Jeremiah 29

Jer 29:1-32.

LETTER OF

JEREMIAH TO THE

CAPTIVES IN

BABYLON, TO

COUNTERACT THE

ASSURANCES

GIVEN BY THE

FALSE

PROPHETS OF A

SPEEDY

RESTORATION.

1. residue of the elders--those still surviving from the time when

they were carried to Babylon with Jeconiah; the other elders of the

captives had died by either a natural or a violent death.

2. queen--Nehushta, the queen mother, daughter of Elnathan

(2Ki 24:8, 15).

(Elnathan, her father, is perhaps the same as the one mentioned in

Jer 26:22).

She reigned jointly with her son.

princes--All the men of authority were taken away lest they should

organize a rebellion. Jeremiah wrote his letter while the calamity was

still recent, to console the captives under it.

3. Zedekiah . . . sent unto Babylon--In

Jer 51:59,

Zedekiah himself goes to Babylon; here he sends

ambassadors. Whatever was the object of the embassy, it shows that

Zedekiah only reigned at the pleasure of the king of Babylon, who might

have restored Jeconiah, had he pleased. Hence, Zedekiah permitted

Jeremiah's letter to be sent, not only as being led by Hananiah's death

to attach greater credit to the prophet's words, but also as the letter

accorded with his own wish that the Jews should remain in Chaldea till

Jeconiah's death.

Hilkiah--the high priest who found the book of the law in the house

of the Lord, and showed it to "Shaphan" the scribe (the same Shaphan

probably as here),

who showed it to King Josiah

(2Ki 22:8,

&c.). The sons of Hilkiah and Shaphan inherited from their fathers

some respect for sacred things. So in

Jer 36:25,

"Gemariah" interceded with King Jehoiakim that the prophet's roll

should not be burned.

5. Build . . . houses--In opposition to the false prophets'

suggestions, who told the captives that their captivity would soon

cease, Jeremiah tells them that it will be of long duration, and that

therefore they should build houses, as Babylon is to be for long their

home.

6. that ye . . . be . . . not diminished--It was God's will that the

seed of Abraham should not fail; thus consolation is given them, and the

hope, though not of an immediate, yet of an ultimate, return.

7.

(Ezr 6:10;

Ro 13:1;

1Ti 2:2).

Not only bear the Babylonian yoke patiently, but pray for your

masters, that is, while the captivity lasts. God's good time was to

come when they were to pray for Babylon's downfall

(Jer 51:35;

Ps 137:8).

They were not to forestall that time. True religion teaches patient

submission, not sedition, even though the prince be an unbeliever. In

all states of life let us not throw away the comfort we may

have, because we have not all we would have. There is here a

foretaste of gospel love towards enemies

(Mt 5:44).

8. your dreams which ye caused to be dreamed--The Latin adage says,

"The people wish to be deceived, so let them be deceived." Not mere

credulity misleads men, but their own perverse "love of darkness rather

than light." It was not priests who originated priestcraft, but the

people's own morbid appetite to be deceived; for example, Aaron and the

golden calf

(Ex 32:1-4).

So the Jews caused or made the prophets to tell them

encouraging dreams

(Jer 23:25, 26;

Ec 5:7;

Zec 10:2;

Joh 3:19-21).

10. (See on

Jer 25:11;

Jer 25:12;

Da 9:2).

This proves that the seventy years date from Jeconiah's captivity, not

from the last captivity. The specification of time was to curb the

impatience of the Jews lest they should hasten before God's time.

good word--promise of a return.

11. I know--I alone; not the false prophets who know nothing

of My purposes, though they pretend to know.

thoughts . . . I think--

(Isa 55:9).

Glancing at the Jews who had no "thoughts of peace," but only of "evil"

(misfortune), because they could not conceive how deliverance

could come to them. The moral malady of man is twofold--at one time

vain confidence; then, when that is disappointed,

despair. So the Jews first laughed at God's threats, confident

that they should speedily return; then, when cast down from that

confidence, they sank in inconsolable despondency.

expected end--literally, "end and expectation," that is, an end, and

that such an end as you wish for. Two nouns joined by "and," standing

for a noun and adjective. So in

Jer 36:27,

"the roll and the words," that is, the roll of words;

Ge 3:16,

"sorrow and conception," that is, sorrow in conception. Compare

Pr 23:18,

where, as here "end" means "a happy issue."

12. Fulfilled

(Da 9:3,

&c.). When God designs mercy, He puts it into the hearts of His people

to pray for the mercy designed. When such a spirit of prayer is poured

out, it is a sure sign of coming mercy.

go--to the temple and other places of prayer: contrasted with their

previous sloth as to going to seek God.

13.

(Le 26:40-42, 44, 45).

14. to be found--

(Ps 32:6;

Isa 55:6).

turn . . . captivity--play upon sounds, shabti . . . shebith.

15. Because--referring not to the preceding words, but to

Jer 29:10, 11,

"Jehovah saith this to you" (that is, the prophecy of the continuance

of the captivity seventy years), "because ye have said, The Lord hath

raised us up prophets in Babylon," namely, foretelling our

speedy deliverance (this their prophecy is supposed, not

expressed; accordingly,

Jer 29:16-19

contradict this false hope again,

Jer 29:8, 9, 21).

He, in this fifteenth verse, turns his address from the godly

(Jer 29:12-14)

to the ungodly listeners, to false prophets.

16. people . . . in this city . . . not gone

forth--So far from your returning to Jerusalem soon, even your

brethren still left dwelling there shall themselves also be cast

into exile. He mentions "the throne of David," lest they should

think that, because David's kingdom was to be perpetual, no severe,

though temporary, chastisements could interpose

(Ps 89:29-36).

17. vile figs--Hebrew, "horrible," or nauseous, from a root, "to

regard with loathing" (see

Jer 24:8, 10).

18. removed to all . . . kingdoms--

(Jer 15:4;

De 28:25).

curse, &c.--

(Jer 29:6; 18:16; 19:8).

21. Zedekiah--brother of Zephaniah

(Jer 29:25),

both being sons of Maaseiah; probably of the same family as the false

prophet under Ahab in Israel

(1Ki 22:11, 24).

22. shall be taken . . . a curse--that is, a formula of imprecation.

Lord make thee like Zedekiah--(Compare

Ge 48:20;

Isa 65:15).

roasted in the fire--a Chaldean punishment

(Da 3:6).

23. villainy--literally, "sinful folly"

(Isa 32:6).

24-32. A second communication which Jeremiah sent to Babylon, after

the messenger who carried his first letter had brought a letter from the

false prophet Shemaiah to Zephaniah, &c., condemning Jeremiah and

reproving the authorities for not having apprehended him.

Nehelamite--a name derived either from his father or from a place:

alluding at the same time to the Hebrew meaning, "a dreamer"

(compare

Jer 29:8).

25. in thy name--without sanction of "the Lord of hosts, the God of

Israel," which words stand in antithesis to "thy name"

(Joh 5:43).

Zephaniah--the second priest, or substitute (Sagan) of the high

priest. He was one of those sent to consult Jeremiah by Zedekiah

(Jer 21:1).

Slain by Nebuchadnezzar at the capture of Jerusalem

(2Ki 25:18-21).

Zephaniah was in particular addressed, as being likely to take up

against Jeremiah the prophet's prediction against his brother Zedekiah

at Babylon

(Jer 29:21).

Zephaniah was to read it to the priests, and in the presence of

all the people, in the temple.

26. thee . . . in the stead of Jehoiada--Zephaniah's promotion as

second priest, owing to Jehoiada's being then in exile, was unexpected.

Shemaiah thus accuses him of ingratitude towards God, who had so highly

exalted him before his regular time.

ye should be officers . . . for every man--Ye should, as bearing rule

in the temple (see on

Jer 20:1),

apprehend every false prophet like Jeremiah.

mad--Inspired prophets were often so called by the ungodly

(2Ki 9:11;

Ac 26:24; 2:13, 15, 17, 18).

Jeremiah is in this a type of Christ, against whom the same charge was

brought

(Joh 10:20).

prison--rather, "the stocks"

(see on

Jer 20:2).

stocks--from a root, "to confine"; hence rather, "a narrow dungeon."

According to

De 17:8, 9,

the priest was judge in such cases, but had no right to put into the

stocks; this right he had assumed to himself in the troubled state of

the times.

27. of Anathoth--said contemptuously, as "Jesus of Nazareth."

maketh himself--as if God had not made him one, but he himself had done so.

28. Referring to Jeremiah's first letter to Babylon

(Jer 29:5).

29. Zephaniah . . . read . . . in the ears of Jeremiah--He seems to

have been less prejudiced against Jeremiah than the others; hence he

reads the charge to the prophet, that he should not be condemned without

a hearing. This accords with Shemaiah's imputation against Zephaniah for

want of zeal against Jeremiah

(Jer 29:26, 27).

Hence the latter was chosen by King Zedekiah as one of the deputation

to Jeremiah

(Jer 21:1; 37:3).

30. This resumes the thread of the sentence which began at

Jer 29:25,

but was left there not completed. Here, in this thirtieth verse, it is

completed, not however in continuity, but by a new period. The same

construction occurs in

Ro 5:12-15.

32. not . . . a man to dwell--

(De 28:18).

not . . . behold the good--As he despised the lawful time and wished

to return before the time God had expressly announced, in just

retribution he should not share in the restoration from Babylon at all.

rebellion--going against God's revealed will as to the time

(Jer 28:16).