Jeremiah 29:32

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...

But we may deduce from this passage a useful doctrine, — that nothing is more pestiferous in a Church than for men to be led away by a false confidence or trust. For it is the foundation of all true religion to depend on the mouth or word of God; and it is also the foundation of our salvation. As, then, the salvation of men as well as true religion is founded on faith and the obedience of faith; so also when we are drawn away to some false trust, the whole of true religion falls to the ground, and at the same time every hope of salvation vanishes. This ought to be carefully observed, so that we may learn to embrace that doctrine which teaches us to trust in no other than in the only true God, and reject all those inventions which may lead us away from him, even in the least degree, so that we may not look around us nor be carried here and there. For this reason, as I have said, the Proph...

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...

Verse Jeremiah 29:32. _I WILL PUNISH SHEMAIAH_] 1. He shall have no posterity to succeed him. 2. His family, i.e., _relations_, c., shall not be found among those whom I shall bring back from captivity. 3. Nor shall _he_ himself see the good that I shall do for my people. And all this shall come upon him and his because he hath taught rebellion against the Lord. He excited the people to reject Jeremiah, and to receive the lying words of the _false prophets_ and these led them to rebel....

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

THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD,.... Because he prophesied without being sent of God, and prophesied lies, by which the people were deceived: BEHOLD, I WILL PUNISH SHEMAIAH THE NEHELAMITE, AND HIS SEED; not him only, but his posterity also: thus God sometimes visits the sins of parents on their children, they being, as it were, a part of themselves, and oftentimes partners with them in their iniquities: HE SHALL NOT HAVE A MAN TO DWELL AMONG THIS PEOPLE; either at Babylon, or at Jerusalem, whither he had promised a speedy return: NEITHER SHALL HE BEHOLD THE GOOD THAT I WILL DO FOR MY PEOPLE, SAITH THE LORD; by returning them, after seventy years captivity, to their own land, and to the enjoyment of all their privileges, civil and religious: BECAUSE HE HATH TAUGHT REBELLION AGAINST THE LORD; or, "a departure n from [him]"; taught men to revolt from him, and not give heed to his prophets...

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

REBELLION, &C. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 13:5). App-92....

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

C. A Second Letter to Babylon Jeremiah 29:30-32 TRANSLATION (30) And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying, (31) send unto all the captives, saying, Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and he has caused you to trust a falsehood; (32) therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I am about to bring punishment upon Shemaiah the Nehelamite and upon his seed; he shall not have a male descendant dwelling among this people, and he shall not look with pleasure on the good which I shall do for My people (oracle of the LORD), for he has spoken rebellion against the LORD. COMMENTS Jeremiah received an oracle from the Lord concerning Shemaiah and proceeded to send a second letter to the captives. In it he affirms that the Lord will punish Shemaiah for perpetuating the del