Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles
Jer 29:1 This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Jer 29:2 (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.)
Jer 29:3 He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:
Jer 29:4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Jer 29:5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.
Jer 29:6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.
Jer 29:7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Jer 29:8 Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have.
Jer 29:9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the LORD.
Jer 29:10 This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.
Jer 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jer 29:12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
Jer 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jer 29:14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
Jer 29:15 You may say, “The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,”
Jer 29:16 but this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your fellow citizens who did not go with you into exile—
Jer 29:17 yes, this is what the LORD Almighty says: “I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten.
Jer 29:18 I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse and an object of horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them.
Jer 29:19 For they have not listened to my words,” declares the LORD, “words that I sent to them again and again by my servants the prophets. And you exiles have not listened either,” declares the LORD.
Jer 29:20 Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Jer 29:21 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in my name: “I will deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will put them to death before your very eyes.
Jer 29:22 Because of them, all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned in the fire.’
Jer 29:23 For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and in my name they have uttered lies—which I did not authorize. I know it and am a witness to it,” declares the LORD.
Shemaiah’s False Prophecy
Jer 29:24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite,
Jer 29:25 “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah,
Jer 29:26 ‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the LORD; you should put any maniac who acts like a prophet into the stocks and neck-irons.
Jer 29:27 So why have you not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you?
Jer 29:28 He has sent this message to us in Babylon: It will be a long time. Therefore build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.'”
Jer 29:29 Zephaniah the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet.
Jer 29:30 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
Jer 29:31 “Send this message to all the exiles: ‘This is what the LORD says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send him, and has persuaded you to trust in lies,
Jer 29:32 this is what the LORD says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good things I will do for my people, declares the LORD, because he has preached rebellion against me.'”
1 Jeremiah sanded a letter to the captives in Babylon, to be quiet there, 8 and not to believe the dreams of their prophets, 10 and that they shall return with grace after seventy years. 15 He foretell the destruction of the rest for their disobedience. 20 He showed the fearful end of Ahab and Zedekiah, two lying prophets. 24 Shemaiah write a letter against Jeremiah. 30 Jeremiah reads his doom.
Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles
Jer 29:1 This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Probably not long after Jehoiachin was taken captive (see on v. 2) this letter was sent by Jeremiah to the captives in Babylon (2 Kings 24:8–16; 2 Chron. 36:5–8; Dan. 1:1–4). Despised and rejected by his brethren at home, Jeremiah directs his attention to the exiles.
Surviving elders. This shows that not all these leading men (see Eze. 8:1; 20:1) had gone into exile.
Jer 29:2 (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.)
This was probably written in the early part of Zedekiah’s reign, and so before the events of chs. 27 and 28 (see on chs. 27:1; 28:1).
The queen mother. That is Jehoiachin’s mother, Nehushta, wife of Jehoiakim, was captured with him (2 Kings 24:8, 12, 15).
Jer 29:3 He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:
These two men were evidently friends and supporters of Jeremiah, and it was natural that Jeremiah should entrust them with his messages to the exiles in Babylon.
Elasah, called “the son of Shaphan,” was likely a brother of Ahikam, Jeremiah’s protector (see on ch. 26:24). Gemariah was probably the son of the Hilkiah who the high priest during Josiah’s reign was, and who found the book of the law and was otherwise prominent in the work of reformation (see 2 Kings 22; 2 Chron. 34). The letter was sent from Jerusalem (Jer. 29:1).
Jer 29:4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:
The prophet informed the exiles that their being in captivity at that time was not contrary to God’s will, and that they should accept quietly their fate and make the best of the situation.
Jer 29:5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.
The fact that such counsel was necessary indicates that, like their brethren in the homeland (see ch. 28), the Jewish exiles in Babylon were restless and unwilling to yield to their Chaldean conquerors. This attitude received support from the false prophets among them, who urged the people not to submit. Jeremiah counselled the exiles to accept patiently their present state of subjection.
Jer 29:6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.
The birth of grandchildren in exile indicates that their captivity would last for at least two generations. It was also revealed that they would be left in comparative peace to pursue their ways, for their captors would permit them to possess houses and land (see on v. 5). The royal favor extended to Daniel must have been a factor in easing the lot of the Jewish captives.
Jer 29:7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
To carry out this injunction to pray for Babylon must have been a most difficult experience for the exiles, in view of the natural feeling of resentment the captives would harbour against their conquerors (see Ps. 137). The Lord manifested the same kindly, tolerant spirit toward the Chaldeans that Jesus later displayed toward the inhospitable Samaritans (see Luke 9:54–56).
Jer 29:8 Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have.
8. Prophets and diviners.
These two classes of deceivers were carrying on their work in Babylon as in Judea, predicting that the Jews would be speedily delivered from their captivity (see ch. 28:1–3). The “diviners” were those who attempted to foretell the future by various methods of interpretation of signs and omens (see on Dan. 1:20).
Dreams you encourage them . These deceptive dreams were, after all, those that the Israelites wanted to hear, again emphasizing the earlier divine lament, “my people love to have it so” (see Jer. 5:31; Isa. 30:9, 10; Micah 2:11).
Jer 29:9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the LORD.
In unholy boldness and hypocrisy these deceivers pretended to speak for God (see on ch. 14:13).
Jer 29:10 This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.
In denial of this illusive hope of a short captivity, God again affirms that the Captivity will be for the full 70 years (see ch. 25:12). By this time about 10 years of the 70 had already passed by (see on ch. 25:1, 12).
When the 70 years would come to its end, then, and not before, would God “perform” His “good word” of promised grace and mercy by causing His people “to return to this place.”
Jer 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Even the captivity of the exiles would be for their own good (see on ch. 24:5–10). God assured and comforted His people with the promise that when the 70 years would end, His “eyes” would be “upon them for good” (ch. 24:6).
If in justice the Lord had to “wound” His children by means of the Captivity, in His love and mercy He would “heal” them by means of the restoration (see Deut. 32:39; Job 5:18; Hosea 6:1).
Jer 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
With all your heart. This wonderful promise is an echo of Deut. 4:29. God makes it plain that He can do nothing for His people unless they seek Him with sincerity of purpose.
Jer 29:15 You may say, “The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,”
Certain false prophets (see on v. 21), whom these boasters preferred to Jeremiah.
Jer 29:16 but this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your fellow citizens who did not go with you into exile—
The king. That is, of Zedekiah.
Jer 29:17 yes, this is what the LORD Almighty says: “I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten.
Another mention of the three scourges, sword, famine, pestilence, arising out of war (see on ch. 14:12).
Jeremiah again compares those left in Judah after Jehoiachin’s captivity to worthless figs, which cannot be eaten (see on ch. 24:8–10).
Jer 29:18 I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse and an object of horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them.
Jer 29:19 For they have not listened to my words,” declares the LORD, “words that I sent to them again and again by my servants the prophets. And you exiles have not listened either,” declares the LORD.
Jer 29:20 Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Jer 29:21 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in my name: “I will deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will put them to death before your very eyes.
Nothing is known of these false prophets, Ahab and Zedekiah, except what is here stated. They were probably the leaders of the party of revolt among the exiles.
Jer 29:22 Because of them, all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned in the fire.’
This method of execution was evidently common among the Babylonians for traitorous rebels (see Dan. 3:6, 20). If these false prophets were agitators among the exiles (see on v. 21), the Babylonians would consider no punishment too cruel.
Jer 29:23 For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and in my name they have uttered lies—which I did not authorize. I know it and am a witness to it,” declares the LORD.
This shows that these leaders, Ahab and Zedekiah, like their fellows in Jerusalem, lived base and profligate lives (see Jer. 23:14).
These false religious leaders must have deceived the people into believing them to be men of good moral character. If the adulteries of the false prophets were known, they would lose their influence over the minds of the people. God here opened to the view of all a record of the sinful conduct of these apostate prophets.
Shemaiah’s False Prophecy
Jer 29:24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite,
It appears that a new section begins here and that v. 23 concludes the copy of the letter begun in v. 4. Jeremiah’s message to the exiles stirred up the wrath of the rival, false prophets in Babylon, and a movement was formed to destroy Jeremiah.
Shemaiah. Evidently a Jewish leader in Babylon in the opposition against Jeremiah. Nothing further is known of him beyond what is revealed here.
Jer 29:25 “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah,
These may have been sent by the messengers named in v. 3 when they returned from Babylon. When the messages reached Jerusalem, Jeremiah was apprised of them. As a result, he sent a reply message severely rebuking Shemaiah.
Zephaniah. Inasmuch as he was “the second priest” (Jer. 52:24; cf. 2 Kings 25:18), it was hoped that his authority and influence would prevent Jeremiah from prophesying, and that he would be punished as a deceiver. Zephaniah acted for King Zedekiah in a sort of temporizing fashion (see Jer. 21:1; 37:3). Later on, when Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian “captain of the guard,” captured Jerusalem, Zephaniah was taken prisoner and executed (ch. 52:24–27).
Jer 29:26 ‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the LORD; you should put any maniac who acts like a prophet into the stocks and neck-irons.
Jehoiada. Some have suggested that he was replaced by Zephaniah because he did not support the policy of the party of revolt. Inasmuch as it was probably the duty of “the second priest” to preserve order in the Temple and to punish prophetic impostors, Shemaiah rebuked Zephaniah for his lukewarmness and timidity in the discharge of his office in that he did not suppress Jeremiah, who here gives the contents of Shemaiah’s “letters” (v. 25).
Maniac. A scornful term frequently applied to pretenders (see 2 Kings 9:11; Hosea 9:7).
In the stocks. See on ch. 20:2.
Jer 29:28 He has sent this message to us in Babylon: It will be a long time. Therefore build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.'”
Jer 29:29 Zephaniah the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet.
Zephaniah evidently did this either to warn Jeremiah of his enemies’ plot against him or to induce the prophet to soften and moderate his words.
Jer 29:31 “Send this message to all the exiles: ‘This is what the LORD says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send him, and has persuaded you to trust in lies,
This seems to indicate that communication between Babylon and Palestine was frequent.
Jer 29:32 this is what the LORD says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good things I will do for my people, declares the LORD, because he has preached rebellion against me.'” The specific manner of punishment is not indicated in Shemaiah’s case as it was in the cases of Ahab and Zedekiah (see vs. 21, 22).