Jer 29:1-2 | NET2full | STEP | The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter to the exiles Nebuchadnezzar had carried off from Jerusalem to Babylon . It was addressed to the elders who were left among the exiles , to the priests , to the prophets , and to all the other people who were exiled in Babylon.

‏ Jeremiah 29:1-2

Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles

1 The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter to the exiles Nebuchadnezzar had carried off from Jerusalem to Babylon. It was addressed to the elders who were left among the exiles, to the priests, to the prophets, and to all the other people who were exiled in Babylon. ^{▼▼tn Jer 29:1-3 are all one long sentence in Hebrew containing a parenthetical insertion. The text reads, “These are the words of the letter which the prophet Jeremiah sent to the elders…people whom Nebuchadnezzar had exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon after King Jeconiah…had gone from Jerusalem, by the hand of Elasah…whom Zedekiah sent…saying, ‘Thus says the Lord…’” The sentence has been broken up for the sake of contemporary English style and clarity.} 2 He sent it after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the palace officials, ^{▼▼tn This term is often mistakenly understood to refer to a “eunuch.” It is clear, however, in Gen 39:1 that “eunuchs” could be married. On the other hand, it is clear from Isa 59:3-5 that some who bore this title could not have children. In this period, it is possible that the persons who bore this title were high officials like the rab saris, who was a high official in the Babylonian court (cf. Jer 39:3, 13; 52:25). For further references see HALOT 727 s.v. סָרִיס 1.c.} the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had been exiled from Jerusalem. ^{▼▼sn See 2 Kgs 24:14-16 and compare the study note on Jer 24:1.}