Jeremiah29
New American Standard
1Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
2(This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the high officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalworkers had departed from Jerusalem.)
3The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying,
4“This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce.
6Take wives and father sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may give birth to sons and daughters; and grow in numbers there and do not decrease.
7Seek the prosperity of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord in its behalf; for in its prosperity will be your prosperity.’
8For this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst or your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to their interpretations of your dreams which you dream.
9For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord.
10“For this is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.
11For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
12Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
14I will let Myself be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’
15“Because you have said, ‘The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon’—
16for this is what the Lord says concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who live in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile—
17this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Behold, I am sending upon them the sword, famine, and plague; and I will make them like rotten figs that cannot be eaten due to rottenness.
18I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with plague; and I will make them an object of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse and an object of horror and hissing, and a disgrace among all the nations where I have driven them,
19because they have not listened to My words,’ declares the Lord, ‘which I sent to them again and again by My servants the prophets; but you did not listen,’ declares the Lord.
20‘You, therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21‘This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you falsely in My name: “Behold, I am going to hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your eyes.
22Because of them a curse will be used by all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon, saying, ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,’
23because they acted foolishly in Israel, and committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and falsely spoke words in My name which I did not command them. I am He who knows, and a witness,” declares the Lord.’”
24Now you shall speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
25“This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to the priest Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying,
26“The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be the overseer of the house of the Lord for every insane person who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and in the iron collar.
27So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who prophesies to you,
28seeing that he has sent word to us in Babylon, saying, ‘The exile will be long; build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce’?”’”
29Now Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.
30Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,
31“Send word to all the exiles, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: “Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, although I did not send him, and he has made you trust in a lie,”
32therefore this is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am going to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants; he will not have anyone living among this people, and he will not see the good that I am going to do for My people,” declares the Lord, “because he has spoken falsely against the Lord.”’”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Jeremiah 29.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Two letters to the captives in Babylon; In the first, they are recommended to be patient and composed. (1-19). In the second, judgments are denounced against the false prophets who deceived them. (20-32).
vv1-7
The written word of God is as truly given by inspiration of God as his spoken word. The zealous servant of the Lord will use every means to profit those who are far off, as well as those who are near him. The art of writing is very profitable for this end; and by the art of printing it is rendered most beneficial for circulating the knowledge of the word of God. God's sending to the captives by this letter would show that he had not forsaken them, though he was displeased, and corrected them. If they live in the fear of God, they may live comfortably in Babylon. In all conditions of life, it is our wisdom and duty not to throw away the comfort of what we may have, because we have not all we would have. They are directed to seek the good of the country where they were captives. While the king of Babylon protected them, they must live quiet and peaceable lives under him, in all godliness and honesty; patiently leaving it to God to work deliverance for them in due time.
vv8-19
Let men beware how they call those prophets whom they choose after their own fancies, and how they consider their fancies and dreams to be revelations from God. False prophets flatter people in their sins, because they love to be flattered; and they speak smoothly to their prophets, that their prophets may speak smoothly to them. God promises that they should return after seventy years were accomplished. By this it appears, that the seventy years of the captivity are not to be reckoned from the last captivity, but the first. It will be the bringing to pass of God's good word to them. This shall form God's purposes. We often do not know our own minds, but the Lord is never at an uncertainty. We are sometimes ready to fear that God's designs are all against us; but as to his own people, even that which seems evil, is for good. He will give them, not the expectations of their fears, or the expectations of their fancies, but the expectations of their faith; the end he has promised, which will be the best for them. When the Lord pours out an especial spirit of prayer, it is a good sign that he is coming toward us in mercy. Promises are given to quicken and encourage prayer. He never said, Seek ye me in vain. Those who remained at Jerusalem would be utterly destroyed, notwithstanding what the false prophets said to the contrary. The reason has often been given, and it justifies the eternal ruin of impenitent sinners; Because they have not hearkened to my words; I called, but they refused.
vv20-32
Jeremiah foretells judgments upon the false prophets, who deceived the Jews in Babylon. Lying was bad; lying to the people of the Lord, to delude them into a false hope, was worse; but pretending to rest their own lies upon the God of truth, was worst of all. They flattered others in their sins, because they could not reprove them without condemning themselves. The most secret sins are known to God; and there is a day coming when he will bring to light all the hidden works of darkness. Shemaiah urges the priests to persecute Jeremiah. Their hearts are wretchedly hardened who justify doing mischief by having power to do it. They were in a miserable thraldom for mocking the messengers of the Lord, and misusing his prophets; yet in their distress they trespass still more against the Lord. Afflictions will not of themselves cure men of their sins, unless the grace of God works with them. Those who slight the blessings, deserve to lose the benefit of God's word, like Shemaiah. The accusations against many active Christians in all ages, amount to no more than this, that they earnestly counsel men to attend to their true interest and duties, and to wait for the performance of God's promises in his appointed way.
Key Words
אֵלֶּה: these or those
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
סֵפֶר: properly, writing (the art or a document); by implication, a book
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
יִרְמְיָה: Jirmejah, the name of eight or nine Israelites
נָבִיא: a prophet or (generally) inspired man
שָׁלַח: to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם: Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine
יֶתֶר: properly, an overhanging, i.e. (by implication) an excess, superiority, remainder; also a small rope (as hanging free)
Cross References
Jeremiah 29Explicit seventy-year timeline for Babylon's hegemony first established in Jeremiah's earlier prophecy.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Daniel calculates the end of the desolations based specifically on Jeremiah's seventy-year letter.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Practical fulfillment of praying and offering sacrifices for the peace of pagan governing rulers.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
New Testament command to pray for civil authorities to live a quiet and peaceable life.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Pentateuchal pattern of exile, repentance with all the heart, and God remembering His covenant.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
Daniel's intense prayer directly responds to God's promise that they would call upon Him.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The vision of the good and bad/vile figs representing the captives versus those remaining.
Supported by John Calvin
Illustrates the historical reality of the king of Babylon using roasting in fire as capital punishment.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Historical account of Jeconiah, the queen mother, and princes being carried away into Babylon.
Supported by Matthew Poole
NT theological grounding for submitting to and seeking the peace of ruling pagan authorities.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Moses' ancient promise that seeking God with all the heart in exile leads to finding Him.
Supported by John Calvin
Background on the false prophets in Jerusalem who falsely promised a quick return from exile.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Pashur's prior arrest of Jeremiah in the stocks, establishing the precedent Shemaiah urges Zephaniah to follow.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Connects the false prophets' spiritual deception with their literal acts of adultery and villainy.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallels Hananiah's judgment for making the people trust in a lie with Shemaiah's sentence.
Supported by Matthew Poole