Jeremia 29:32 Kommentar

The contest between Jeremiah and the false prophets was carried on before by preaching, here by writing; there we had sermon against sermon, here we have letter against letter, for some of the false prophets are now carried away into captivity in Babylon, while Jeremiah remains in his own country. Now here is, I. A letter which Jeremiah wrote to the captives in Babylon, against their prophets that they had there (Jer 29:1-3), in which letter, 1. He endeavours to reconcile them to their captivity, to be easy under it and to make the best of it (Jer 29:4-7). 2. He cautions them not to give any credit to their false prophets, who fed them with hopes of a speedy release (Jer 29:8, Jer 29:9). 3. He assures them that God would restore them in mercy to their own land again, at the end of 70 years (Jer 29:10-14). 4. He foretels the destruction of those who yet continued, and that they should be persecuted with one judgment after another, and sent at last into captivity (Jer 29:15-19). 5. He prophesies the destruction of two of their false prophets that they had in Babylon, that both soothed them up in their sins and set them bad examples (Jer 29:20-23), and this is the purport of Jeremiah's letter. II. Here is a letter which Shemaiah, a false prophet in Babylon, wrote to the priests at Jerusalem, to stir them up to persecute Jeremiah (Jer 29:24-29), and a denunciation of God's wrath against him for writing such a letter (Jer 29:30-32). Such struggles as these have there always been between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent.

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; 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; 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; 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; and especially if they called upon him, prayed to him, and sought him heartily, Jer 29:12; 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; 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; 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; upon which Shemaiah is threatened with punishment, and his seed after him, Jer 29:30.

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; to disbelieve what he said by them, concerning their continuance in Babylon; which is called a rebellion against him; and being so heinous a crime, deserved the punishment denounced on him and his; rebels and their offspring are punished among men. (n) "apostasiam", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "recessionem", Schmidt. Next: Jeremiah Chapter 30

(Verse 30 and following) And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: Send to all the exiles, saying: Thus says the Lord to Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and made you trust in a lie, therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants. He shall have none of his own people sitting in the midst of this people, and he shall not see the good that I will do to my people, declares the Lord, for he has spoken rebellion against the Lord. The false prophet Semeias, truly a Neelamite, who had taken foreign and turbid waters from the stream, becomes angry because he had written the truth about Jeremiah against his own lie, and he sends letters to the priest Sophonias. He desires that the prophet be imprisoned so that he cannot speak. He also secretly accuses the prophet Sophonias while reading the letter of the liar, and boasts that he has an accusation against him. The more of a crime are those who defend false prophets, and foster lies, and make other people's evil acts their own sins! Let the false prophet hear, let the priest understand what he deserves to hear from him: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will visit Semeiah. The Lord speaks this, not the prophet, that he might visit Semeiah the Neelamite, not for healing, but for punishment of the liar, according to what is written: I will visit their iniquities with a rod, and their sins with scourges (Psalm 89:33). He not only visits the false prophet himself, but also his followers, whom he has deceived with his error. There will be, he says, no man seated in the midst of this people. Let the wicked brood be erased from the council of the saints, and let him not sit among the quiet ones, who, when he could not stand with those who stand, neither heard this: 'If he had stood in my substance' (Jer. XXIII). And although the Lord promises the perfection of all virtues at the end of a set time, he will not see the good that he claimed for himself in the present time. However, all this will happen because he has spoken rebellion against the Lord, saying that those captured by sins will return to Jerusalem; to whom the Apostle threatens: You are already full, you have already become rich, you have reigned without us; and I wish you would reign, so that we could reign with you (I Cor. IV, 8)!

LETTER OF JEREMIAH TO THE CAPTIVES IN BABYLON, TO COUNTERACT THE ASSURANCES GIVEN BY THE FALSE PROPHETS OF A SPEEDY RESTORATION. (Jer. 29:1-32) 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.

not . . . a man to dwell-- (Deu 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). Next: Jeremiah Chapter 30