Seraiah was the son of Neriah and brother to the prophet Jeremiah's scribe, Baruch. He served as quartermaster under King Zedekiah and was commissioned by Jeremiah to bring a prophetic scroll to Babylon containing words of judgment against the city. His role illustrates how God's word was to be preserved and proclaimed even during exile.
Seraiah traveled to Babylon with King Zedekiah in his fourth year of reign, likely in connection with diplomatic negotiations or to demonstrate loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar.
59This is the message Jeremiah the prophet gave to Seraiah son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiah king of Judah in the fourth year of his reign. Seraiah was the quartermaster.
The prophet Jeremiah gave Seraiah a scroll containing all the disasters that would befall Babylon, along with instructions on what he was to do with it.
Seraiah was instructed to read the words aloud when he arrived in Babylon, then tie a stone to the scroll and cast it into the Euphrates as a prophetic sign of Babylon's coming downfall.
64Then say, 'So will Babylon sink, never to rise again, because of the disaster I will bring upon her. And her people will fall exhausted.'" Here end the words of Jeremiah.