Jeremiah 29:1-3

Jeremiah 29:1-3

[1] 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;  [2] (After  that Jeconiah  the king,  and the queen,  and the eunuchs,  the princes  of Judah  and Jerusalem,  and the carpenters,  and the smiths,  were departed  from Jerusalem;)  [3] By the hand  of Elasah  the son  of Shaphan,  and Gemariah  the son  of Hilkiah,  (whom Zedekiah  king  of Judah  sent  unto Babylon  to Nebuchadnezzar  king  of Babylon)  saying, 

What does Jeremiah 29:1-3 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Jeremiah sent a letter to all the Judahites who had gone into exile in Babylon with King Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) in597 B.C. We do not know the date of its composition, but Jeremiah probably wrote it within a few years of597 B.C. The recipients included the elders, priests, prophets, the queen mother (Nehushta), court officials, princes, craftsmen, smiths (or artisans), and other citizens. King Zedekiah sent Elasah, one of Shaphan"s sons (cf. Jeremiah 26:24), and Gemariah ben Hilkiah ( Jeremiah 36:10-26; cf. 2 Kings 22:3-14) to Babylon to deliver the letter. Both of these messengers were friendly toward Jeremiah , as is clear from other references to them. It was customary for vassals, such as Zedekiah, to communicate frequently with their overlords, like Nebuchadnezzar, in the ancient Near East. [1]