Jeremiah 29

Jeremiah sendeth letters to Babel unto the Jews that were carried thither captive with Jechonia and exhorteth them to be peaceable and quiet there to pray for the peace of Babel not to believe their false prophets and dreamers nor to expect deliverance before the seventy years he expired verse1 c. he like wise prophesieth how ill it will be with them that remain in Judah 16. with a special severe prophesy speaketh against two false prophets in Babel Achab and Zedekiah 20 also against Semaia who had written from Babel to Jerusalem that they should punish Jeremiah for his letter24.

1. Moreover are the words of a letter which the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem unto the remaining eldest that were carried away captive [Heb. The residue of the eldest of the carrying away captive as above chapter 28.4andbelow verse 4.22,31] as also to the priest and to the prophets and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar hath carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babel.

2. After that King Jechonia and queen and chamberlains [or courtiers see Genesis 37 on verse 36] the princes of Judah and Jerusalem together with the carpenters and smiths [Heb the carpenter and the smith see above chapter 24 on verse 1] were departed from Jerusalem [see 2Kings 24.2,14]

3. By the hand [ this dependeth of these words by the first verse which the prophet Jeremiah sent by the hand c. that is by ministry c. these ambassadors took the letter along with them [and Elasa the son of Saphan and Gamarja the son of Hilka whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babel unto Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel saying:[to wit in this letter as followeth so below verse 25.28c.]

4. Thus saith the Lord of host c[see 1 Kings 18.on verse 15] the god of Israel unto all that carried away captive [Heb unto all the captive carrying away as verse 1] whom I [the Lord] have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babel.

5. Build houses and dwell in them and plant garden and eat fruits of them .

6. Take wives and beget sons and daughters and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands that they may give sons and daughters and be multiplied there and be not diminished.

7. And seek the peace [that is welfare and prosperity see Genesis 37 on verse 14] of the city wither I have caused you to be carried away captive and pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace [when it goeth well with it then will it go well with ye .]

8. For thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel let not your prophets and your sooth-sayers tat are in the midst of you deceive you [making you believe that within two years ye shall be delivered compare above chapter 14.14 and 23.21 and 27.15] neither hearken to your dreamers [Heb dream see above chapter 27 on verse 9] whom ye cause to dream [whom by vanity and credulity you give occasion and cause to seduce false dreams .]

9. For they prophesy false [Heb in or with false hood] in my name I have not sent them saith the Lord.

10. For thus saith the Lord assuredly when seventy years have been accomplished ] at Babel [or on with Babel that in ye shall have been there seventy years captivity not from the destruction of Jerusalem under the reign of the king Zedekiah but from the carrying away of the king Jechonia and many other Jews whereof above veres2 that were now in captivity when Jeremiah sent this letter unto them compare Ezekiel 1:2 and 33.21 and 40.1 with the annotate]I will visit ye [meaning in mercy see Genesis 21 on verse 1] and I will raise [or confirm set there or cause to stand] my good word towards you [that is my good gracious and comfortable promises concerning your deliverance] bringing you again to this place.

11. For I know the thought that I think towards you saith the Lord thought of peace and not of evil[corporal and spiritual blessing and not on the contrary see Genesis 37 on verse 14] to give you the end, [Heb. Hindmost last that is here and see Psalms 37 on verse 37 below chapter 31 on verse 17 and compare 1 Peter 1:9] and the expectation [that is an issue which I have promised and assuredly expect from me or the expected end the end that ye have looked for or desired.]

12. Then shall ye call upon me and go and pray unto me and l will hearken unto.

13. And ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall enquire after me with all your heart.

14. And I will be found [or shew myself ready compare Psalms 46. on verse 2] of you saith the Lord and l will turn away your captivity and gather you from all the nations and from all places wither I have driven you saith the Lord or I will bring you again to the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

15. Because ye say the Lord hath raised us up prophets to Babel [oth. In Babel that is because you persuade yourself that God notwithstanding that he caused ye to be carried away captive to Babel and yet he also sent prophets thither to comfort you with a promise that God will perverse and continue the kingdom of Judah and deliver ye within the space of two years and bring ye again to Jerusalem therefore hear now what the Lord saith concerning this matter that ye may abandon the vain hope which your false prophets give you and may keep close to the false prophesies which I here render unto you in the name of God and are related in words following others annex this verse unto the former thus when ye shall have said the Lord hath raised us up &c that is the deliverance shall come when ye shall confess with true sincere repentance [that I and other faithful prophets being raised up by God have told ye the very truth that ye must go to Babel and not be delivered before the time by God appointed.]

16. Therefore thus saith the Lord of [Heb. El which is sometimes taken for of see Job 42 on verse 7 Psalms 2 on verse 7] the king that sitteth upon the throne of David and all the people that dwell in the city [Jerusalem that is that tarried here to which city ye look very shortly to return in peace as the false prophets do make ye believe] to wit your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity .

17. thus saith the Lord of host behold I will send the sword the famine the pestilence among them and I will make them like loathsome figs which by reason of their naughtiness cannot be eaten [see above chapter 24.8c.]

18. And I will pursue after them with the sword with the famine and with the pestilence and I will deliver them for a commotion unto all the kingdoms of the earth[see Deuteronomy 28 on verse 25 and verse 37 and above chapter 15.4 and 24.9] for a curse for a terror [oth. Desolation fearful desolation] and for a whistling and for a reproach among all nations wither I shall have driven them.

19. Because they have not hearkened unto my words saith the Lord when I sent my servants the prophets unto them being up early and sending [see above chapter 7 on verse 13] but ye hearkened not saith the Lord.

20. Ye then hear the word of the Lord all that are carried away captive [Heb. The whole captive carrying away as above verse 1] whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babel.

21. Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel of Achab the son of Kolaja and Zedekiah the son of Maaseja which prophesy falsely [or false hood a lie]unto ye in my name behold I will give them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel and he shall smite them [that is cause them to be slain as is expounded in the sequel] before your eyes.

22. And of them there shall be taken up a curse by all them that are carried away captive of Judah which are in Babel that they shall say the Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Achab [in the former verse called Achab]whom the king of Babel roasted [that is caused to be roasted]at the fire [of them c to wit the sense of this verse is that from these false prophets the captive Jews should take up and use a pattern or custom of cursing and use the same in cursing others compare below chapter 42 on verse 18 Isaiah 65:15.]

23. Because they committed folly in Israel [see Genesis 34 on verse 7] and committed adultery with their neighbors wives and spake the word falsely [or a false word a word that was falsehood or a lie]in my name [that is they taught and prophesied falsely abusing my name and command for that purpose]which I had commanded them I am he that know it and a witness thereof saith the Lord.

24. Now thou shalt speak unto Namanja and Nekelamite [this seemeth to be name of descent or birthplace but some are of opinion that Jeremiah or God himself gave him this name in an ironical or mocking way because of these dreams of Chalum signifieth to dream above verse 18 and below verse 31,32[he is called the Nechalmite] saying:

25. Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts the God of Israel saying because thou hast sent letters in thy name [by thine own authority not by my command as thy falsely boasted] unto all people that is Jerusalem and Zephanja the son of Maaseja the priest [the second priest see 2Kings 25.18 and compare above chapter 20 on verse 1] and to all the priest saying [as above verse 3]

26. the Lord hath made the priest in the stead of Jojada the priest [some are of opinion that he meaneth Jojada the priest of whose excellent act may read 2Kings 11 and 2 Chronicles 23to flatter him according to the manner and the custom of false prophets others conceive that it was other Jojada who was either dead or had also carried away to Babel so that Zephanja in order succeeded his stead] that ye should be overseers [or commanders officers] in the house of the Lord every man that is out of his wits [he meaneth this of Jeremiah compare 2Kings 9 on verse 11] and maketh himself a prophets and thou shouldest put him in prison [of the Hebrew word see above chapter 20 on verse2] and in the stocks [The Hebrew word Tinock is only found here so that it is uncertain what kind of prison or chains and fetters or also punishment by death it doth properly signify some compare with Zittim which also signifieth chains and fetters others conceive that it is compounded of Tsi that is ship and Janak that is sucking and render it sucking ship or sucking boat which was among the Persians and the peradventure among adjacent nations also a most cruel capital punishment when a man was laid and it was a packet in between two boats fitted one upon another his head hands and feet only sticking out and so left among the rest being fed with honey and milk which he was forced to suck in his face being turned towards the sun being plagued without by flies and within by worms and filthiness died most miserable in the end.]

27. Now then why hast thou not rebuked Jeremiah the anthothite [and consequently punished him according to his desert] who maketh himself a prophet among ye?

28. For therefore he sent [to wit a letter as above] into us to Babel [to shew that he is a prophet or thus he sent c.] saying it shall last long [to wit the captivity it shall last long it shall be long-lasting] build houses and dwell in them and plant gardens and eat the fruits of them.

29. Now Zephanja the priest had read this letter before the ears of the prophet Jeremiah.

30. Therefore the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah saying [here is now prosecuted that which is begun verse 25.]

31. Send to all them that are carried away captive [Heb. The captive carrying away as above verse 1] saying thus saith the Lord concerning Semaja the Nechalmite [above verse 24 he is called the Nechalmite see there]because that Semaja hath prophesied unto you and I sent him not and he caused you to trust in a lie [compare above chapter 25.15.]

32. Therefore thus saith the Lord behold I will visit [by punishment see Genesis 21 on verse1] upon Semaja the Nechalmite and his seed he shall have none to dwell in midst of this people neither shall he behold [that is not live to see and enjoy see Job 7 on verse 7] the good that I will do unto my people saith the Lord for he hath spoken apostasy or revolt against the Lord [see above chapter 28 on verse 16.]