Jeremiah 29:20
Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Original Language Analysis
שִׁמְע֣וּ
Hear
H8085
שִׁמְע֣וּ
Hear
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
2 of 10
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
דְבַר
ye therefore the word
H1697
דְבַר
ye therefore the word
Strong's:
H1697
Word #:
3 of 10
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
יְהוָ֑ה
of the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֑ה
of the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
4 of 10
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
5 of 10
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
הַ֨גּוֹלָ֔ה
all ye of the captivity
H1473
הַ֨גּוֹלָ֔ה
all ye of the captivity
Strong's:
H1473
Word #:
6 of 10
exile; concretely and collectively exiles
אֲשֶׁר
H834
אֲשֶׁר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
7 of 10
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
שִׁלַּ֥חְתִּי
whom I have sent
H7971
שִׁלַּ֥חְתִּי
whom I have sent
Strong's:
H7971
Word #:
8 of 10
to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
Cross References
Jeremiah 24:5Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.Micah 4:10Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
Historical Context
The exiles needed this theological framework to avoid despair or false hope. They weren't abandoned by God (He sent them) or permanently judged (the seventy years had purpose). This pastoral balance—acknowledging real judgment while affirming sovereign purpose—sustained faith through exile and enabled the restoration.
Questions for Reflection
- How does understanding your suffering as God-sent rather than random change how you endure it?
- What's the difference between fatalism ('everything happens for a reason') and faith in God's sovereignty?
- How can we hold together God's use of wicked instruments and His judgment of their wickedness?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity—After addressing Jerusalem's remnant (vv. 16-19), Jeremiah pivots back to the exiles with the imperative שִׁמְעוּ (shim'u, hear). The phrase all ye of the captivity (כָּל־הַגּוֹלָה, kol-hagolah) encompasses every exiled Jew, not just the false prophets about to be named. All must hear God's judgment on deception in their midst.
Whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon—Again the verb שָׁלַח (shalach, sent)—not 'whom Nebuchadnezzar dragged' but whom I have sent. Sovereign divine purpose governs even pagan conquest. This theology appears throughout Scripture: God uses wicked nations as instruments (Hab 1:6, Isa 10:5), then judges them for their cruelty (Isa 10:12). The exiles weren't victims of Babylonian might but recipients of divine discipline with redemptive intent.