Jeremiah 29:4-14

4 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have ¹sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon,

5 '²Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce.

6 'Take ³wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease.

7 '⁴Seek the welfare of the city where * I have sent you into exile, and ⁵pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.'

8 "For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Do not let your ⁶prophets who are in your midst and your diviners ⁷deceive you, and do not listen to ⁸the dreams which they dream.

9 'For they ⁹prophesy falsely to you in My name; ¹⁰I have not sent them,' declares the LORD.

10 "For thus says the LORD, 'When ¹¹seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My ¹²good word to you, to bring you back to this place.

11 'For I know the ¹³plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for ¹⁴welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a ¹⁵hope.

12 'Then you will ¹⁶call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will ¹⁷listen to you.

13 'You will ¹⁸seek Me and find Me when you ¹⁹search for Me with all your heart.

14 'I will be ²⁰found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will ²¹restore your fortunes and will ²²gather you from all the nations and from all the places where * I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will ²³bring you back to the place from where * I sent you into exile.'

Jeremiah 29:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 29

Thus chapter contains a letter of Jeremiah to the captives in Babylon; and gives an account of another sent from thence by Shemaiah to the people at Jerusalem; and is closed with threatening him with punishment for so doing. Jeremiah's letter concerns both the captives at Babylon, and the people left at Jerusalem, The persons to whom and by whom it was sent, and the time of writing and sending it, are mentioned in Jer 29:1-3; and though the prophet was the amanuensis, God was the author of it, as well as of their captivity, Jer 29:4; the contents of, it, respecting the captives, are advices to them to provide for their comfortable settlement in Babylon, and not think of returning quickly, by building houses, planting gardens, marrying, and giving in marriage, Jer 29:5,6; and to seek and pray for the prosperity of the place where they were; in which their own was concerned, Jer 29:7; to give no heed to their false prophets and diviners, Jer 29:8,9; and to expect a return to Jerusalem at the end of seventy years; which they might be assured of, since God had resolved upon it in his own mind, Jer 29:10,11; and especially if they called upon him, prayed to him, and sought him heartily, Jer 29:12-14; the other part of the letter respects the Jews in Jerusalem; concerning whom the captives are directed to observe, that both the king and people should suffer much by sword, famine, pestilence, and captivity, with the reason of it, Jer 29:15-19; particularly it is foretold, that Ahab and Zedekiah, two lying prophets, should be made an example of vengeance; and a proverbial curse should be taken of them, because of their villany, lewdness, and lies, Jer 29:20-23; next follows some account of Shemaiah's letter from Babylon, to the people and priests at Jerusalem, stirring them up against Jeremiah the prophet; which came to be known, by the priests reading it to him, Jer 29:24-29; upon which Shemaiah is threatened with punishment, and his seed after him, Jer 29:30-32.

Cross References

• 1. Jeremiah 24:5
• 2. Jeremiah 29:28
• 3. Jeremiah 16:2-4
• 4. Daniel 4:27; Daniel 6:4, 5
• 5. Ezra 6:10; Ezra 7:23; Daniel 4:19; 1 Timothy 2:1, 2
• 6. Jeremiah 27:9; Jeremiah 29:1
• 7. Jeremiah 14:14; Jeremiah 23:21; Jeremiah 27:14, 15; Jeremiah 28:15; Ephesians 5:6
• 8. Jeremiah 23:25, 27
• 9. Jeremiah 27:15; Jeremiah 29:21
• 10. Jeremiah 29:31
• 11. 2 Chronicles 36:21-23; Jeremiah 25:12; Jeremiah 27:22; Daniel 9:2; Zechariah 7:5
• 12. Jeremiah 24:6, 7; Zephaniah 2:7
• 13. Psalms 40:5; Jeremiah 23:5, 6; Jeremiah 30:9, 10
• 14. Isaiah 40:9-11; Jeremiah 30:18-22
• 15. Jeremiah 31:17; Hosea 2:15
• 16. Psalms 50:15; Jeremiah 33:3; Daniel 9:3
• 17. Psalms 145:19
• 18. Deuteronomy 4:29; Psalms 32:6; Matthew 7:7
• 19. 1 Chronicles 22:19; 2 Chronicles 22:9; Jeremiah 24:7
• 20. Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Psalms 32:6; Isaiah 55:6
• 21. Jeremiah 30:3; Jeremiah 32:37-41
• 22. Isaiah 43:5, 6; Jeremiah 23:8; Jeremiah 32:37
• 23. Jeremiah 3:14; Jeremiah 12:15; Jeremiah 16:15

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "fruit"
• [b]. Lit "beget"
• [c]. Or "peace"
• [d]. Or "peace"
• [e]. Or "peace"
• [f]. Lit "your"
• [g]. Lit "you"
• [h]. Lit "am planning"
• [i]. Or "captivity"