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how might jeremiah's audience have initially reacted to this command, given their circumstances?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

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 Jeremiah, a prophet living in Judah, sent to the Jewish exiles who had already been taken to Babylon. They were living in a foreign land after their homeland was conquered, and many hoped for a quick return. Jeremiah's letter was meant to give them guidance for life in this new, difficult reality.

How might seeking the well-being of a place that caused you pain redefine your understanding of peace?

Then — the setting

Jeremiah 29:7 was written around 597 BCE, shortly after the first wave of Judahites, including King Jehoiachin and many elites, were exiled to Babylon. This was a devastating blow to the nation's identity and hope, as they believed Yahweh would protect Jerusalem and the Davidic dynasty. The prevailing expectation among the exiles, often fueled by false prophets, was that their captivity would be short—perhaps two years. Jeremiah's letter was intended to disabuse them of this notion and provide a long-term strategy for survival and flourishing in a foreign land, instructing them to settle down and integrate, rather than hold onto unrealistic hopes for immediate return.

Across the Testaments

This passage from the Old Testament challenges the exiles to pursue the welfare of their captors' city, linking their own peace to the city's peace. The New Testament develops this theme of engaging constructively with broader society, even under oppressive rule, in passages like Romans 13, which calls for submission to governing authorities, and 1 Peter 2, which urges believers to live honorably among Gentiles. While Jeremiah speaks to a nation in forced exile, these New Testament texts address believers as 'sojourners' and 'exiles' in a broader spiritual sense, called to seek the good of the world they inhabit while maintaining their distinct identity.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Psalm 137:1-6
This psalm expresses the deep sorrow and longing for Jerusalem felt by exiles in Babylon, contrasting with Jeremiah's message to build lives there.
Romans 13:1
Paul's instruction to submit to governing authorities speaks to how believers might live under non-ideal rule, echoing Jeremiah's counsel to engage with foreign powers.
Matthew 5:43-44
Jesus' command to love enemies and pray for persecutors offers a New Testament parallel to seeking the good of those who are not 'your own' or even hostile.

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