New Living Translation
Jeremiah 29:25
25“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: You wrote a letter on your own authority to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, and you sent copies to the other priests and people in Jerusalem. You wrote to Zephaniah,
Jeremiah 29:25 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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,
- New International Version (NIV)“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah,
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
Context of Jeremiah 29:25
23For these men have done terrible things among my people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have lied in my name, saying things I did not command. I am a witness to this. I, the Lord, have spoken.” 24The Lord sent this message to Shemaiah the Nehelamite in Babylon: “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: You wrote a letter on your own authority to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, and you sent copies to the other priests and people in Jerusalem. You wrote to Zephaniah, 26“The Lord has appointed you to replace Jehoiada as the priest in charge of the house of the Lord. You are responsible to put into stocks and neck irons any crazy man who claims to be a prophet. 27So why have you done nothing to stop Jeremiah from Anathoth, who pretends to be a prophet among you?
Read all of Jeremiah 29Jeremiah 29:25 word by word
כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֧ה צְבָא֛וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר יַ֡עַן אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתָּה֩ שָׁלַ֨חְתָּ בְשִׁמְכָ֜ה סְפָרִ֗ים אֶל־כָּל־הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְאֶל־צְפַנְיָ֤ה בֶן־מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְאֶ֥ל כָּל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים לֵאמֹֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thus speakethאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- the Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- Because thou hast sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- lettersסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: documentH5612
- in thy nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- unto all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- at Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- and to Zephaniahצְפַנְיָהוּtsephanyâh tsephanyâhû · ZephaniahH6846
- the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Maaseiahמַעֲשֵׂיָהוּma‛ăώêyâh ma‛ăώêyâhû · MaaseiahH4641
- the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
Cross-references for Jeremiah 29:25
- 1 Kings 21:8So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and other leaders of the town where Naboth lived.
- 2 Kings 10:1Ahab had seventy sons living in the city of Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the elders and officials of the city, and to the guardians of King Ahab’s sons. He said,
- 2 Kings 19:9Soon afterward King Sennacherib received word that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading an army to fight against him. Before leaving to meet the attack, he sent messengers back to Hezekiah in Jerusalem with this message:
- 2 Chronicles 32:17The king also sent letters scorning the Lord, the God of Israel. He wrote, “Just as the gods of all the other nations failed to rescue their people from my power, so the God of Hezekiah will also fail.”
- Ezra 4:7Even later, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, the enemies of Judah, led by Bishlam, Mithredath, and Tabeel, sent a letter to Artaxerxes in the Aramaic language, and it was translated for the king.
- Nehemiah 6:5The fifth time, Sanballat’s servant came with an open letter in his hand,
- Acts 9:2He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
- Jeremiah 29:29But when Zephaniah the priest received Shemaiah’s letter, he took it to Jeremiah and read it to him.
- Jeremiah 21:1The Lord spoke through Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, to speak with him. They begged Jeremiah,
- Jeremiah 37:3Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to ask Jeremiah, “Please pray to the Lord our God for us.”
- Jeremiah 52:24Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took with him as prisoners Seraiah the high priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three chief gatekeepers.
- 2 Kings 25:18Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took with him as prisoners Seraiah the high priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three chief gatekeepers.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 29:25
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24-29Verses 24-29 A narrative showing the effects of Jeremiah‘s letter. Shemaiah the leader of the false prophets wrote to Zephaniah, urging him to restrain the prophet‘s zeal with the prison and the stocks. Jeremiah 29:24 To Shemaiah - Rather, concerning. The Nehelamite - Not as in the margin; but one belonging to the village of Nehlam (unknown). Jeremiah 29:26 Officers - Deputy high priests who had the oversight of the temple. Mad - See 2 Kings 9:11 note…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-32Verses 20-32 Jeremiah foretells judgments upon the false prophets, who deceived the Jews in Babylon. Lying was bad; lying to the people of the Lord, to delude them into a false hope, was worse; but pretending to rest their own lies upon the God of truth, was worst of all. They flattered others in their sins, because they could not reprove them without condemning themselves. The most secret sins are known to God; and there is a day coming when he will…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 24-32A prophet in Babylon named Shemaiah disagreed with Jeremiah's advice that the exiles should accept a long exile (Jeremiah 29:4–23). Shemaiah sent a letter to a leading priest in Jerusalem, urging action against Jeremiah. In response, Jeremiah wrote a letter to the exiles condemning Shemaiah.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 24-3224-32. A second communication which Jeremiah sent to Babylon, after the messenger who carried his first letter had brought a letter from the false prophet Shemaiah to Zephaniah, &c., condemning Jeremiah and reproving the authorities for not having apprehended him. Nehelamite--a name derived either from his father or from a place: alluding at the same time to the Hebrew meaning, "a dreamer" (compare Jr 29:8).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 29:25
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 29
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries