Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 29:7
And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
7. seek the peace of the city ] probably referring not to Babylon only, but to any city in which a body of exiles might be planted. LXX have the land, as in Jer 4:29 (see note), perhaps reading here, as they probably did there, the equivalent Hebrew.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Jer 29:7
Seek the peace of the city.
The best Christians the best citizens
1. They know that the prosperity of the whole is their own prosperity. They o not, therefore, selfishly seek their own advantage.
2. They actually labour with all diligence for the furtherance of the common good.
3. They employ for this end the power of Christian prayer. (Naegelsbach.)
The duties of Christians to their country
I. What are the things absolutely necessary to the security and prosperity, the true glory and happiness, of our country?
1. The true honour of a nation, like that of the individual, lies in character.
2. The security and prosperity of our nation are inseparably associated with the advancement of religion among the people.
II. What are the best means for securing those things which are essential to our countrys highest welfare?
1. General diffusion of education. Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army.
2. Equally essential that the people be virtuous. Knowledge is power, but unsanctified power is power for evil.
3. The general distribution of the Bible–the great instrument for enlightening the conscience and purifying the heart.
4. Preaching the Gospel Our nature is a wreck, a chaos, which the Cross of Christ alone can adjust.
5. Prayer (2Ch 7:13-14; Psa 106:23; Exo 32:10).
III. What arguments may enforce the duties of personal and combined activity in seeking the highest good of our land?
1. Because our own individual good is intimately connected with its general happiness and prosperity. For in the peace thereof ye shall have peace.
2. We shall thereby recommend the religion we profess.
3. The work of supplying our land with the preached Gospel, and with religious institutions, is the most important work to which Christians can devote their energies. (Samuel Baker, D. D.)
The civil obligations of Christian people
When a man becomes a Christian does he cease to be a member of civil society? Allowing that he be not the owner of the ship, but only a passenger in it, has he nothing to awaken his concern in the voyage? If he be only a traveller towards a better country, is he to be told that because he is at an inn which he is soon to leave, it should not excite any emotion in him, whether it be invaded by robbers, or consumed by flames before the morning? In the peace thereof ye shall have peace. Is not religion variously affected by public transactions? Can a Christian, for instance, be indifferent to the cause of freedom, even on a pious principle? Does not civil liberty necessarily include religious, and is it not necessary to the spreading of the Gospel? (W. Jay.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 7. Seek the peace of the city] Endeavour to promote, as far as you can, the prosperity of the places in which ye sojourn. Let no disaffection appear in word or act. Nothing can be more reasonable than this. Wherever a man lives and has his nourishment and support, that is his country as long as he resides in it. If things go well with that country, his interest is promoted by the general prosperity, he lives at comparative ease, and has the necessaries of life cheaper; and unless he is in a state of cruel servitude, which does not appear to have been the case with those Israelites to whom the prophet writes, (those of the first captivity,) they must be nearly, if not altogether, in as good a state as if they had been in the country that gave them birth. And in this case they were much better off than their brethren now in Judea, who had to contend with famine and war, and scarcely any thing before them but God’s curse and extermination.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
That is, Seek to God for it, or rather live peaceably in it, and by all lawful means seek the welfare of it; do not raise any tumults or seditions, nor take part with those that do. And while your captivity lasts do you pray for it; (from whence those who think that Christ hath added new moral precepts, and reckon this precept of praying for enemies as one, may understand that praying for enemies was but a branch of that love to our neighbour which God required under the Old Testament;) for it was lawful for them to pray against Babylon at other times, Psa 137:8; Jer 51:35; but when God hath put a yoke upon our necks, we must patiently wait until he takes it off. The lawyers say that protection requireth allegiance to governors. This text lets us know also that it requireth our prayers for them, though they be conquerors and tyrants.
For in the peace thereof shall ye have peace; for God having by his providence cast us under their power, our peace dependeth upon theirs.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. (Ezr 6:10;Rom 13:1; 1Ti 2:2).Not only bear the Babylonian yoke patiently, but pray for yourmasters, that is, while the captivity lasts. God’s good time was tocome when they were to pray for Babylon’s downfall (Jer 51:35;Psa 137:8). They were not toforestall that time. True religion teaches patient submission, notsedition, even though the prince be an unbeliever. In all states oflife let us not throw away the comfort we may have, because wehave not all we would have. There is here a foretaste ofgospel love towards enemies (Mt5:44).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And seek the peace of the city,…. The prosperity and happiness of Babylon, or any other city in Chaldea, were they were placed: this they were to do by prayer and supplication to God, and by all other means that might be any ways conducive to the good of the state where they were:
whither I have caused you to be carried away captives; and as long as they continued so; for being under the protection of the magistrates of it, though Heathens, they owed them submission, and were under obligation to contribute to their peace and welfare:
and pray unto the Lord for it; the city, where they dwelt; for the continuance, safety, peace, and prosperity of it; and therefore much more ought the natives of a place to seek and pray for its good, and do all that in them lies to promote it; and still more should the saints and people of God pray for the peace of Jerusalem, or the church of God, where they are born, and brought up in a spiritual sense; see 1Ti 2:1;
for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace; which is an argument taken from self-interest; intimating, that while the city in which they were was in safety and prosperity, was in a flourishing condition, as to its health and trade, they would partake more or less with them of the same advantages; and on the other hand, should they be distressed with the sword, famine, or pestilence, or any grievous calamity, they would be involved in the same.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Jeremiah goes still farther, even that the Jews had been led to Babylon, on the condition of rendering willing obedience to the authority of King Nebuchadnezzar, and of testifying this by their prayers. He not only bids them patiently to endure the punishment laid on them, but also to be faithful subjects of their conqueror; he not only forbids them to be seditious, but he would have them to obey from the heart, so that God might be a witness of their willing subjection and obedience.
He says, Seek the peace of the city; this may be understood of prayers; for דרש , daresh, often means to pray: but it may suitably be taken here, as I think, in reference to the conduct of the people, as though he had said, that the Jews were to do what they could, to exert themselves to the utmost, so that no harm might happen to the Chaldean monarchy; for they are afterwards directed to pray It may indeed be, that the same thing is repeated in other words; but if any one weighs the subject more fully, he will, I think, assent to what I have stated, that in the first clause the Prophet bids them to be faithful to King Nebuchadnezzar and to his monarchy. Seek, then, the peace of the city: (208) by peace, as it is well known, is to be understood prosperity.
But he was not satisfied with external efforts, but he would have them to pray to God, that all things might turn out prosperously and happily to the Babylonian king, even to the end of their exile; for we must bear in mind that the Prophet had ever that time in view. We hence learn that he exhorted the exiles to bear the yoke of the king of Babylon, during the time allotted to the captivity, for to attempt anything rashly was to fight against God, and that he thus far commanded them quietly to bear that tyrannical government.
He repeats again what he had said, (though I had passed it by,) that they had been carried away captives: for he had spoken of it, “all the captivity which,” he says, “I made to migrate,” or removed, or led captive, “from Jerusalem.” Now, again, he repeats the same thing, that he had carried them away captives, אשו הגליתי , asher egeliti; (209) and he said this, that they might not regard only the avarice, or the ambition, or the pride of King Nebuchadnezzar, but that they might raise up their eyes to heaven, and acknowledge Nebuchadnezzar as the scourge of God, and their exile as a chastisement for their sins. God thus testified that he was the author of their exile, that the Jews might not think that they had to do with a mortal man, but on the contrary, understand that they were kicking against the goad, if they murmured and complained, because they lived under the tyranny of a foreign king. That they might not then be agitated with vain thoughts, God comes forth and says, that the exile was imposed on them by his just judgment, in order that they might know that they would gain nothing by their perverseness, and that they might not be disturbed by an anxious disquietude, nor dare to attempt anything new, for this would be to resist God, and as it were to carry on war with heaven. I will finish here.
(208) To, “seek the peace of the city” was, no doubt, to promote it by their efforts, to be careful in preserving it. To “seek the land,” in Deu 11:12, was to care for it; “not to seek the day,” in Job 3:4, was not to regard it. Hence, to “seek the peace of the city,” was to care for, or regard it, so as to do everything to promote it. It is said of Mordecai that he was “seeking the wealth (rather, the good) of his people.” (Est 10:3) His whole conduct was a proof of this. To “seek one’s hurt,” as in Psa 38:12, was not to pray for it, but to use all means to effect it. Therefore the first sense given by Calvin is the right one. — Ed.
(209) It is literally, “whom I have removed,” or transplanted; “moved from home,” is the Sept.; “transferred,” the Vulg.; “made to migrate,” the Targ. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) And seek the peace of the city . . .This was, we may believe, the hardest command of all. To refrain from all curses and imprecations, even from such as came from the lips of those who hung their harps on the willows by the waters of Babylon (Psalms 137), to pray for the peace and prosperity of the city where they were eating the bread of captivitythis surely required an almost superhuman patience. Yet this was the prophets counsel. It seems almost to followunless we apply Augustines rule, Distingue tempora, and refer the psalm to a time prior to Jeremiahs letter, or nearer the day of vengeancethat those imprecations, natural as they seem, belonged to a lower stage of spiritual progress than that represented by the prophet. He was, to those impatient exiles, as our Lord was to the impatient disciples who sought to call down fire on the village of the Samaritans (Luk. 9:54-56). So, we may remember, Christians living under Nero were told to pray for the Emperor (1Ti. 2:2).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. In the peace thereof shall ye have peace A truth so fundamental as to be well nigh universal. The life of the individual is laid in that of the community. Only in extremely exceptional cases can he be prosperous while “the city” is in ferment and wretchedness.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 29:7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
Ver. 7. And seek the peace of the city. ] Do not tumultuate or seek to break prison, as those seedsmen of sedition, your false prophets, would persuade you, but frame to a peaceable and patient behaviour. “In returning and rest shall ye be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength” Isa 30:15
And pray unto God for it,
“ Arbor honoretur, cuius nos umbra tuetur. ”
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
seek the peace = seek the welfare. Compare Ezr 6:10.
captives. For sixty-three years. From Jehoiachin’s captivity to Cyrus (489-426 = 63).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
seek: Dan 4:27, Dan 6:4, Dan 6:5, Rom 13:1, Rom 13:5, 1Pe 2:13-17
pray: Ezr 6:10, Ezr 7:23, Dan 4:19, 1Ti 2:1, 1Ti 2:2
Reciprocal: Gen 37:14 – see whether it be well with Jer 38:4 – welfare
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 29:7. Seek the peace of the city meant for them to be orderly and respectful toward the city In which they might be located. If they were resentful under their bondage it would only add to their unpleasant situation. Also, if the said town where they were having their residence should have any difficulty with outside people, these Israelites would have to share In that trouble, hence they were to seek its peace.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
29:7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captives, and {e} pray to the LORD for it: for in the peace of it ye shall have peace.
(e) The prophet does not speak this for the affection that he bore to the tyrant, but that they should pray for the common rest and quietness that their troubles might not be increased, and that they might with more patience and less grief wait for the time of their deliverance, which God had appointed most certain: for not only the Israelites but all the world yea and the insensible creatures would rejoice when these tyrants would be destroyed, as in Isa 24:4 .