Jeremiah 29:27

Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying, A second communication which Jeremiah sent to Babylon after the messengers who carried his first letter had brought a letter from the false prophet Shemaiah to Zephaniah, etc., condemning Jeremiah, and reproving the authorities for not having apprehended them. SHEMAIAH THE NEHELAMITE - a name derived either from his father or from a place: alluding at the same time to the Hebrew meaning, 'a dreamer' (cf. Jeremiah 29:8). Verse 25. THOU HAST SENT LETTERS IN THY NAME - without sanction of "the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel," which words stand in antithesis to thy name (John 5:43). ZEPHANIAH - the second priest, or substitute (sagan) of t...

20-32 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 th...

A narrative showing the effects of Jeremiah’s letter. Shemaiah the leader of the false prophets wrote to Zephaniah, urging him to restrain the prophet’s zeal with the prison and the stocks. Jeremiah 29:24 TO SHEMAIAH - Rather, concerning. THE NEHELAMITE - Not as in the margin; but one belonging to the village of Nehlam (unknown). Jeremiah 29:26 OFFICERS - Deputy high priests who had the oversight of the temple. MAD - See 2 Kings 9:11 note. Many of the symbolic actions of the prophets, such as that of Jeremi

EXPOSITION Despised and rejected at home, Jeremiah turned his thoughts to those distant brethren in captivity, whom he had already likened to "good figs, very good" (Jeremiah 24:3, Jeremiah 24:5). He had heard with sorrow that they could not readily submit to their altered circumstances; Judah, with its consecrated associations, was still too near to them in spirit. Probably a rumor of the expected confederacy (Jeremiah 27:3) had troubled their minds, and the discontent was increased by the pernicious discourses of prophets and sooth sayers similar to that Hananiah of whom we have just heard. Two of these in particular are mentioned, and a terrible fate is held out to them. The appendix (verses 24-32) de

NOW THEREFORE WHY HAST THOU NOT REPROVED JEREMIAH OF ANATHOTH,.... Not by words only, but by actions; by beating and scourging, by pillory or imprisonment, and so restraining him from prophesying to the people: WHICH MAKETH HIMSELF A PROPHET UNTO YOU? takes upon him such an office, though not sent of the Lord, as he would insinuate: this shows the haughtiness and insolence of the false prophets in Babylon, to assume such authority to themselves, to dictate to the high priest, as Kimchi takes him to be, or however the second priest, what he should do, and to rebuke him for not doing his office....

JEREMIAH 29. THE FUTURE OF THE EXILES IN BABYLON (_c_. 595). Jeremiah sends a letter by royal messengers to tell the exiles in Babylon to settle down there for a lengthy stay, and not to be deceived by those who say otherwise (Jeremiah 29:1). After seventy years (see on Jeremiah 25:11), they shall be restored in accordance with Yahweh's declared purpose (Jeremiah 24:4) and goodwill (Jeremiah 29:1). At this point, an insertion seems to have been made in the original letter. Most of 14 (after I will be found of you) is rightly omitted in LXX; the reference to all the nations does not suit the destination of this particula

Shemaiah the Nehelamite rebuked and threatened. On the arrival at Babylon of Jeremiah's letter, which ends with Jeremiah 29:23, there is much indignation on the part of the false prophets, and one of them, Shemaiah by name, writes to Zephaniah the acting high-priest, urging upon him that he should take severe measures to silence Jeremiah as a madman. This suggestion, however, Zephaniah is so far from following that he shews the letter to the prophet, who writes again to Babylon, this time for the purpose of condemning Shemaiah's conduct in the severest terms, and announcing its penalty. The narrative forms an interesting supplement to the earlier part of the ch. Its form, it is true, leaves much to be desired, and Du. in fact describes it as exhibiting utter confusion, resulting from successive modifications. It is clearly one of the additions made by Baruch or by later hands. The

B. A Letter from Babylon Jeremiah 29:24-29 TRANSLATION (24) And concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall say, Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have sent in your name letters unto all the people which are in Jerusalem and unto Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and unto all the priests, saying, The LORD has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be chief overseer of the house of the LORD for every mad man when he prophesies that you might place him in the stocks and the collar. (27) And now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah from Anathoth who is prophesying to you? (28) For he has sent unto us in Babylon, saying, It is long! Build houses and settle down and plant gardens that you may eat their fruit. (29) And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the presence of Jeremiah the prophet. COMMENTS The

1-14. Jeremiah's letter to the exiles. Release after seventy years....

וְ עַתָּ֗ה לָ֚מָּה לֹ֣א גָעַ֔רְתָּ בְּ יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ הָֽ עֲנְּתֹתִ֑י הַ מִּתְנַבֵּ֖א לָכֶֽם׃...