Jeremiah 29:31
in Jeremiah 29“Send a message telling all the exiles what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you—though I did not send him—and has made you trust in a lie,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith Jehovah concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he hath caused you to trust in a lie;
KJV
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:
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This verse in Jeremiah 29
Commentary
6 notes on this verseNote, 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.
This site's exposition
Zephaniah the priest, however, had read
on Jeremiah 29:29-32
Zephaniah the priest reads Shemaiah's letter to Jeremiah. Shemaiah is charged like Hananiah before him, “he has preached rebellion against the LORD,” and he has made the exiles “trust in a lie.” His sentence cuts him out of the future his letter claimed to hasten.
This site's exposition
has made you trust in a lie
Shemaiah fails the test named in verse 9, speaking without being sent. The Lord's answer goes out to all the exiles, the same public he had tried to sway. Matthew Henry notes that one who will not wait for the Lord's time is unworthy to share the good that follows.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(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.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Advice to the Captives in Babylon. 1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:95%@v1-3
Send to all them of the captivity,....
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שְׁלַ֤ח | shelach | send | H7971 → | 845 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַגּוֹלָה֙ | hagolah | the exile[s] | H1473 → | 43 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כֹּ֚ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֣ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | concerning | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שְׁמַעְיָ֖ה | shema'yah | Shemaiah | H8098 → | 41 times |
| הַנֶּחֱלָמִ֑י | hanechelami | the Nehelamite | H5161 → | 3 times |
| יַ֡עַן | yaan | because | H3282 → | 99 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נִבָּ֨א | niba' | he has prophesied | H5012 → | 115 times |
| לָכֶ֜ם | lakhem | to <the> you | ||
| שְׁמַעְיָ֗ה | shema'yah | Shemaiah | H8098 → | 41 times |
| וַֽאֲנִי֙ | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שְׁלַחְתִּ֔יו | shelachtiv | I sent him | H7971 → | 845 times |
| וַיַּבְטַ֥ח | vaiyavtach | and he has made rely | H982 → | 120 times |
| אֶתְכֶ֖ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שָֽׁקֶר׃ | shaker | falsehood | H8267 → | 113 times |
שְׁלַ֤חsend
shelachH7971 →845 times
עַל־to
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַגּוֹלָה֙the exile[s]
hagolahH1473 →43 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
כֹּ֚הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
אָמַ֣רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶל־concerning
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שְׁמַעְיָ֖הShemaiah
shema'yahH8098 →41 times
הַנֶּחֱלָמִ֑יthe Nehelamite
hanechelamiH5161 →3 times
יַ֡עַןbecause
yaanH3282 →99 times
אֲשֶׁר֩that
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נִבָּ֨אhe has prophesied
niba'H5012 →115 times
לָכֶ֜םto <the> you
lakhem
שְׁמַעְיָ֗הShemaiah
shema'yahH8098 →41 times
וַֽאֲנִי֙and I
vaaniH589 →874 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
שְׁלַחְתִּ֔יוI sent him
shelachtivH7971 →845 times
וַיַּבְטַ֥חand he has made rely
vaiyavtachH982 →120 times
אֶתְכֶ֖ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שָֽׁקֶר׃falsehood
shakerH8267 →113 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
2 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 29:9For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 27:15
For I have not sent them, declares the LORD, and yet they are prophesying falsely in My name; therefore I will banish you, and you will perish—you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”
- Jeremiah 29:23
For they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with the wives of their neighbors and speaking lies in My name, which I did not command them to do. I am He…
- Jeremiah 27:15
Where this verse is studied
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.