Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 29:14
And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
14. The LXX have only “And I will be found of you” (lit. “I will appear to you”). The remaining words are evidently a later addition, relating to a general dispersion, and thus unsuitable to the present context.
turn again your captivity ] The Hebrew expression here and elsewhere probably means simply to restore the fortunes. See C.B. Psa 14:7.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Turn away your captivity – Or, restore your prosperity.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 14. I will gather you from all the nations] A quotation from De 30:3, and see also De 4:7.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This verse containeth no more than was said before, only it is repeated in a little different phrase, for the further confirmation of their faith, and the promise is a little enlarged. God saith he will be found of them, that is, he will answer them. It is expressed in this nation to correspond with the term seeking, by which prayer is expressed, and to let us know that those that will have Gods favour must find it; which implieth a seeking and inquiry after it. The promise, which before mentioned only their return from Babylon, is enlarged, and made here to extend to all places whither they were driven; for though the body of the people were carried to Babylon, yet it is more than probable that many of them shifted for themselves into other countries, and were in exile, but not in captivity. Cyruss proclamation, 2Ch 36:22,23, extended to his whole empire.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. to be found (Psa 32:6;Isa 55:6).
turn . . . captivityplayupon sounds, shabti . . . shebith.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And I will be found of you, saith the Lord,…. As he is; when his favour is shown, his presence is enjoyed, and the blessing sought for is obtained:
and I will turn away your captivity; this designs the captivity of Jeconiah, or of the Jews that were carried captive with him; and which had its accomplishment when the Jews returned to their own land, upon the edict of Cyrus:
and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; for though the greatest part might be carried to Babylon, and continue there; yet others might be removed or moved into other countries; and besides, this may respect their brethren who should come into captivity, and return with them at the end of the seventy years; for the expressions are very large and general:
and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive; that is, Jerusalem, and the land of Judea; though the Vulgate Latin version renders it,
“and I will make you to return from the place to which I have caused you to go captive;”
meaning Babylon. The sense comes to the same; but the common rendering is most agreeable to the Hebrew text.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Prophet now applies what he seemed to have spoken generally. He then shews the effect of God’s favor, after having been reconciled to his people, even that he would re store their captivity, and gather them from all places. This was particularly said to the Jews; but the two former verses contain, as I have said, a general doctrine. He had before said, Ye shall find me; but he says now, I shall be found by you, or, I will shew myself to you. There is an implied contrast between the hiding and the manifestation, for God had in a manner hid himself during the time of exile; but he suddenly made his face to shine forth, and thus manifested himself as a Father, after having apparently forgotten his people. Suitably then does the Prophet speak here; for though the Lord ever looks on us, we on the other hand do not see him, nay, we think that he is far from us. But he then only appears to us, when we perceive that he cares for our salvation.
By saying, from all nations and from all places, he evidently obviated a doubt which otherwise might have crept into the minds of many, “How can it ever be that God will gather us after we have been thus dispersed?” For no certain region had been allotted to them, in which they might dwell together so as to form one body; but they had been scattered as by a violent whirlwind like chaff or stubble; and God had so driven them away that there was no hope of being again gathered. As then it was incredible, that a people so dispersed could be collected together, the Prophet says, “from all nations and from all places.” The same thing is declared in the Psalm,
“
He will gather the dispersions of Israel.” (Psa 147:2)
For when the Jews looked on their dreadful dispersion, they could entertain no hope. We see then how the Prophet encouraged them still to hope, and bade them to struggle against this trial. The sentence seems to have been taken from Moses, for he says,
“
Though you be scattered through the extreme parts of the world, yet God will gather you.” (Deu 30:1)
We see that Moses there expressly reproves the unbelief of the people, if they despaired of God’s mercy and salvation, because they were torn and scattered. he therefore shews that God’s power was abundantly sufficient to collect them again, though they were scattered to the four quarters of the world. We now perceive the object of the Prophet. (218)
And hence we may gather a useful doctrine, — that God in a wonderful manner gathers his Church when scattered, so as to form it into one body, however he may for a time obliterate its name and even its very appearance. And of this he has given us some proof in our time. For who could have thought that what we now see with our eyes, would ever take place? that God would in a secret manner gather his elect, when there was everywhere a dreadful desolation, and no corner found in the world where two or three faithful men could dwell together. We hence see that this prophecy has not been fulfilled only at one time, but that the grace of God is here set forth, which he has often manifested, and still manifests in gathering his Church. It follows, —
(218) The order found in this deserves notice; restoration is mentioned first, and then the means necessary for the purpose, the gathering of the people from all places; “I will restore your captivity,” or captives, “and I will gather,” etc. The concluding sentence is, “where I have removed you from there;” where, and from there, instead of whence. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(14) I will turn away your captivity . . .On the substance and fulfilment of the prediction, see Notes on Jer. 23:3-8.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 29:14. I will gather you from all the nations, &c. Though this prophesy has its primary completion in the restoration of the Jews under Cyrus; yet, like many others of the same kind, it can have its full completion only in that general restoration of the Jews so frequently spoken of.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 29:14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Ver. 14. And I will be found of you. ] The best . See Psa 32:6 Isa 55:6 ; Isa 65:1 .
And I will gather you.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
away = back.
captivity. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Subject), for captives.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I will be: Deu 4:7, 1Ch 28:9, 2Ch 15:12-15, Psa 32:6, Psa 46:1, Isa 45:19, Isa 55:6, Rom 10:20
and I will turn: Jer 16:14, Jer 16:15, Jer 23:3-8, Jer 24:5-7, Jer 30:3, Jer 30:10, Jer 31:8-14, Jer 32:37-44, Jer 33:7-26, Jer 46:27, Jer 46:28, Jer 50:4, Jer 50:5, Jer 50:19, Jer 50:20, Jer 50:33, Jer 50:34, Jer 51:10, Psa 126:1, Psa 126:4, Eze 11:16-20, Eze 34:1-31, Eze 36:1 – Eze 39:29, Amo 9:14, Mic 4:12, Zep 3:20
Reciprocal: Deu 30:3 – then the Psa 107:3 – gathered Isa 14:1 – set Jer 8:3 – in all Jer 30:18 – Behold Jer 31:16 – they Eze 37:21 – General Joe 3:1 – when Zep 2:7 – turn Heb 11:6 – diligently
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 29:14. A ll the nations refers to the various peoples that made up the Babylonian Empire. In course of the 70-year period the Jews became more or less scattered among various districts, and this verse was a prediction that they would be called out from such places to return to Palestine.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Again He promised that they would find Him. He would ultimately restore their fortunes, and would gather them from all the places where He had driven them, and return them to the Promised Land.
Since the exiles did not seek the Lord wholeheartedly, and since He did not return all of them to the land at the end of the Exile, premillennialists look for a fulfillment of these promises in the future. [Note: See Kaiser, pp. 110-12; and Feinberg, p. 555.] The returns from exile under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah were only partial fulfillments of these promises. Most of the exiles chose not to return (e.g., Mordecai and Esther). Perhaps others of them could not return (e.g., Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego).