TRV
Translation
King James Version
And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
Complete Jewish Bible
Tz'fanyah the cohen read this letter to Yirmeyahu the prophet, and afterwards
Berean Standard Bible
(Zephaniah the priest, however, had read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.)
American Standard Version
And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
World English Bible Messianic
Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And Zephaniah the Priest red this letter in the eares of Ieremiah the Prophet.
Young's Literal Translation
And Zephaniah the priest readeth this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
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Commentary on Jeremiah 29 verses 24–32
24 ¶ Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
25 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
26 The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.
27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you?
28 For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
30 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
32 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.
We have perused the contents of Jeremiah's letter to the captives in Babylon, who had reason, with a great deal of thanks to God and him, to acknowledge the receipt of it, and lay it up among their treasures. But we cannot wonder if the false prophets they had among them were enraged at it; for it gave them their true character. Now here we are told concerning one of them,
I. How he manifested his malice against Jeremiah. this busy fellow is called Shemaiah the Nehelamite, the dreamer (so the margin reads it), because all his prophecies he pretended to have received from God in a dream. He had got a copy of Jeremiah's letter to the captives, or had heard it read, or information was given to him concerning it, and it nettled him exceedingly; and he will take pen in hand, and answer it, yea, that he will. But how? He does not write to Jeremiah in justification of his own mission, nor offer any rational arguments for the support of his prophecies concerning the speedy return of the captives; but he writes to the priests, those faithful patrons of the false prophets, and instigates them to persecute Jeremiah. He writes in his own name, not so much as pretending to have the people's consent to it; but, as if he must be dictator to all mankind, he sends a circular letter (as it should seem) among the priests at Jerusalem and the rest of the people, probably by the same messengers that brought the letter from Jeremiah. But it is chiefly directed to Zephaniah, who was either the immediate son of Maaseiah, or of the 24th course of the priests, of which Maaseiah was the father and head. He was not the high priest, but sagan or suffragan to the high priest, or in some other considerable post of command in the temple, as Pashur, Jer 20:1. Perhaps he was chairman of that committee of priests that was appointed in a particular manner to take cognizance of those that pretended to be prophets, of which there were very many at this time, and to give judgment concerning them. Now, 1. He puts him and the other priests in mind of the duty of their place (Jer 29:26): The Lord hath made thee priest instead of Jehoiada the priest. Some think that he refers to the famous Jehoiada, that great reformer in the days of Joash; and (says Mr. Gataker) he would insinuate that this Zephaniah is for spirit and zeal such another as he, and raised up, as he was, for the glory of God and the good of the church; and therefore it was expected from him that he should proceed against Jeremiah. Thus (says he) there is no act so injurious or impious, but that wicked wretches and false prophets will not only attempt it, but colour it also with some specious pretence of piety and zeal for God's glory, Isa 66:5; Joh 16:2. Or, rather, it was some other Jehoiada, his immediate predecessor in this office, who perhaps was carried to Babylon among the priests, Jer 29:1. Zephaniah is advanced, sooner than he expected, to this place of trust and power, and Shemaiah would have him think that Providence had preferred him that he might persecute God's prophets, that he had come to this government for such a time as this, and that he was unjust and ungrateful if he did not thus improve his power, or, rather, abuse it. Their hearts are wretchedly hardened who can justify the doing of mischief by their having a power to do it. These priests' business was to examine every man that is mad and makes himself a prophet. God's faithful prophets are here represented as prophets of their own making, usurpers of the office, and lay-intruders, as men that were mad, actuated by some demon, and not divinely inspired, or as distracted men and men in a frenzy. Thus the characters of the false prophets are thrown upon the true ones; and, if this had been indeed their character, they would have deserved to be bound as madmen and punished as pretenders, and therefore he concludes that Jeremiah must be so treated. He does not bid them examine whether Jeremiah could produce any proofs of his mission and could make it to appear that he was not mad. No; that is taken for granted, and, when once he has had a bad name given him, he must be run down of course. 2. He informs them of the letter which Jeremiah had written to the captives (Jer 29:28): He sent unto us in Babylon, with the authority of a prophet, saying, This captivity is long, and therefore resolve to make the best of it. And what harm was there in this, that it should be objected to him as a crime? The false prophets had formerly said that the captivity would never come, Jer 14:13. Jeremiah had said that it would come, and the event had already proved him in the right, which obliged them to give credit to him who now said that it would be long, rather than to those who said that it would be short, but had once before been found liars. 3. He demands judgment against him, taking it for granted that he is mad, and makes himself a prophet. He expects that they will order him to be put in prison and in the stocks (Jer 29:26), that they will thus punish him, and by putting him to disgrace possess the people with prejudices against him, ruin his reputation, and so prevent the giving of any credit to his prophecies at Jerusalem, hoping that, if they could gain that point, the captives in Babylon would not be influenced by him. Nay, he takes upon him to chide Zephaniah for his neglect (Jer 29:27): Why hast thou not rebuked and restrained Jeremiah of Anathoth? See how insolent and imperious these false prophets had grown, that, though they were in captivity, they would give law to the priests who were not only at liberty, but in power. It is common for those that pretend to more knowledge than their neighbours to be thus assuming. Now here is a remarkable instance of the hardness of the hearts of sinners, and it is enough to make us all fear lest our hearts be at any time hardened. For here we find, (1.) That these sinners would not be convinced by the clearest evidence. God had confirmed his word in the mouth of Jeremiah; it had taken hold of them (Zac 1:6); and yet, because he does not prophesy to them the smooth things they desired, they are resolved to look upon him as not duly called to the office of a prophet. None so blind as those that will not see. (2.) That they would not be reclaimed and reformed by the most severe chastisement. They were now sent into a miserable thraldom for mocking the messengers of the Lord and misusing his prophets. This was the sin for which God now contended with them; and yet in their distress they trespass yet more against the Lord, Ch2 28:22. This very sin they are notoriously guilty of in their captivity, which shows that afflictions will not of themselves cure men of their sins, unless the grace of God work with them, but will rather exasperate the corruptions they are intended to mortify; so true is that of Solomon (Pro 27:22), Though thou shouldst bray a fool in a mortar, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
II. How Jeremiah came to the knowledge of this (Jer 29:29): Zephaniah read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah. He did not design to do as Shemaiah would have him, but, as it should seem, had a respect for Jeremiah (for we find him employed in messages to him as a prophet, Jer 21:1, Jer 37:3), and therefore protected him. He that continued in his dignity and power stood more in awe of God and his judgments than he that was now a captive. Nay, he made Jeremiah acquainted with the contents of the letter, that he might see what enemies he had even among the captives. Note, It is kindness to our friends to let them know their foes.
III. What was the sentence passed upon Shemaiah for writing this letter. God sent him an answer, for to him Jeremiah committed his cause: it was ordered to be sent not to him, but to those of the captivity, who encouraged and countenanced him as if he had been a prophet of God's raising up, Jer 29:31, Jer 29:32. Let them know, 1. That Shemaiah had made fools of them. He promised them peace in God's name, but God did not send him; he forged a commission, and counterfeited the broad seal of Heaven to it, and made the people to trust in a lie, and by preaching false comfort to them deprived them of true comfort. Nay, he had not only made fools of them, but, which was worse, he had made traitors of them; he had taught rebellion against the Lord, as Hananiah had done, Jer 28:16. And, if vengeance shall be taken on those that rebel, much more on those that teach rebellion by their doctrine and example. 2. That at his end he shall also be a fool (as the expression is, Jer 17:11); his name and family shall be extinct and shall be buried in oblivion; he shall leave no issue behind him to bear up his name; his pedigree shall end in him: He shall not have a man to dwell among this people; and neither he nor any that come from him shall behold the good that I will do for my people. Note, Those are unworthy to share in God's favours to his church that are not willing to stay his time for them. Shemaiah was angry at Jeremiah's advice to the captives to see to the building up of their families in Babylon, that they might be increased and not diminished, and therefore justly is he written childless there. Those that slight the blessings of God's word deserve to lose the benefit of them. See Amo 7:16, Amo 7:17.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 24–32. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jeremiah
(Verse 24 and following) And to Semeias the Nehelamite you shall say. And what follows: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Since you have sent in your name letters to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Sophonias the son of Maasias the priest. And again from the Hebrew: And to all the priests (the Vulgate adds saying). And then the story continues: The Lord made you a priest to Joiada the priest, so that you may be a leader (or teacher and bishop) in the house of the Lord over every man seized and prophesying, to send him into punishment and into prison (or custody) and into the trap, which Symmachus translated as μόχλος, but Aquila put the Hebrew word itself, Sinac.
And why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who prophesies to you? For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying: 'Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their fruits.' So the priest Zephaniah read this book in the hearing of the prophet Jeremiah. Shemaiah of Nehelam, who was brought to Babylon with King Jehoiachin, also prophesied falsely to the people, saying that they would quickly return to Jerusalem. However, the following words of Jeremiah demonstrate that he was a false prophet: 'Thus says the Lord to Shemaiah of Nehelam, Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and has made you trust in a lie, therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants. He shall not have anyone living among 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.' It is evident, then, that Jeremiah sent letters to those who were in Babylon, instructing them to build houses and dwell in them, to plant gardens and eat their produce, to take wives and have sons and daughters, and to seek the welfare of the city where they were in exile. He warned them not to listen to the false prophets among them, who were prophesying lies in the name of the Lord. Jeremiah knew that Shemaiah was one of those false prophets, so he sent a letter to Jerusalem addressed to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to the rest of the priests. In the letter, Jeremiah asked why he was not being reprimanded by Zephaniah, whose responsibility it was to distinguish between true prophets and false prophets. Jeremiah requested that Shemaiah be put in prison as a punishment for his lies, so that he would stop deceiving the people and causing more harm. Joiada was a priest who handed over the kingdom to Joash after the death of Athaliah, and he killed the priests of Baal (2 Kings 11; 2 Chronicles 23). This is therefore what it says: Why don't you imitate the priest Joiada and kill the false prophet Jeremiah? The Lord has established you as a successor to Joiada, to take care of the temple, and especially to discern those who speak with the Holy Spirit from those who speak with a demonic spirit. But the discernment of spirits is a gift of divine grace, as the Apostle John mentions (1 John 4). Why, he said, did you not rebuke Jeremiah of Anathoth? And because he himself deserved it as a false prophet, he turns it against the true prophet, and distorts the truth by lies. Thus, the more intelligent ones are considered sons of darkness to the sons of light in this generation. While we, who act with patience and await the salvation of the wretched, are preceded by the heretics, and they call us by their own name, leading the blind blind into the pit. He sent, he said, to us in Babylon, saying: It is far away. This is all that he lamented: why Jeremiah wrote the truth against his own lie, that it was a long way off, and that they would return to Jerusalem after seventy years: from where they should build houses, plant orchards, and eat their fruits, take wives, and have children, as the past speech narrated. When the priest Zephaniah received these letters, which were specifically written to his name, he read them to Jeremiah, rebuking him in a way and reproaching the reading itself, questioning why he dared to write such things in Babylon.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Jeremiah 29:29 marks a pivotal moment in the prophetic confrontation between Jeremiah, God's true messenger, and Shemaiah the Nehelamite, a purveyor of false hope. This verse precisely records Zephaniah the priest's public act of reading Shemaiah's accusatory and inciting letter directly to Jeremiah, thereby formalizing the challenge to Jeremiah's divine authority and setting the stage for God's definitive judgment against the deceitful prophecy. This event powerfully underscores the critical distinction between authentic divine revelation and human-contrived deception, emphasizing the imperative for spiritual discernment amidst the spiritual confusion prevalent among the Babylonian exiles.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 29:29 is rich with literary devices that amplify its significance. The most striking is Irony, as a legitimate priest, Zephaniah, is compelled to deliver a message from a false prophet (Shemaiah) to a true prophet (Jeremiah). This highlights the profound spiritual confusion and the difficulty of discerning truth in that era. The verse also functions as a crucial point of Conflict within the narrative, explicitly setting Shemaiah's deceptive words against Jeremiah's divinely sanctioned authority. The precise detail of reading "in the ears" emphasizes the direct Confrontation and the public nature of this challenge, ensuring Jeremiah's full awareness. Furthermore, the "letter" itself serves as a powerful Symbol of deceptive communication, standing in stark contrast to the authentic, albeit often unpopular, divine word that Jeremiah consistently delivered.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This seemingly straightforward verse carries profound theological weight, encapsulating the timeless tension between divine truth and human deception. It underscores God's unwavering commitment to exposing falsehood and unequivocally vindicating His true messengers. The public reading of Shemaiah's letter ensures that Jeremiah is fully apprised of the direct challenge to his prophetic authority, thereby allowing God's subsequent, severe judgment against Shemaiah to be clearly perceived as a direct and righteous response to a known offense. This episode serves as a powerful reminder that God actively intervenes to protect the integrity of His word and to safeguard His people from spiritual corruption. It also highlights the solemn responsibility of those in religious leadership to discern and uphold truth, even when it is unpopular, challenging, or comes from unexpected sources, prioritizing divine revelation over human comfort or expediency.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 29:29 offers enduring lessons for believers navigating a world saturated with competing narratives and voices. In an age where information, both true and false, proliferates rapidly, the imperative for spiritual discernment is more critical than ever. Just as Jeremiah was confronted with a message that directly contradicted God's revealed will, we too must cultivate vigilance against teachings, ideologies, or cultural influences that offer comforting but ultimately false hopes, or that subtly undermine the clear, unvarnished truth of Scripture. This verse calls us to actively engage with God's Word, to rigorously test every spirit and every claim against its unchanging standard, and to rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance in distinguishing between genuine divine truth and deceptive human constructs. It encourages us to embrace patience in God's timing, even when His plans do not align with our immediate desires or expectations, and to stand firm in the truth, regardless of popular opinion, social pressure, or the allure of easier, less challenging paths. Our spiritual maturity is often measured by our willingness to embrace God's hard truths over comforting lies.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who was Zephaniah the priest, and what was his role in this event?
Answer: Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, was a prominent priest in Jerusalem during the tumultuous period of Jeremiah's ministry. He held a position of significant authority within the temple and was actively involved in the religious and political affairs of the city. In the context of Jeremiah 29:29, his crucial role was to receive and then publicly read aloud a letter sent by Shemaiah the Nehelamite, a false prophet among the exiles in Babylon. By reading this letter "in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet," Zephaniah served as the direct messenger who conveyed Shemaiah's accusations and incitement against Jeremiah. This act formalized the challenge to Jeremiah's prophetic authority, setting the stage for God's subsequent divine judgment. Zephaniah had a pre-existing relationship with Jeremiah, having been sent by King Zedekiah on previous occasions to inquire of the prophet (Jeremiah 21:1-2; Jeremiah 37:3).
What was in "this letter" that Zephaniah read to Jeremiah?
Answer: "This letter" refers to the written communication dispatched by Shemaiah the Nehelamite from Babylon to Jerusalem. The contents of this letter were a direct contradiction of Jeremiah's earlier prophetic message to the exiles, which had instructed them to settle in Babylon and prepare for a seventy-year captivity. Shemaiah's letter, instead, offered a false hope of an immediate return to Jerusalem. More critically, it contained accusations against Jeremiah, urging Zephaniah and other priests to take punitive action against him, specifically to "put him in the stocks and collar" (Jeremiah 29:26). Shemaiah believed Jeremiah's message of prolonged exile was demoralizing and therefore called for his imprisonment for delivering God's true but unpopular word. This letter thus represented a direct challenge to Jeremiah's prophetic authority and a source of deceptive hope for the exiles, prompting God's severe judgment upon Shemaiah as recorded in Jeremiah's subsequent letter (Jeremiah 29:30-32).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 29:29, with its stark portrayal of the clash between true and false prophecy, finds its ultimate and profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus is not merely a prophet who speaks God's word, but He is the very embodiment of God's truth, the Word made flesh (John 1:14). Just as Jeremiah faithfully delivered an unpopular message from God, Jesus consistently spoke the absolute truth, even when it challenged the entrenched religious authorities and defied human expectations. He meticulously exposed the hypocrisy and false teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees, who, much like Shemaiah, offered a distorted version of God's will, often prioritizing human traditions over divine commands (Matthew 15:1-9). The critical discernment required in Jeremiah's day foreshadows the ongoing need for believers to test all teachings and spirits against the truth revealed in Christ and His completed revelation (1 John 4:1). Ultimately, all of God's past communications, through prophets and various means, find their culmination and perfect expression in His Son, who is the final and complete revelation of God's character and redemptive plan (Hebrews 1:1-2). In Christ, we are anchored in the unwavering reality of His person and work, finding the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), ensuring we are no longer susceptible to the deceptive "letters" of false prophets, but are firmly grounded in the unshakeable foundation of His divine truth.