The Meaning of Jeremiah 29:1 Explained

Jeremiah 29:1

KJV: 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;

YLT: And these are words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the remnant of the elders of the removal, and unto the priests, and unto the prophets, and unto all the people -- whom Nebuchadnezzar removed from Jerusalem to Babylon,

Darby: And these are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon

ASV: Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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; 

What does Jeremiah 29:1 Mean?

Study Notes

carried away captives
Cf. 2 Kings 24:10-16 . The complete captivity of Judah came eleven years later. 2 Kings 25:1-7 .

Context Summary

Jeremiah 29:1-32 - Shepherds That Mislead God's Flock
It is God's purpose to care for His people through shepherds (pastors) who are responsible to Him. Jesus our Lord is the Branch into which we may be grafted. He is our King who saves us and clothes us with His own spotless righteousness. God finds us in Him, Philippians 3:9. Because He reigns, we are saved and dwell in safety. When we are brought into contact with false shepherds, whether the failure be in doctrine or example, let us ask for the broken heart of Jeremiah 23:9.
God is everywhere present; as the latter paragraph indicates, He is near at hand to overhear the blasphemy of those who deride religion, and to be a very present help in time of trouble. If He fills heaven and earth, can He not fill thy heart? If His Word is like fire, let it cleanse thee! If it is as a hammer, let it pulverize thy pride! Let those of us who essay to teach and preach, not steal our words from our neighbors, or utter our own, but receive them from the source of all truth. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 29

1  Jeremiah sends a letter to the captives in Babylon to be quiet there,
8  and not to believe the dreams of their prophets;
10  and that they shall return with grace after seventy years
15  He foretells the destruction of the rest for their disobedience
20  He shows the fearful end of Ahab and Zedekiah, two false prophets
24  Shemaiah writes a letter against Jeremiah
30  Jeremiah foretells his doom

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 29:1 mean?

And these [are] the words of the letter that sent Jeremiah the prophet from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders who were [carried away] captive and to the priests and the prophets all the people whom had carried away captive Nebuchadnezzar from Jerusalem to Babylon
וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י הַסֵּ֔פֶר אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁלַ֛ח יִרְמְיָ֥ה הַנָּבִ֖יא מִירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם אֶל־ יֶ֜תֶר זִקְנֵ֣י הַגּוֹלָ֗ה וְאֶל־ הַכֹּהֲנִ֤ים וְאֶל־ הַנְּבִיאִים֙ כָּל־ הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶגְלָ֧ה נְבֽוּכַדְנֶאצַּ֛ר מִירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם בָּבֶֽלָה

וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙  And  these  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
דִּבְרֵ֣י  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַסֵּ֔פֶר  of  the  letter 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֵפֶר 
Sense: book.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
שָׁלַ֛ח  sent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
יִרְמְיָ֥ה  Jeremiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִרְמְיָה 
Sense: the major prophet, son of Hilkiah of the priestly family in Anathoth; author of the prophetic book bearing his name.
הַנָּבִ֖יא  the  prophet 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
מִירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם  from  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
יֶ֜תֶר  the  remainder 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יֶתֶר 
Sense: .
זִקְנֵ֣י  of  the  elders 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: old.
הַגּוֹלָ֗ה  who  were  [carried  away]  captive 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: גֹּולָה  
Sense: exiles, exile, captivity.
וְאֶל־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַכֹּהֲנִ֤ים  the  priests 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
הַנְּבִיאִים֙  the  prophets 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
הָעָ֔ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הֶגְלָ֧ה  had  carried  away  captive 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּלָה  
Sense: to uncover, remove.
נְבֽוּכַדְנֶאצַּ֛ר  Nebuchadnezzar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר 
Sense: the great king of Babylon who captured Jerusalem and carried Judah captive.
מִירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם  from  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
בָּבֶֽלָה  to  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.