this is what the LORD says: 'I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good that I will bring to My people, declares the LORD, for he has preached rebellion against the LORD.'" this is what the LORD says:This phrase introduces a divine pronouncement, emphasizing the authority and certainty of the message. In the prophetic books, such declarations underscore that the message is not from the prophet's own mind but directly from God. This is a common formula used by prophets to assert the divine origin of their message, seen throughout the Old Testament. ‘I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants.
Shemaiah the Nehelamite was a false prophet who opposed Jeremiah. The punishment of false prophets is a recurring theme in the Bible, as seen in Deuteronomy 18:20-22. The mention of his descendants indicates that the consequences of his actions would affect his lineage, reflecting the biblical principle of generational impact of sin (Exodus 20:5). He will have no one left among this people,
This phrase indicates total eradication from the community, a severe judgment reflecting the seriousness of his offense. In ancient Israel, being cut off from the people was a significant punishment, as community and lineage were central to identity and inheritance. nor will he see the good that I will bring to My people,
The "good" refers to the future restoration and blessings God promised to Israel, such as the return from exile and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. This exclusion from witnessing God's blessings highlights the severity of Shemaiah's rebellion. It contrasts with the hope and future promised to the faithful remnant in Jeremiah 29:11. declares the LORD,
This reiteration of divine authority serves to emphasize the certainty and seriousness of the pronouncement. It is a common prophetic formula that assures the audience of the truth and inevitability of God's words. for he has preached rebellion against the LORD.’”
Preaching rebellion against God is a grave sin, as it leads people away from truth and obedience. In the context of Jeremiah, false prophets like Shemaiah were telling the people what they wanted to hear, rather than the truth of God's impending judgment and call to repentance. This rebellion is akin to the sin of witchcraft, as noted in 1 Samuel 15:23, and is a direct challenge to God's authority. Persons / Places / Events 1. JeremiahA major prophet in the Old Testament, known for his messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. 2. Shemaiah the NehelamiteA false prophet who opposed Jeremiah and misled the people by preaching rebellion against the LORD. 3. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant God of Israel, who speaks through His prophets and enacts judgment and blessing. 4. The People of JudahThe audience of Jeremiah's prophecies, who were in exile in Babylon at the time. 5. Babylonian ExileThe period during which the people of Judah were taken captive to Babylon, a central theme in Jeremiah's prophecies. Teaching Points The Danger of False ProphecyFalse prophets, like Shemaiah, lead people away from God's truth. It's crucial to discern and reject teachings that contradict Scripture. God's Sovereignty in JudgmentGod is just and will hold accountable those who lead His people astray. His judgments are righteous and serve to protect His people. The Importance of True ProphecyTrue prophecy aligns with God's revealed Word and purposes. Believers should seek to understand and follow God's true messages. The Consequences of RebellionRebellion against God, as seen in Shemaiah's actions, leads to severe consequences. Obedience to God brings blessing and protection. Hope for the FaithfulDespite the presence of false prophets, God promises good for His people. Trust in God's faithfulness and His plans for His people. Bible Study Questions 1. How can we discern between true and false teachings in today's context, and what role does Scripture play in this discernment? 2. In what ways does the account of Shemaiah the Nehelamite serve as a warning for us today regarding the influence of false prophets? 3. How does understanding God's sovereignty in judgment affect our view of justice and accountability in the world? 4. What are some practical steps we can take to ensure we are following true prophecy and not being led astray by false teachings? 5. How can we find hope and encouragement in God's promises, even when faced with challenges and opposition similar to those experienced by the people of Judah? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 18:20-22This passage outlines the criteria for true and false prophets, emphasizing the seriousness of speaking falsely in God's name. Jeremiah 23:16-17These verses warn against listening to false prophets who speak visions from their own minds rather than from the mouth of the LORD. 2 Peter 2:1-3This New Testament passage warns of false teachers who will arise among believers, similar to the false prophets in the Old Testament. Matthew 7:15-20Jesus warns about false prophets, teaching that they can be recognized by their fruits, which connects to the consequences faced by Shemaiah. People Ahab, Anathoth, David, Elasah, Eleasah, Gemariah, Hilkiah, Jeconiah, Jehoiada, Jeremiah, Kolaiah, Maaseiah, Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar, Shaphan, Shemaiah, Zedekiah, ZephaniahPlaces Anathoth, Babylon, Jerusalem, NehelamTopics Affirmation, Anyone, Apostacy, Behold, Cause, Declares, Descendants, Dwell, Dwelling, Family, Midst, Nehel'am, Nehelamite, None, Perversion, Preached, Punish, Punishment, Rebellion, Revolt, Says, Seed, Seeing, Shemaiah, Shemai'ah, Spoken, Surely, Talked, Taught, Thus, TrulyDictionary of Bible Themes Jeremiah 29:32 6222 rebellion, against God Jeremiah 29:30-32 7774 prophets, false Library Finding God
Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.' (Jeremiah xxix. 13.) The words of Jeremiah in their relation to God are very appropriate for men and women in whose hearts there is any longing after personal Holiness. Look at them: 'Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart'. I like this word, because it turns our minds to the true and only source of light and life and power. We speak of seeking and getting the blessing; but, …
T. H. Howard—Standards of Life and ServiceThe Secret of Effectual Prayer
"What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall have them."--MARK xi. 24. Here we have a summary of the teaching of our Lord Jesus on prayer. Nothing will so much help to convince us of the sin of our remissness in prayer, to discover its causes, and to give us courage to expect entire deliverance, as the careful study and then the believing acceptance of that teaching. The more heartily we enter into the mind of our blessed Lord, and set ourselves simply …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession The Spirit of Prayer.
Text.--Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints, according to the will of God.--Romans viii. 26, 27. My last lecture but one was on the subject of Effectual Prayer; in which I observed that one of the most important attributes of effectual …
Charles Grandison Finney—Lectures on Revivals of Religion The Costliness of Prayer
"Lord, teach us to pray."--Luke xi. 1. "And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart."--Jer. xxix. 13. IN his fine book on Benefits, Seneca says that nothing is so costly to us as that is which we purchase by prayer. When we come on that hard-to-be-understood saying of his for the first time, we set it down as another of the well-known paradoxes of the Stoics. For He who is far more to us than all the Stoics taken together has said to us on the subject of prayer,--"Ask, …
Alexander Whyte—Lord Teach Us To Pray Putting God to Work
"For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen a God beside thee who worketh for him that waiteth for him."--Isaiah 64:4. The assertion voiced in the title given this chapter is but another way of declaring that God has of His own motion placed Himself under the law of prayer, and has obligated Himself to answer the prayers of men. He has ordained prayer as a means whereby He will do things through men as they pray, which He would not otherwise do. Prayer …
Edward M. Bounds—The Weapon of Prayer The Iranian Conquest
Drawn by Boudier, from the engraving in Coste and Flandin. The vignette, drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a statuette in terra-cotta, found in Southern Russia, represents a young Scythian. The Iranian religions--Cyrus in Lydia and at Babylon: Cambyses in Egypt --Darius and the organisation of the empire. The Median empire is the least known of all those which held sway for a time over the destinies of a portion of Western Asia. The reason of this is not to be ascribed to the shortness of its duration: …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9 The Seventh Commandment
Thou shalt not commit adultery.' Exod 20: 14. God is a pure, holy spirit, and has an infinite antipathy against all uncleanness. In this commandment he has entered his caution against it; non moechaberis, Thou shalt not commit adultery.' The sum of this commandment is, The preservations of corporal purity. We must take heed of running on the rock of uncleanness, and so making shipwreck of our chastity. In this commandment there is something tacitly implied, and something expressly forbidden. 1. The …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments I Will Pray with the Spirit and with the Understanding Also-
OR, A DISCOURSE TOUCHING PRAYER; WHEREIN IS BRIEFLY DISCOVERED, 1. WHAT PRAYER IS. 2. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT. 3. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO. WRITTEN IN PRISON, 1662. PUBLISHED, 1663. "For we know not what we should pray for as we ought:--the Spirit--helpeth our infirmities" (Rom 8:26). ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. There is no subject of more solemn importance to human happiness than prayer. It is the only medium of intercourse with heaven. "It is …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Jeremiah 29:32 NIVJeremiah 29:32 NLTJeremiah 29:32 ESVJeremiah 29:32 NASBJeremiah 29:32 KJV
Jeremiah 29:32 Commentaries
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