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what did 'shalom' mean to these exiles, separated from their land and temple ritual?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Jeremiah 29:7

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

This verse comes from a letter sent by the prophet Jeremiah to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. They had been forcibly removed from their homeland and temple, and were struggling with what their lives meant in a foreign land. Jeremiah's message was one of surprising instruction for how to live in captivity.

What does it mean to actively seek the well-being of a place, even when you feel like an outsider or a victim within it?

Then — the setting

This passage was written by the prophet Jeremiah in Jerusalem around 597 BCE, shortly after the first wave of Judah's elite had been deported to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. The letter was addressed specifically to these exiles. They had been uprooted from their religious and cultural center, Jerusalem, and faced the challenge of maintaining their identity and faith in a foreign, polytheistic empire that had conquered them. Many false prophets were telling the exiles that their captivity would be short-lived, so Jeremiah's message of settling in for the long haul and seeking the city's welfare was counter-cultural and likely unwelcome.

Across the Testaments

Jeremiah's instruction to the exiles in the Old Testament sets a precedent for how God's people might live faithfully within foreign or even hostile political systems. This theme is further developed in the New Testament, where early Christian communities, often a minority group within the Roman Empire, are instructed to pray for rulers and live peacefully (e.g., 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Romans 13:1-7). While the context shifted from national exile to an 'alien and stranger' identity in the world (1 Peter 2:11), the call to contribute positively to the broader society, even while maintaining distinct identity and hope, remains a consistent thread.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Psalm 137:1-6
This psalm expresses the deep sorrow and longing of the exiles by the rivers of Babylon, contrasting with Jeremiah's instruction.
Romans 13:1-7
Paul instructs believers to be subject to governing authorities, which resonates with Jeremiah's call to civic engagement in a foreign land.
Matthew 5:43-48
Jesus' teaching to love enemies and pray for persecutors echoes the spirit of seeking the shalom of even an opposing city.

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