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what was life like for jewish exiles in babylon, and how did this letter challenge their expectations?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Jeremiah 29:4-7

“Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, to all the captives whom I have carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon: ‘Build houses, and live in them. Plant gardens, and eat their fruit. Take wives, and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there, and don’t be diminished. 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.’”

The prophet Jeremiah sent this letter from Jerusalem to the Jewish people who had been taken into exile in Babylon after the first wave of Babylonian invasions around 597 BCE. These exiles were likely hoping for a swift return to Judah, but Jeremiah delivers a message from God that counters their immediate expectations, urging them to settle down.

What does it mean for us to seek the 'peace' or 'welfare' of a place that might not feel like home, or even feels hostile?

Then — the setting

The Babylonian exile, starting with the first deportation in 597 BCE and a larger one in 586 BCE, was a traumatic period for the Kingdom of Judah. The exiles were transported hundreds of miles to Mesopotamia, a foreign land with a polytheistic culture. While not chattel slavery, they were displaced people under imperial control, stripped of their land and temple, the twin pillars of their identity. Many believed their exile would be short-lived, fueled by optimistic (and ultimately false) prophets promising a swift return. Jeremiah's letter arrived at a time when the exiles were wrestling with shattered hopes and trying to understand God's plan amidst their suffering.

Across the Testaments

This passage from Jeremiah, an Old Testament prophet, gives a striking command to the exiles to integrate and contribute to a foreign, pagan society. This theme of faithful living in a 'foreign land' resonates throughout the Old Testament, from Abraham's sojourning to Daniel's service in the Babylonian court. In the New Testament, while the context shifts from geopolitical exile to spiritual pilgrimage, the call to live as 'aliens and strangers' (1 Peter 2:11) while seeking the good of the earthly community (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-4) echoes Jeremiah's instruction. The early Christian community, often a minority group within the Roman Empire, was similarly called to be good citizens and pray for their rulers, even those hostile to their faith.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Psalm 137:1-6
This psalm powerfully expresses the grief and longing of the exiles by the rivers of Babylon, contrasting with Jeremiah's call to settle.
Ezra 1:1-4
This passage recounts Cyrus's decree allowing the exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple after the seventy years, fulfilling part of Jeremiah's prophecy.
Matthew 5:43-48
Jesus's command to 'love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you' reflects a similar ethic of seeking good even for those outside one's immediate community.

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