Jeremiah 29:28

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...

The crime ascribed to Jeremiah was, — that he rendered the captives indifferent, so that they cast off every hope of deliverance, and disregarded their own country. But the design of Jeremiah was far different; it was, that the people might not by too much haste anticipate the promises of God, and that he might also extend their hope to the end, prefixed. As there are two causal particles here found, כי על-כן, _ki ol-ken, _some give this rendering, “For for this cause,” that is, because he claimed the name of a Prophet. The simpler meaning however is, that he gives a reason why Shemaiah blamed the neglect of the priest, even because he (Jeremiah) had habituated the captives to bear their exiles. But he reproached the holy man, as though he had made them indifferent through long delay. Jeremiah had indeed said that the time would be long; but this particular phrase, _It is long, _means a...

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

FOR THEREFORE HE SENT UNTO US [IN] BABYLON, SAYING,.... That is, Jeremiah the prophet; and this was the reason, because his mouth was not stopped, and he restrained from prophesying; so that Shemaiah lays all the blame on Zephaniah, and his brethren the priests; who, had they done their duty, would have prevented Jeremiah's letter to the captives, as he suggests; the purport of which was, THIS [CAPTIVITY] IS LONG; so Kimchi, Abarbinel, and Ben Melech, supply it; or, "it [is] long" m; it will be a long time before the captives shall return to their own land; and therefore they should not think of it, or provide for it; but, on the contrary, for their continuance in Babylon; giving the following advice: BUILD YE HOUSES, AND DWELL [IN THEM]; AND PLANT GARDENS, AND EAT THE FRUIT OF THEM; referring to Jeremiah's letter; Jeremiah 29:5....

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

29:28 It (b-11) i.e. the captivity....