What is the meaning of Jeremiah 29:24?

You are

• The directive comes straight from the LORD to Jeremiah, underscoring that the prophet is God’s appointed mouthpiece (Jeremiah 1:7–9; 26:2).

• “You” singles out Jeremiah, reminding him—and us—of personal accountability to obey every divine command (Ezekiel 2:7).

• The wording also assures the exiles who hear this letter read that the message originates with God, not Jeremiah’s imagination (Jeremiah 29:1).

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to tell

• God does not invite Jeremiah to negotiate or debate; He orders him to speak. This mirrors earlier mandates: “You must stand and speak to them all the words I command you” (Jeremiah 26:2).

• The phrase highlights the prophet’s duty to proclaim truth even when it confronts error (2 Timothy 4:2).

• It confirms that revelation is verbal, specific, and public—a pattern seen in other prophetic confrontations (1 Kings 18:18; Jeremiah 28:15–17).

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Shemaiah the Nehelamite

• Shemaiah, already among the captives in Babylon, had written back to Jerusalem demanding Jeremiah be silenced (Jeremiah 29:25–27).

• By naming him, God exposes his private scheming and identifies him as a false voice—paralleling earlier foes like Hananiah (Jeremiah 28:15–17) and aligning with Deuteronomy 13:1–5 on false prophets.

• “Nehelamite” associates him with Nehelam, probably a family or place name, stressing that God’s word reaches specific individuals wherever they are (Psalm 139:7–8).

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that

• The word introduces the content that follows: a divine verdict against Shemaiah (Jeremiah 29:31–32).

• It signals certainty—God’s judgment is not hypothetical. “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23) becomes tangible here.

• The forthcoming judgment will vindicate Jeremiah’s earlier letter promising a seventy-year exile and future hope (Jeremiah 29:10–14) while silencing misleading voices (Hebrews 4:13).

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summary

Jeremiah 29:24 is God’s clear order for Jeremiah to deliver a specific, authoritative message to a named false prophet. Each phrase underscores divine initiative, prophetic obedience, personal accountability, and inevitable judgment on deceit. The verse sets the stage for verses 25-32, where God publicly exposes Shemaiah’s rebellion and protects His people from error, affirming that His word remains precise, reliable, and sovereign.