Jeremiah 29:29 (KJV)

Passage

And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 29:27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you?

Jeremiah 29:28 For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

Jeremiah 29:29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.

Jeremiah 29:30 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,

Jeremiah 29:31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "zephaniah", "priest", "read", "letter", "ears", "jeremiah", and "prophet". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "zephaniah" and "priest", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 28's "For therefore he sent unto us in..." into verse 30's "Then came the word of the LORD...", so "zephaniah" and "priest" belong inside that flow. In Jeremiah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "zephaniah" and "priest" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.