting in the biblical narrative.
Biblical Significance
Neriah's importance is primarily genealogical: he was father of two men who participated in Jeremiah's ministry during Judah's final years. The biblical evidence does not support a fuller personal biography.