20 Hear H8085 ye therefore the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 all ye of the captivity, H1473 whom I have sent H7971 from Jerusalem H3389 to Babylon: H894
Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 the God H430 of Israel; H3478 Like these good H2896 figs, H8384 so will I acknowledge H5234 them that are carried away captive H1546 of Judah, H3063 whom I have sent H7971 out of this place H4725 into the land H776 of the Chaldeans H3778 for their good. H2896
Be in pain, H2342 and labour to bring forth, H1518 O daughter H1323 of Zion, H6726 like a woman in travail: H3205 for now shalt thou go forth H3318 out of the city, H7151 and thou shalt dwell H7931 in the field, H7704 and thou shalt go H935 even to Babylon; H894 there shalt thou be delivered; H5337 there the LORD H3068 shall redeem H1350 thee from the hand H3709 of thine enemies. H341
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Jeremiah 29
Commentary on Jeremiah 29 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 29
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,
Such struggles as these have there always been between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent.
Jer 29:1-7
We are here told,
Jer 29:8-14
To make the people quiet and easy in their captivity,
Jer 29:15-23
Jeremiah, having given great encouragement to those among the captives whom he knew to be serious and well-affected, assuring them that God had very kind and favourable intentions concerning them, here turns to those among them who slighted the counsels and comforts that Jeremiah ministered to them and depended upon what the false prophets flattered them with. When this letter came from Jeremiah they would be ready to say, "Why should he make himself so busy, and take upon him to advise us? The Lord has raised us up prophets in Babylon, v. 15. We are satisfied with those prophets, and can depend upon them, and have no occasion to hear from any prophets in Jerusalem.' See the impudent wickedness of this people; as the prophets, when they prophesied lies, said that they had them from God, so the people, when they invited those prophets thus to flatter them, fathered it upon God, and said that it was the Lord that raised them up those prophets. Whereas we may be sure that those who harden people in their sins, and deceive them with false and groundless hopes of God's mercy, are no prophets of God's raising up. These prophets of their own told them that no more should be carried captive, but that those who were in captivity should shortly return. Now, in answer to this,
Jer 29:24-32
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,