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what was life like for jewish exiles in babylon, and how might jeremiah's advice have been received?

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 dwell 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; and multiply there, and don’t be diminished. 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.’”

Jeremiah, a prophet in Judah, sent this letter to the Jewish exiles who had been forcibly relocated to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar around 597 BCE. These verses are part of his surprising advice for them to settle down and contribute to their new home, rather than hoping for a quick return.

How does contributing to the well-being of a place you didn't choose, or even resent, challenge your understanding of community and belonging?

Then — the setting

Life for Jewish exiles in Babylon, particularly after the first wave in 597 BCE, was not always one of harsh enslavement but rather forced relocation. While they lost their homeland, temple, and political autonomy, they often lived in their own communities, engaged in crafts, farming, and trade. Archaeological findings and Babylonian records indicate that some exiles prospered, holding positions of influence and owning property. Jeremiah's advice, however, would have been deeply unsettling for many. Many prophets at the time were proclaiming a swift return to Judah and the imminent downfall of Babylon. Jeremiah’s counsel to build, marry, and seek the city's welfare implied a long stay—70 years, as he specifies elsewhere (Jeremiah 29:10)—dashing hopes for an immediate restoration and demanding a radical shift in perspective.

Across the Testaments

This passage is in the Old Testament, representing God's instruction to the exiled Judahites. The New Testament doesn't directly address an entire nation in forced exile, but it often speaks to 'strangers' and 'exiles' (1 Peter 2:11) or those living in a foreign land (heaven being their true home). The call to 'seek the shalom' of the city resonates with New Testament teachings like Romans 13:1-7, which urges submission to governing authorities, and Jesus' teaching to 'love your enemies' and 'pray for those who persecute you' (Matthew 5:44). Both Testaments encourage God's people to live faithfully and contribute positively even within oppressive or non-ideal circumstances, though the Old Testament context is a physical, national exile while the New Testament often emphasizes a spiritual or eschatological 'exile' from a heavenly home.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Psalm 137:1-6
This psalm expresses the deep grief and longing for Jerusalem felt by the exiles in Babylon, providing a powerful contrast to Jeremiah's advice.
Ezra 1:1-4
This passage describes the eventual end of the exile and the decree allowing return, fulfilling the longer-term hope that Jeremiah also spoke of.
Romans 13:1-7
Paul's instruction for believers to be subject to governing authorities offers a New Testament parallel to living faithfully under foreign rule.

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