Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;

JEREMIAH 29:5KJV
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Jeremiah 29:5 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 29:5 mean?

Jeremiah 29:5 tells the exiled Israelites to build houses, live in them, plant gardens, and eat what they grow. The verse encourages them to settle down and make a life for themselves in Babylon, rather than waiting for a quick return home.

Jeremiah is writing a letter from Jerusalem to the Jewish people who have been taken as captives to Babylon. God, through Jeremiah, instructs them to establish normal lives even while in exile. This guidance is practical, urging the people to invest in their new surroundings and not to live as if their stay will be brief.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 29:5

  • "Build" (בָּנָה, banah): This word means to construct or establish, often used for building houses or cities. Here, it emphasizes creating a stable, lasting place to live.
  • "Dwell" (יָשַׁב, yashav): This word means to settle or remain, not just to temporarily stay. It highlights the idea that the exiles should make themselves at home.
  • "Plant" (נָטַע, nata): This word means to plant or set in the ground, especially for gardens or vineyards. Planting gardens takes time to yield results, so it suggests planning for the future.
  • "Eat" (אָכַל, akhal): This word means to consume or enjoy the produce. The instruction to eat the fruit of their gardens points to enjoying the results of their own work and settling in for the long term.

Why Jeremiah 29:5 matters

  • Jeremiah 29:5 corrects any false hope that the exile will be short, making it clear that the people should prepare for a long stay in Babylon.
  • The verse shifts the focus from mere survival to building a meaningful and stable life, even in difficult circumstances.
  • This instruction sets the stage for the following verses, where God tells the exiles to seek the welfare of the city and to pray for it, showing that their well-being is tied to the place where they now live.

Where else these words appear

“gardens” Hebrew H1593 · used in 12 verses

  • Numbers 24:6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.
  • Isaiah 1:29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
  • Isaiah 66:17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.

“plant” Hebrew H5193 · used in 55 verses

  • Genesis 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
  • Psalms 94:9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?
  • Jeremiah 11:17 For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.

“fruit” Hebrew H6529 · used in 107 verses

  • Genesis 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
  • Nehemiah 10:35 And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD:
  • Isaiah 37:30 And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.