You asked

how does this command to seek the city's welfare compare with other biblical views on foreign nations?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Jeremiah 29:7

“Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”

This verse comes from a letter sent by the prophet Jeremiah to the Jewish exiles who had been forcibly relocated to Babylon. They were in a foreign land, under foreign rule, and likely longed for their homeland and freedom. Jeremiah's message offered guidance for how to live in this difficult situation.

What does it mean to genuinely seek the well-being of a place or people from whom you feel alienated or even oppressed?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Deuteronomy 23:3-6
This passage prohibits certain foreign nations from entering the assembly of the Lord, showing a more exclusive view.
Jonah 4:10-11
God expresses concern for the large, foreign city of Nineveh, highlighting divine compassion beyond Israel.
Matthew 5:43-48
Jesus expands on the idea of loving enemies and praying for persecutors, echoing and deepening Jeremiah's command.

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