Jeremiah 29 32

Jeremiah 29:32 kjv

Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.

Jeremiah 29:32 nkjv

therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his family: he shall not have anyone to dwell among this people, nor shall he see the good that I will do for My people, says the LORD, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD.

Jeremiah 29:32 niv

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 things I will do for my people, declares the LORD, because he has preached rebellion against me.'?"

Jeremiah 29:32 esv

therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants. He shall not have anyone living among this people, and he shall not see the good that I will do to my people, declares the LORD, for he has spoken rebellion against the LORD.'"

Jeremiah 29:32 nlt

I will punish him and his family. None of his descendants will see the good things I will do for my people, for he has incited you to rebel against me. I, the LORD, have spoken!'"

Jeremiah 29 verses

Jeremiah 29 32 Meaning

This verse is a condemnation and prophecy of divine judgment against Shemaiah, a false prophet who wrote to the exiles in Babylon. God declares that Shemaiah and his descendants will have no one left to stand among the people of Jerusalem because they have misled the people, teaching rebellion against God. They will not witness the return of the exiles to the land of Israel.

Jeremiah 29 32 Context

This verse appears in Jeremiah chapter 29, which is a letter sent by the prophet Jeremiah to the exiles in Babylon. The letter is addressed to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been carried away captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. The primary purpose of the letter is to counter the false hope and misleading prophecies of those, like Hananiah in chapter 28 and Shemaiah in this chapter, who were claiming that the exile would be short-lived and that the exiles would soon return. Jeremiah's message emphasizes the need for the exiles to settle in Babylon, build houses, plant gardens, and seek the welfare of the city, because God's judgment would be prolonged for seventy years. Chapter 29 then pivots to specifically address those within Babylon who were actively spreading false messages, particularly Shemaiah of Nehelam, who had sent letters to the priest Zephaniah and the people in Jerusalem to accuse Jeremiah of being a false prophet and to cause trouble. Verse 32 concludes God's direct judgment upon Shemaiah for his rebellious actions.

Jeremiah 29 32 Word Analysis

• וְכִי־ (ve-ki-): "And when." Connects this statement to the preceding accusation or description of Shemaiah.
• קָצַפְתִּי (qatsaphti): "I will be angry." First-person singular perfect of קָצַף (qatsaph), meaning to be angry, wroth, furious. It signifies a settled, enduring anger or wrath from God.
• אֶל־ (el-): "upon." A preposition indicating direction or target.
• שְׂמַעְיָה (Səmayah): "Shemaiah." The name, meaning "Yahweh has heard." The specific individual being addressed and condemned.
• הַנְּחֶלָמִי (ha-Nəḥelammi): "the Nehelamite." A gentile designation referring to his origin or family, possibly from a place called Nehelam.
• וְאֶל־ (ve-el-): "and upon."
• זַרְעוֹ (zarʿo): "his offspring" or "his seed." Refers to his descendants, both immediate and future.
• כִּי־ (ki-): "because." Introduces the reason for God's judgment.
• הִנְּבִיא (hinəvia'): "he prophesied." First-person singular imperfect of נָבָא (naba), meaning to prophesy, to speak forth. In this context, it is used with the preposition לְ (lə) to mean "he prophesied to." It's applied to Shemaiah's false pronouncements.
• לָכֶם (lakem): "to you." The plural pronoun indicating the recipients of Shemaiah's false prophecy.
• כִּי־ (ki-): "when" or "while." Sets the temporal condition for the second part of the judgment.
• צִוִּיתִי (tsivviti): "I commanded." First-person singular perfect of צָוָה (tsavah), meaning to command, order, charge. God’s prior directive for the exiles.
• וְלֹא־ (ve-lo-): "and not."
• הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם (he’emantem): "you believed." Second-person plural perfect of אָמַן (aman), meaning to be firm, steady, believe. Highlights their failure to trust God's messenger, Jeremiah.
• עַל־ (al-): "upon" or "concerning."
• נְבֻאָתִי (nəvu’ati): "my prophecy." God’s message delivered through Jeremiah.
• וְעַתָּה (ve-ʿatta): "and now." Marks the present moment of pronouncement of judgment.
• רְאֵה (re’eh): "see." Imperative singular of רָאָה (ra’ah), meaning to see, behold, perceive. An instruction to observe and understand the consequence.
• מַה־ (mah-): "what."
• שָּׁלְחֵי (sholḥei): "they who send." Plural active participle of שָׁלַח (shalach), meaning to send, dispatch. Referring to Shemaiah and those aligned with him.
• יֵעָשׂוּ (yeʿasu): "will be done." Third-person masculine plural passive imperfect of עָשָׂה (asah), meaning to do, make. A consequence of their actions.
• בָאֶפֶס (ba’efes): "with no one." Combination of בְּ (bə) and אֶפֶס (efes), meaning zero, nothing, naught. Denoting utter absence or lack.
• אִישׁ (ish): "man." Singular masculine noun.
• בְּתוֹךְ (betokh): "in the midst of" or "within."
• קֶרֶב (qerev): "among" or "population." Used to refer to the people residing in Jerusalem.
• יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (Yerushalayim): "Jerusalem." The holy city.
• וְנֹתָר (venotár): "and remaining." Conjunction וְ (ve-) and the niphal perfect of יָתַר (yatar), meaning to remain, be left over.
• אֶתְקֶה (etqeh): "I will reckon." First-person singular perfect of קָצַב (qatsav), meaning to measure, decree, allot, reckon. It signifies an accounting or judgment of God’s action. This can also be seen as coming from קָצַף (qatsaph) related to wrath. However, scholars suggest qatsav or related terms often imply "to cut off" or "to deal out," hence a punitive dealing.
• בָּם (bam): "to them." Refers back to Shemaiah and his seed.
• בַּאֲשֶׁר (ba’asher): "because" or "in that." Reiteration of the cause for judgment.
• הִטִּיתֶם (hittitem): "you have misled." Second-person masculine plural hiphil perfect of נָטָה (natah), meaning to incline, turn aside, lead astray. Strong accusation of causing others to err.
• הָעָם (ha-‘am): "the people." The collective populace of Israel.
• בִּצְעוֹן (bitsʿon): "with lies" or "with falsehood." Possibly related to בצע (batsaʿ), meaning profit or gain, but here it carries the connotation of deceitful gain or fabrication, likely originating from a verb meaning "to deceive" or "to boast deceitfully." Or it can mean "through falsehood."
• שָׁקֶר (shaqer): "lie." Noun referring to falsehood, untruth, deception.
• וְאֶל־ (ve’el-): "and."
• וּלֹא־ (ulo-): "and not."
• תִרְאֶה (tir’eh): "you will see." Second-person masculine singular niphal imperfect of רָאָה (ra’ah), meaning to see.
• אֶת־ (et-): Direct object marker.
• רָאֹתִי (ra’oti): "my seeing" or "my seeing of." First-person common singular niphal perfect infinitive construct of רָאָה (ra’ah), potentially referring to a specific divine sight or observation related to the return. This construction is a bit unusual. More likely it refers to the seeing of the blessings that Jeremiah has spoken of or that God has ordained, hence 'seeing my well-being/restoration.'
• אֶת־ (et-): Direct object marker.
• טוֹב (tov): "good." Well-being, prosperity, restoration.
• מִשְּׁאוֹל (misshe’ol): "from Sheol." Combination of מִן (min) and שְׁאוֹל (Sheol), the grave or underworld. This idiom signifies no remnant or no portion in the blessing of return and life. It's like saying they won't see anything good even from the place of the dead, reinforcing their complete exclusion. Or it can signify that they will be cut off from seeing any good return from Babylon to the land, being utterly excluded.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "When I was angry... his offspring": This clearly establishes God's initiated wrath and its directed judgment upon both the individual false prophet and his lineage, demonstrating a generational consequence for spiritual rebellion.
• "because he prophesied to you, and I had not commanded them, and you did not believe concerning my prophecy": This phrase elucidates the threefold error: (1) the false prophet spoke his own or demonic words; (2) God had not authorized the message; (3) the recipients failed to discern and believe God's true word through Jeremiah.
• "and now, see, what they who send will be done... none remaining to them in the midst of the population of Jerusalem": This declares a definitive judgment of exclusion. "They who send" (Shemaiah and his collaborators) will be divested of any future in Jerusalem; they and their families will have no remnant or recognized presence among the returning people in the city.
• "and I will reckon to them because you misled the people with lies": This highlights God’s sovereign justice in bringing account for the spiritual corruption Shemaiah perpetrated by teaching falsehood, causing the people to stray from God’s commands and hopes.
• "and you will not see my seeing the good": This pronounces a final denial of any blessing, restoration, or positive divine intervention for them. They will be utterly cut off from experiencing any good outcome of God's redemptive plan or witnessing the promised blessings.

Jeremiah 29 32 Bonus Section

The judgment on Shemaiah is intensely personal and generational, demonstrating that sins impacting God's covenant people carry profound consequences. The curse extending to his "offspring" (זרעו - zarʿo) reflects principles seen elsewhere in scripture where family lineage is affected by the patriarch’s actions, especially in contexts of covenant and leadership. However, it’s important to note that later generations are not automatically condemned for their ancestor's sin if they individually turn to God.

The phrase "seeing my seeing the good" is an idiom signifying a complete lack of participation or witness to divine favor and restoration. It contrasts sharply with God’s ultimate plan for His people to "see" and "dwell" in the good land He promised. Shemaiah’s actions were designed to hinder this seeing, and thus he is excluded from seeing it himself. The exclusion extends even to seeing "from Sheol," implying that their exclusion is so complete, they won't even gain perspective or witness anything positive from the realm of the dead concerning the covenant nation's restoration. It emphasizes utter alienation from God's grace and promises.

Jeremiah 29 32 Commentary

This verse serves as a severe divine pronouncement against Shemaiah, the Nehelamite, a false prophet identified for his role in fomenting rebellion and spreading deceptive messages among the Jewish exiles in Babylon. God's anger (קָצַפְתִּי - qatsaphti) is directly aimed at him and his descendants, indicating that his actions have incurred a lasting judgment. The reason is his false prophecy, contrary to God’s command, and the people’s failure to trust Jeremiah’s divinely inspired word.

The judgment is stark: Shemaiah and his lineage will be cut off, having no remaining presence ("אֶפֶס אִישׁ" - efes ish) among the populace of Jerusalem. They will not witness the return of the exiles, a definitive exclusion from God’s covenant blessings and the restoration of the land. This severe penalty underscores the gravity of misleading God’s people and promoting deceit. The term "my seeing the good" (רָאֹתִי אֶת־טוֹב - ra’oti et-tov) refers to the good God intends to perform, the blessings of restoration and dwelling in the land, from which they will be utterly excluded, even seeing "from Sheol" (מִשְּׁאוֹל - misshe’ol) – a state of absolute cutting off from life and blessing.

This verse highlights God's commitment to His people and His judgment on those who distort His truth for their own gain or to sow discord. It serves as a foundational example of discerning true prophecy from false prophecy based on its adherence to God’s Word and its promotion of God’s will, not human agenda or rebellion.