Letter to the Exiles: Seek the Welfare of Babylon
Jeremiah 29:1-23
Jer.29.1 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ואלה: CONJ+DEM,pl,abs
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- הספר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- שלח: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ירמיה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנביא: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מירושלם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- יתר: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- זקני: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- הגולה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- הכהנים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- הנביאים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- כל: DET
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- הגלה: VERB,hifil,perf,3,m,sg
- נבוכדנאצר: NOUN,m,sg,abs,prop
- מירושלם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בבלה: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Kings 24:14 (verbal): Describes Nebuchadnezzar carrying people from Jerusalem to Babylon—verbal parallel to the deportation language in Jer 29:1.
- 2 Chronicles 36:17-20 (thematic): Gives the narrative framework of Jerusalem’s fall and the deportation to Babylon, providing the historical context for Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles.
- Ezekiel 1:1 (structural): Sets Ezekiel’s prophetic activity among those carried into exile at the River Chebar—parallel in setting and audience (prophetic address to the Babylonian exiles).
- Isaiah 39:6-7 (allusion): Isaiah prophesies that some descendants will be taken to Babylon; thematically anticipates the exile and those to whom Jeremiah’s letter is sent.
- Jeremiah 29:10 (thematic): Later verse within the same letter addressing the exiles (the 70-year prophecy), showing the purpose and content of the communication begun in 29:1.
Alternative generated candidates
- These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, and to the priests and the prophets and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
- These are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders of the exile, to the priests, to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Jer.29.2 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- אחרי: PREP
- צאת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- יכניה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- והגבירה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,def
- והסריסים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,def
- שרי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- וירושלם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והחרש: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- והמסגר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,def
- מירושלם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Kings 24:12–16 (verbal): Nearly identical listing of Jehoiachin (Jeconiah), the king’s mother/queen, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen and smiths taken to Babylon — closely parallels Jeremiah’s list of deportees.
- 2 Chronicles 36:10 (verbal): Summarizes the deportation under Nebuchadnezzar, naming Jehoiachin and the officials and artisans carried into exile — a parallel account of the same removal from Jerusalem.
- Jeremiah 52:28–30 (verbal): Later Jeremiah appendix repeats figures and details about Jehoiachin’s exile and those taken to Babylon, echoing the roster of captives found in Jeremiah 29:2.
- 2 Kings 24:15 (thematic): Describes the broader deportations to Babylon (including many taken away), placing the specific list in 29:2 within the wider theme of Judah’s mass exile.
Alternative generated candidates
- (After Jeconiah the king, and the queen mother, and the eunuchs, and the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.)
- (This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths had been carried away from Jerusalem.)
Jer.29.3 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אלעשה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שפן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וגמריה: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חלקיה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- שלח: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- צדקיה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- אל: NEG
- נבוכדנאצר: NOUN,m,sg,abs,prop
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בבל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בבלה: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
Parallels
- Jeremiah 29:1-2 (verbal): Immediate literary context: the letter to the exiles introduced and the same messengers (Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah) are named; verse 3 continues this dispatch.
- Jeremiah 21:1 (thematic): Also records King Zedekiah sending envoys (to Jeremiah), showing the motif of royal messengers and Zedekiah’s direct communications during the crisis before Babylonian domination.
- 2 Kings 25:8-12 (thematic): Narrates Nebuchadnezzar’s capture of Jerusalem and the deportation of its people to Babylon—the historical event underlying Jeremiah’s letter and the envoys sent to the Babylonian court.
- 2 Chronicles 36:17-21 (thematic): Summarizes Judah’s fall and the exile to Babylon; provides the broader theological and historical background for correspondence and missions between Judah’s leaders and the Babylonian king.
- Ezekiel 1:1-3 (structural): Like Jeremiah’s letter to those in Babylon, Ezekiel’s opening places the prophet among the exiles and dates his message to the Babylonian exile, linking prophetic activity with the community in Babylon.
Alternative generated candidates
- By the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, in Babylon, saying,
- By the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hachaliah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in Babylon, saying,
Jer.29.4 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- צבאות: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לכל: PREP
- הגולה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- הגליתי: VERB,hiph,perf,1,_,sg
- מירושלם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בבלה: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 29:1-3 (structural): Immediate context: the opening of Jeremiah's letter sent to the exiles in Babylon; same audience and formal address introducing the oracle.
- Ezekiel 1:1-3 (thematic): Ezekiel receives God's word among the Judean exiles by the river Chebar and ministers to the exilic community—parallel situation of prophetic address to those deported to Babylon.
- 2 Kings 25:11-21 (thematic): Narrative account of the Babylonian deportations (who were 'sent away' from Jerusalem), providing the historical background for Jeremiah's address to the exiles.
- Jeremiah 25:11-12 (allusion): Jeremiah's prophecy that the nations (and Judah) will serve Babylon for seventy years directly relates to the circumstances and theological framing of the letter to the exiles.
- Ezra 1:1-4 (structural): Cyrus' decree permitting the return of the exiles is a later fulfillment and structural outcome of the situation addressed in Jeremiah's letter to those in Babylon.
Alternative generated candidates
- Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
- Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Jer.29.5 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- בנו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- בתים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ושבו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ונטעו: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- גנות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ואכלו: VERB,qal,imp,2,mp
- את: PRT,acc
- פרין: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 65:21 (verbal): Nearly identical wording: promises that people will build houses and inhabit them and plant vineyards/gardens and eat their fruit as part of future restoration.
- Amos 9:14-15 (verbal): Restoration oracle that speaks of planting vineyards, building houses, and enjoying their produce—similar imagery of settled life after exile/judgment.
- Deuteronomy 6:10-11 (allusion): Covenantal background: entering the promised land will include houses built and vineyards planted—provides the legal/historical precedent for settlement imagery.
- Jeremiah 29:4-7 (structural): Immediate context: the surrounding verses deliver the same instruction to exiles to settle, marry, seek the welfare of the city—of which v.5 is a central clause.
- Ezekiel 36:35 (thematic): Restoration motif: desolate land becomes like a garden and ruined cities are inhabited—parallels the theme of renewal through building and cultivation.
Alternative generated candidates
- Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit.
- Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit.
Jer.29.6 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- קחו: VERB,qal,impv,2,pl
- נשים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- והולידו: CONJ+VERB,hiph,perf,3,m,pl
- בנים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ובנות: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,cons
- וקחו: VERB,qal,imp,2,mp
- לבניכם: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss:2mp
- נשים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- בנותיכם: NOUN,f,pl,abs+2mp
- תנו: VERB,qal,imp,2,pl
- לאנשים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ותלדנה: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
- בנים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ובנות: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,cons
- ורבו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- שם: ADV
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- תמעטו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 1:28 (verbal): God's original command to humanity to 'be fruitful and multiply' parallels Jeremiah's injunction to have children and increase.
- Genesis 9:7 (verbal): Post‑Flood reiteration of 'be fruitful and multiply,' echoing the same directive to procreate and fill the land.
- Jeremiah 29:5 (structural): Immediate context in the exile instructions—earlier verse directs settlers to build, plant, and live in the land, which complements the call to marry and multiply.
- Isaiah 54:1-3 (thematic): Promises of enlargement and increased offspring ('enlarge the place of your tent') resonate with Jeremiah's call to increase and not diminish.
- Psalm 127:3-5 (thematic): Portrays children as a blessing and source of increase; thematically supports the value of offspring and multiplication found in Jeremiah 29:6.
Alternative generated candidates
- Take wives and father sons and daughters; take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not be few.
- Take wives and beget sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters—multiply there; do not decrease.
Jer.29.7 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ודרשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- שלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- הגליתי: VERB,hifil,perf,1,_,sg
- אתכם: PRT+PRON,2,m,pl
- שמה: ADV
- והתפללו: VERB,hitpael,impf,3,m,pl
- בעדה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
- אל: NEG
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- בשלומה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,f,sg
- יהיה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- שלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 122:6 (verbal): Explicitly commands: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" — a near-verbal parallel urging prayer for the city's welfare and peace.
- Isaiah 62:6-7 (thematic): Watchmen/tokens on Jerusalem's walls who do not keep silent but pray and intercede for the city's vindication and peace—parallel emphasis on persistent prayer for the city's well‑being.
- Jeremiah 29:11 (structural): From the same letter to the exiles: God’s promise of plans for their welfare and hope complements the injunction in 29:7 to seek and pray for the city's peace as part of their future well‑being.
- 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (thematic): Urges that prayers and intercessions be made for all people and rulers so Christians may live peaceful lives—reflects the practical rationale in Jer 29:7 linking prayer for civic peace to the community’s welfare.
- Zechariah 8:20-23 (allusion): Depicts peoples and nations coming to seek the LORD and to entreat Him concerning Jerusalem—echoes the theme of seeking the city's welfare and praying for its peace.
Alternative generated candidates
- Seek the peace of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its peace you will have peace.
- Seek the welfare of the city to which I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.
Jer.29.8 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- צבאות: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- ישיאו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- נביאיכם: NOUN,m,pl,suff
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בקרבכם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,const+PRON,2,pl,m
- וקסמיכם: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl+PRON,2,m,pl
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- תשמעו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- חלמתיכם: NOUN,m,pl,abs+2mp
- אשר: PRON,rel
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- מחלמים: VERB,qal,ptc,2,m,pl
Parallels
- Jeremiah 23:25-32 (verbal): Same prophet (Jeremiah) condemns prophets who claim 'I have dreamed' and issues God's judgment on false prophets and their deceptive dreams—directly parallel in language and theme.
- Ezekiel 13:6-9 (thematic): Condemns prophets and diviners who give false visions and 'see lies'—similar denunciation of fabricated dreams/prophecies that mislead the people.
- Deuteronomy 13:1-3 (structural): Law warns not to listen to a prophet or dreamer who entices Israel to false worship even if signs occur—early legal parallel instructing rejection of misleading prophets/dreams.
- Micah 3:5-7 (allusion): Speaks of prophets who mislead the people and cause them to err by their visions and dreams; echoes Jeremiah's concern over dream-prophecies that give false assurance.
Alternative generated candidates
- For thus says the LORD of hosts: Do not let your prophets who are among you, nor your diviners, deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams you dream.
- For thus says the LORD of hosts: Do not let your prophets who are among you, nor your diviners, deceive you; do not listen to the dreams you yourselves dream.
Jer.29.9 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- בשקר: PREP
- הם: PRON,personal,3,m,pl
- נבאים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- בשמי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,poss1s
- לא: PART_NEG
- שלחתים: VERB,qal,perf,1,sg+PRON_OBJ,3,pl
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 14:14 (verbal): Same wording and denunciation: prophets ‘prophesy lies in my name’—God says He did not send them (close verbal parallel).
- Jeremiah 23:25-32 (verbal): Extended denunciation of false prophets who speak in YHWH’s name but whose messages are lies—echoes Jeremiah 29:9’s charge and expands on consequences.
- Ezekiel 13:6-9 (thematic): Condemns prophets who prophecy out of their own minds and give false hopes—same theme of fraudulent prophecy and divine judgment.
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (structural): Provides the prophetic test: a prophet who speaks in God’s name without divine commission is a false prophet—legal/criterial parallel to Jeremiah’s charge.
Alternative generated candidates
- For they are prophesying to you falsehoods in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD.
- For they prophesy lies to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD.
Jer.29.10 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- לפי: PREP
- מלאת: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- לבבל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שבעים: NUM,card,m,pl
- שנה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אפקד: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- אתכם: PRT+PRON,2,m,pl
- והקמתי: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- עליכם: PREP+PRON,2mp
- את: PRT,acc
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- הטוב: ADJ,m,sg,def
- להשיב: VERB,qal,inf
- אתכם: PRT+PRON,2,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- המקום: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
Parallels
- Jeremiah 25:11-12 (verbal): Same prophecy of 'seventy years' of Babylonian dominance and the LORD's visitation afterward; closely parallels the timeframe and promise of return.
- Daniel 9:2 (quotation): Daniel explicitly cites Jeremiah's 'seventy years' prophecy as the basis for his prayer, treating Jer. 29/25 as authoritative background for restoration.
- 2 Chronicles 36:21-23 (structural): Frames the exile as seventy years of desolation and records the end of exile with Cyrus' decree—an interpretive summary and fulfillment of Jeremiah's timetable.
- Ezra 1:1-4 (thematic): Records Cyrus' decree permitting exiles to return and rebuild the temple, representing the historical fulfillment of God's promise to restore the people to their land.
- Isaiah 45:13 (allusion): Describes God raising Cyrus to subdue nations and to build Jerusalem and set exiles free—an independent prophetic confirmation of the restoration motive behind the return from Babylon.
Alternative generated candidates
- For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill to you my good promise, to bring you back to this place.
- For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my good promise to bring you back to this place.
Jer.29.11 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- אנכי: PRON,1,sg
- ידעתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,?,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- המחשבת: NOUN,f,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- אנכי: PRON,1,sg
- חשב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- עליכם: PREP+PRON,2mp
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מחשבות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- שלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולא: CONJ
- לרעה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לתת: VERB,qal,inf
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- אחרית: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- ותקוה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Romans 8:28 (thematic): Affirms God's providential purpose to bring about good for those who belong to him—parallel promise of God's intentions for a good outcome.
- Psalm 33:11 (verbal): Speaks of the plans/counsel of the LORD enduring and standing—verbal parallel emphasizing God's sovereign plans for people.
- Isaiah 55:8-9 (allusion): Contrasts human and divine thoughts/ways; highlights that God's thoughts toward people are higher and purpose-filled, echoing Jeremiah's 'thoughts' language.
- Jeremiah 29:14 (structural): Immediate contextual parallel: promises God will be found by the exiles, restore them, and bring them back—concrete fulfillment of the 'future and hope' in 29:11.
- Jeremiah 31:3 (thematic): Declares God's enduring love and commitment to restore Israel—thematically linked to God's benevolent plans and hope for the people's future.
Alternative generated candidates
- For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD—plans for peace and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
- For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jer.29.12 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- וקראתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- אתי: PRON,1,sg
- והלכתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- והתפללתם: VERB,hitpael,perf,2,m,pl
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- ושמעתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- אליכם: PREP+PRON,2,pl
Parallels
- Jeremiah 33:3 (verbal): Very close verbal parallel: God invites calling/crying to him with the promise to answer ("Call to me, and I will answer you").
- Isaiah 65:24 (thematic): Same theme of responsive hearing — God promises to answer even before people call, emphasizing God's readiness to hear prayer.
- Psalm 50:15 (thematic): Calls the faithful to call on the LORD in times of trouble with the assurance that God will deliver/hear them, echoing the promise of God’s responsiveness to prayer.
- Romans 10:13 (cf. Joel 2:32) (allusion): New Testament/Jewish prophetic tradition echo: 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved' — underscores the saving/hearing power tied to calling on God, paralleling Jeremiah’s promise that God will hear when called.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.
- Then you will call upon me, and you will go and pray to me, and I will hear you.
Jer.29.13 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ובקשתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- אתי: PRON,1,sg
- ומצאתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- תדרשני: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- בכל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לבבכם: NOUN,m,sg,poss
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 4:29 (verbal): Promises that if Israel seeks the LORD with all heart and soul they will find him—language and conditional pattern closely parallel to Jer 29:13.
- Isaiah 55:6 (thematic): Calls people to seek the LORD while he may be found and to call upon him—shares the theme of seeking God with urgency and expectation of finding him.
- Psalm 119:10 (verbal): Uses the phrase 'with my whole heart I seek you,' echoing Jer 29:13's insistence on wholehearted seeking of God.
- Acts 17:27 (allusion): Speaks of God’s purpose that people should seek and perhaps find him, reflecting the New Testament appropriation of the OT theme that earnest seeking can lead to finding God.
Alternative generated candidates
- You will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart.
- You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Jer.29.14 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ונמצאתי: VERB,niphal,perf,1,_,sg,_
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ושבתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- שבותכם: NOUN,f,sg,abs+2,mp
- וקבצתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg,_
- אתכם: PRT+PRON,2,m,pl
- מכל: PREP
- הגוים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ומכל: CONJ
- המקומות: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- הדחתי: VERB,hif,perf,1,sg
- אתכם: PRT+PRON,2,m,pl
- שם: ADV
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- והשבתי: VERB,hiphil,perf,1,com,sg
- אתכם: PRT+PRON,2,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- המקום: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- הגליתי: VERB,hiphil,perf,1,_,sg,_
- אתכם: PRT+PRON,2,m,pl
- משם: PREP
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 30:3-5 (verbal): Promises that Yahweh will restore Israel’s fortunes, gather them from all nations and bring them back to the land—language and promise closely parallel Jer 29:14.
- Ezekiel 36:24 (verbal): ’I will take you from the nations and gather you’—very similar phrasing about gathering exiles and returning them to their own land, echoing Jer 29:14.
- Ezekiel 37:21-22 (verbal): The prophetic promise to bring the house of Israel back from the nations and unite them in their land parallels Jer 29:14’s promise of gathering and return.
- Isaiah 11:11-12 (thematic): Speaks of the Lord recovering a remnant and assembling the dispersed of Israel from the nations—a thematic parallel concerning restoration and regathering.
- Amos 9:14-15 (thematic): Yahweh’s promise to restore Israel, bring back its exiles, and settle them in their land resonates with Jer 29:14’s assurance of gathering and return.
Alternative generated candidates
- I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
- I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places to which I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
Jer.29.15 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- אמרתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- הקים: VERB,hiph,perf,3,m,sg
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- נבאים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בבלה: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 23:21-22 (verbal): God denies sending many prophets who ran and prophesied without his word—directly addresses the problem of people claiming prophetic commissioning (parallels the claim that the LORD has raised up prophets in Babylon).
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (structural): Gives the canonical test for true and false prophets (if a prophet’s word does not come to pass he is not sent by the LORD), a normative background for judging claims that God has raised up prophets abroad.
- Ezekiel 13:6-9 (thematic): Condemns prophets who prophesy out of their own hearts and give false visions while claiming the LORD’s word—similar accusation against prophets purportedly 'raised up' in a foreign land.
- 2 Chronicles 36:14-16 (thematic): Describes false prophets and the leadership’s rejection/mistreatment of true prophets and the prevalence of deceptive prophecy of peace—context for why claims of prophetic voices (including those in exile) are contested.
Alternative generated candidates
- For you have said, ‘The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon.’
- For you prophesied, 'The LORD has raised up for us prophets in Babylon.'
Jer.29.16 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- היושב: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- כסא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- כל: DET
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- היושב: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg
- בעיר: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
- אחיכם: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2,m,pl
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לא: PART_NEG
- יצאו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אתכם: PRT+PRON,2,m,pl
- בגולה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Jeremiah 22:1 (structural): Uses the same prophetic formula addressing “the king who sits on the throne of David” and the people of the city—both passages direct a divine word to Judah’s royal seat and Jerusalem itself.
- Jeremiah 24:1-10 (thematic): Vision of two baskets of figs (good figs = exiles; bad figs = those remaining in the city). Parallels the contrast between those carried into exile and “your brethren who did not go out with you.”
- 2 Kings 25:21-22 (verbal): Narrates the aftermath of the Babylonian deportation—‘the rest of the people that were left in the city’ and the appointment of a governor—echoing the situation of a remnant left in the land while others were exiled.
- Ezekiel 36:24-28 (thematic): God’s promise to gather Israel from the nations and restore them to the land resonates with the distinction between those exiled and those remaining in the city and the divine intentions toward both groups.
Alternative generated candidates
- Thus says the LORD concerning the king who sits on the throne of David and concerning all the people who remain in this city, your brothers who did not go out with you into exile:
- Thus says the LORD to the king who sits on the throne of David and to all the people who dwell in this city: your brothers who did not go out with you into exile—
Jer.29.17 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- צבאות: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- הנני: PRT+PRON,1,sg
- משלח: VERB,piel,part,3,m,sg
- בם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- החרב: NOUN,f,sg,def
- את: PRT,acc
- הרעב: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואת: CONJ
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ונתתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- אותם: PRON,3,m,pl,obj
- כתאנים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- השערים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לא: PART_NEG
- תאכלנה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,f,pl
- מרע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 24:2-10 (verbal): Uses the imagery of good and bad figs to represent exiled and remaining people; the 'bad/rotten figs' that cannot be eaten parallel Jeremiah 29:17's fig‑image for those doomed to judgment.
- Deuteronomy 28:21-22 (thematic): Part of the covenant curses listing divine punishments for disobedience—sword, famine, and pestilence—which echoes the triad of calamities in Jeremiah 29:17.
- Ezekiel 14:21 (verbal): Speaks of God sending 'my four severe acts—sword, famine, wild beasts and pestilence' upon the land, closely paralleling the language and catalogue of judgments in Jeremiah 29:17.
- Leviticus 26:25-26 (thematic): Within the Deuteronomic/Priestly curse tradition; threatens the sword and famine as consequences of disobedience, resonating with Jeremiah's prediction of sword, famine, and pestilence.
Alternative generated candidates
- Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and I will make them like figs so bad that they cannot be eaten.
- Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and I will make them like rotten figs that cannot be eaten because they have not listened to my words, declares the LORD.
Jer.29.18 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ורדפתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- אחריהם: PREP,3,m,pl
- בחרב: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ברעב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובדבר: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ונתתים: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לזעוה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לכל: PREP
- ממלכות: NOUN,f,pl,cs
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- לאלה: PREP+DEM,pl
- ולשמה: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ולשרקה: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ולחרפה: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בכל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הגוים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- הדחתים: VERB,hiphil,perf,2,mp
- שם: ADV
Parallels
- Jeremiah 24:10 (verbal): Same prophetic formula: God will send sword, famine and pestilence and make the people a horror/proverb/taunt among the nations to which He drives them.
- Deuteronomy 28:25 (thematic): Part of the Deuteronomic curse tradition—Israel defeated before enemies, pursued by sword and other calamities as punishment for disobedience.
- Deuteronomy 28:37 (verbal): Speaks of becoming a horror and a proverb among the nations, echoing Jeremiah's language of disgrace and reproach among the peoples.
- Leviticus 26:16-33 (thematic): Catalogue of covenant curses (terror, sword, famine, pestilence, scattering among nations) that parallels Jeremiah's list of judgments and exile-shame.
- Ezekiel 14:21 (verbal): Ezekiel enumerates the fourfold judgments—sword, famine, wild beasts and pestilence—mirroring Jeremiah's mention of sword, famine and pestilence as divine instruments of punishment.
Alternative generated candidates
- And I will pursue them with the sword, with famine and with pestilence, and I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse, a hissing, and an everlasting reproach among all the nations where I have driven them.
- And I will pursue them with the sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will give them as a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, as an astonishment and a curse, a taunt and a disgrace among all the nations to which I have driven them.
Jer.29.19 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- תחת: PREP
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לא: PART_NEG
- שמעו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- שלחתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,?,sg
- אליהם: PREP,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- עבדי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- הנבאים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- השכם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ושלח: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- שמעתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 25:4–7 (verbal): Same prophetic motif and very similar wording: the LORD repeatedly sent all his servants the prophets to warn Israel, but they would not listen.
- 2 Chronicles 36:15–16 (thematic): Historical summary that God sent prophets to call the people to repentance but they mocked, insulted, and persecuted God's messengers—echoes Jeremiah's indictment of not heeding prophets.
- Isaiah 30:9–11 (thematic): Denounces a people who refuse to hear the law and tell prophets to stop speaking 'right' words—parallels the refusal to heed the LORD's prophetic warnings.
- Ezekiel 2:3 (verbal): God commissions the prophet to speak to a rebellious house 'whether they hear or refuse to hear,' wording that echoes Jeremiah’s emphasis on prophets sent despite being ignored.
- Acts 7:51 (allusion): Stephen accuses his hearers of resisting the Holy Spirit and persecuting prophets, reflecting the continuing New Testament theme that God’s messengers are rejected and not listened to.
Alternative generated candidates
- Because they did not listen to my words, declares the LORD, which I sent to them by my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you would not listen.
- For they did not listen to the words of the LORD, declares the LORD, which I sent to them by my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them—but you would not listen—
Jer.29.20 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ואתם: CONJ+PRON,2,pl
- שמעו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כל: DET
- הגולה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- שלחתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,?,sg
- מירושלם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בבלה: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 25:11-12 (thematic): Predicts the seventy-year exile in Babylon for those taken from Jerusalem—same historical circumstance addressed to the captives in Jer 29:20.
- Jeremiah 29:10 (structural): Immediate context in the same letter: God's promise to restore the exiles after seventy years—directly connected to the audience 'whom I have sent... into Babylon.'
- Psalm 137:1-4 (thematic): A poetic depiction of the Judahite captives by the rivers of Babylon, reflecting the experience and location of those Jeremiah addresses.
- Deuteronomy 30:3-5 (thematic): Promises divine restoration after exile—echoes the covenantal pattern of deportation and return that underlies Jeremiah’s message to the exiles.
- Ezekiel 12:25-28 (allusion): Addresses the people’s displacement and emphasizes that God’s word through prophets pertains to those exiled—parallels Jeremiah’s sending of a word to the captives in Babylon.
Alternative generated candidates
- Hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles whom I sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.
- Hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Jer.29.21 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- צבאות: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- אחאב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קוליה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- צדקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מעשיה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- הנבאים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- בשמי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,poss1s
- שקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנני: PRT+PRON,1,sg
- נתן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- נבוכדראצר: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בבל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- והכם: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg+PRON,3,m,pl
- לעיניכם: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs,2mp
Parallels
- Jeremiah 23:16-22 (verbal): Condemnation of false prophets who speak 'a word from their own heart' and the declaration that God did not send them—parallels Jeremiah 29:21's denunciation of specific false prophets and divine judgment against them.
- Jeremiah 28:15-17 (structural): Case of the false prophet Hananiah: Jeremiah pronounces judgment on a prophet who proclaimed false peace, and God brings about the prophet's death—parallel instance of prophetic falsehood followed by punitive fate.
- Jeremiah 26:20-23 (structural): Narrative of Urijah (Uriah) the prophet who fled to Egypt but was seized and put to death for his prophecies—closely parallels the handing over and execution of false prophets in Jer 29:21.
- Ezekiel 13:2-9 (thematic): Ezekiel's denunciation of false prophets who mislead the people and the covenantal judgment pronounced against them—thematically akin to Jeremiah's threat to deliver false prophets into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.
Alternative generated candidates
- Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to Ahab son of Kolaiah and to Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who prophesy lies to you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall put them to death before your eyes.
- Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who prophesy lies to you in my name: I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall put them to death before your eyes.
Jer.29.22 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ולקח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- מהם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- קללה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לכל: PREP
- גלות: NOUN,f,sg,const
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בבבל: PREP+NOUN,prop,f,sg
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- ישמך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כצדקיהו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וכאחב: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- קלם: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בבל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- באש: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 29:21-23 (structural): Immediate context: these verses identify Shemaiah (the prophet) who took a curse on behalf of those in Babylon and oppose Jeremiah — 29:22 is part of this unit describing the false prophet's actions.
- Jeremiah 29:8-9 (thematic): Jeremiah warns the exiles not to listen to prophets who give false assurances; connects thematically with 29:22 where a prophet/caller pronounces a curse against those in Babylon.
- Jeremiah 28:15-17 (thematic): The episode of the false prophet Hananiah who contradicts Jeremiah and is judged by him parallels the motif of false prophetic activity and punitive speech directed at those under Babylonian rule.
- 2 Kings 25:8-11 (allusion): Narrates Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of Jerusalem and burning of the temple/palaces at the end of Zedekiah's reign; illuminates the historical reference in 29:22 to Zedekiah (and those burned by the king of Babylon).
Alternative generated candidates
- And I will make them a curse among all the exiles of Judah in Babylon—those who hear the words of their curse will say, ‘May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and like Ahub, whom the king of Babylon consumed by fire.’
- And from them shall be taken up a curse against all the exile of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, 'May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;'
Jer.29.23 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- יען: CONJ
- אשר: PRON,rel
- עשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- נבלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וינאפו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- נשי: NOUN,f,pl,abs,1cs
- רעיהם: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3mp-suf
- וידברו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בשמי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,poss1s
- שקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לוא: NEG
- צויתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- ואנכי: PRON,1,sg
- היודע: VERB,qal,part,3,m,sg,def
- ועד: CONJ+PREP
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 23:14 (verbal): Same prophet-critique: false prophets ‘commit adultery’/walk in lies and ‘speak a word in my name’ falsely — close verbal and theological parallel.
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (structural): Legal criterion for identifying a false prophet: speaking in God’s name what he has not commanded (and the prescribed judgment) — provides canonical warrant for Jeremiah’s charge.
- Ezekiel 13:6-9 (thematic): Condemns prophets who give false visions and speak ‘declares the Lord’ though not sent by him — parallels the charge of false speech in God’s name and prophetic deception.
- Zechariah 13:2-3 (thematic): Foretells removal/punishment of false prophets and the spirit of uncleanness; addresses prophetic falsehood and its sanction, echoing Jeremiah’s denunciation.
- Micah 3:5-7 (thematic): Denounces prophets who practice immorality and prophesy deceitful peace in God’s name, misleading the people — thematically aligned with adultery and false prophecy in Jeremiah 29:23.
Alternative generated candidates
- Because they have done vileness in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken lying words in my name, which I did not command them, and I know and am a witness, declares the LORD.
- because they have done shameful things in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and have spoken lies in my name, which I did not command them— I know it, and am a witness, declares the LORD.
And these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders of the exile, and to the priests, the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.
After Jeconiah the king, and the queen mother, and the eunuchs, and the princes of Judah and of Jerusalem, and the craftsmen and the smiths had gone forth from Jerusalem;
by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah sent to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, in Babylon, saying: Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit.
Take wives and beget sons and daughters; take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters—multiply there; do not decrease.
Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.
For thus says the LORD of hosts: Do not let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you, nor listen to the dreams you yourselves dream.
For they prophesy lies to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD.
For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill toward you my good word to bring you back to this place.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. And I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
For you have said, "The LORD has raised up for us prophets in Babylon." Thus says the LORD to the king who sits on the throne of David, and to all the people who dwell in this city: Your brothers who did not go out with you into the exile— Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I am sending upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse, a derision, and a hissing among all the nations where I have driven them. And I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, and will give them over to be an object of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth; to be a curse, a taunt, a hissing, and a disgrace among all the peoples where I have driven them.
Because they did not listen to my words, declares the LORD, which I sent by my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them—yet you would not listen—declares the LORD. And you shall say to all the exiles whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon: Listen to the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who prophesy falsehood to you in my name: Behold, I will punish them and give them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall put them to death before your eyes. And I will make them a curse among all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, "May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon burned by fire;"
because they have acted shamefully in Israel, and committed adultery with the wives of their neighbors, and have spoken lies in my name which I did not command them—indeed I know and am a witness, declares the LORD.