Albert Barnes Commentary Jeremiah 29:24-29

"And concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite thou shalt speak, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thine own name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying, Jehovah hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in the house of Jehovah, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in the stocks and in shackles. Now therefore, why hast thou not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who maketh himself a prophet to you, forasmuch as he hath sent unto us in Babylon, saying, [The captivity] is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them? And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet." — Jeremiah 29:24-29 (ASV)

A narrative showing the effects of Jeremiah’s letter. Shemaiah the leader of the false prophets wrote to Zephaniah, urging him to restrain the prophet’s zeal with the prison and the stocks (Jeremiah 29:24).

To Shemaiah—Rather, concerning.

The Nehelamite—Not as in the margin; but one belonging to the village of Nehlam (unknown).

(Jeremiah 29:26)

Officers—Deputy high priests who supervised the temple.

Mad—See 2 Kings 9:11 note. Many of the symbolic actions of the prophets, such as Jeremiah going about with a yoke on his neck, would be mocked by the irreverent as crossing the line between prophecy and madness.

Prisons—Rather, the stocks (Jeremiah 20:2).

The stocks—Rather, collar.

(Jeremiah 29:28)

This captivity is long—Rather, It is long. God’s anger, their punishment, the exile, the time necessary for their repentance—all this seems long to those who will never live to see their country again.