Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:

JEREMIAH 29:31KJV
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Jeremiah 29:31 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 29:31 mean?

Jeremiah 29:31 records God’s message, delivered through Jeremiah, warning the Jewish exiles in Babylon about Shemaiah the Nehelamite. God says Shemaiah has falsely claimed to speak for Him, leading the people to believe lies, even though God did not send him.

In this verse, Jeremiah is told by God to send a message to all the people taken into captivity in Babylon. The message specifically addresses Shemaiah, who has been spreading false prophecies among the exiles. God makes it clear that Shemaiah’s words are not from Him and that trusting Shemaiah’s message is trusting in something untrue.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 29:31

  • Captivity (גּוֹלָה, golah): This word refers to those who have been exiled or carried away from their homeland. Here, it highlights that Jeremiah’s audience is the group of Judeans living in Babylon, far from Jerusalem.
  • Prophesied (נָבָא, nava’): This verb means to speak as a prophet or claim to deliver God’s message. The verse emphasizes that Shemaiah is claiming this role without God’s authorization.
  • Trust (בָּטַח, batach): This word means to rely on or put confidence in. The verse points out that the people have put their trust in Shemaiah’s message, which is actually a lie.
  • Lie (שֶׁקֶר, sheqer): This term means falsehood or deception. God is clear that Shemaiah’s prophecy is not just mistaken, but deliberately false.

Why Jeremiah 29:31 matters

  • Jeremiah 29:31 clarifies that not everyone who claims to speak for God is truly sent by Him, urging careful discernment among the exiles.
  • The verse highlights the danger of trusting in messages that sound spiritual or authoritative but are not rooted in God’s actual word.
  • This warning fits into the larger context of Jeremiah 29, where God addresses the hopes and fears of the exiles, showing His concern for their spiritual well-being and the importance of true prophecy.

Where else these words appear

“Nehelamite” Hebrew H5161 · used in 3 verses

  • Jeremiah 29:24 Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
  • Jeremiah 29:32 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.

“Shemaiah” Hebrew H8098 · used in 39 verses

  • 1 Kings 12:22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
  • 2 Chronicles 11:2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
  • Nehemiah 6:10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.

“captivity” Hebrew H1473 · used in 41 verses

  • 2 Kings 24:15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
  • Ezra 10:8 And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.
  • Ezekiel 1:1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

“prophesied” Hebrew H5012 · used in 102 verses

  • Numbers 11:25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.
  • Jeremiah 20:1 Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.
  • Ezekiel 13:16 To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD.