Jeremiah 29:10-11
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The phrase "perform my good word" isn't just about God keeping a promise, but about Him actively "raising up" or "awakening" His word to bring it to life and fulfill it in their experience. It suggests that even when His promises seem dormant or unfulfilled for a long time, God is faithful to stir them into action at the appointed moment.
“For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This promise comes during the Babylonian exile, after false prophets have told the exiles that their captivity will be short. Jeremiah, instructed by God, is writing a letter to these exiles to reveal the truth: they will be in Babylon for a long time. He urges them to settle in, build houses, and seek the welfare of the city they've been exiled to, because their return is not imminent but will happen only after a specific period.
When we hear 'seventy years,' we often think only of the Jewish exile. But this number held a deeper meaning tied to the power that held them captive.
The prophecy of seventy years in Jeremiah 29:10 isn't solely about the duration of the Jewish people's suffering. Commentaries highlight that this period was primarily designated for the Babylonian empire itself. The exile of the Jews was a consequence and a part of this larger divine timetable.
God's promises aren't just words on a page; they are living realities He actively brings to pass, even when they seem dormant.
The verse speaks of God performing His 'good word.' This refers to His gracious promise to restore His people. It's a promise that doesn't just passively exist but is actively 'roused up' or 'awakened' by God when the appointed time arrives.
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Understand the original words
paqad · Hebrew Verb
A divine intervention in human affairs, usually to provide deliverance, blessing, or judgment; it signifies God's active, personal presence in the lives of His people.
dabar · Hebrew Noun
A binding commitment or declared word of God that is certain to come to pass, reflecting His perfect faithfulness and inability to fail in His purposes.
machashabah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the sovereign, purposeful designs and intentions of God regarding His creation, His people, and the unfolding of redemptive history. These are immutable and ultimately lead to the fulfillment of His glory and the good of His people.
shalom · Hebrew Noun
Often translated as 'peace' (shalom), it denotes wholeness, completeness, soundness, welfare, prosperity, and relational harmony with God. It encompasses the entirety of God's blessings for His covenant people.
ra'ah · Hebrew Noun
The Hebrew word ra'ah encompasses calamity, disaster, misery, or distress. In this context, it contrasts with the divine blessing of shalom, indicating God's intent for the restoration rather than the destruction of His people.
tiqvah · Hebrew Noun
Biblically, it refers to the confident expectation of divine intervention, deliverance, or the fulfillment of God’s promises. It is anchored in God’s character rather than human circumstances.
Jeremiah’s prophecy of a 70-year exile, given after the destruction of Jerusalem, wasn't just a prediction of a fixed period but a divine promise of restoration tied to the rise and fall of empires. The waiting was hard, but God's faithfulness ultimately brought them home.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Jehoiakim, along with members of the royal family and nobility (including Daniel), is taken captive to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the 70-year exile period.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
King Jehoiachin and a large number of Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon. This event occurs 8 years after the first deportation.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining population (except the poorest) to Babylon. This is a pivotal moment of judgment for Judah.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon
The Babylonian Empire falls to the Persians under Cyrus the Great. This political shift sets the stage for the exiles' return.
538 BC
Cyrus's Decree and First Return
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. This marks the end of the 70-year exile predicted by Jeremiah.
This passage directly recounts the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy, marking the end of the seventy years of exile and the decree for the Israelites to return to Jerusalem.
Ezra 1:1This verse explicitly states that Cyrus issued a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to their land, fulfilling God's promise spoken through Jeremiah.
Daniel 9:2Daniel, reflecting on Jeremiah's prophecy, understood from the scriptures that the seventy years for Jerusalem's desolation were nearing completion, prompting his intense prayer for restoration.
Jeremiah 25:11-12This earlier prophecy by Jeremiah establishes the seventy-year period of servitude to Babylon, setting the stage for the promise of return found in chapter 29.
Psalm 137:1This psalm vividly portrays the sorrow and longing of the exiles during their time in Babylon, providing emotional context to God's promise of their eventual return.
barnesJeremiah 29:10: "For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place."
After seventy years - literally, according to the measure of the fulfillment of 70 years for Babylon. The 70 years ( Jeremiah 25:11 note) are primarily the length of the Babylonian empire, and only in a secondary sense that of the Jewish exile.
calvinJeremiah 29:10: "For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place."
- Quia sic dicit Jehova, secundum mensuram (nam ml't accipitur metaphorice pro mensura; sed adhuc aspera esset loquutio, ideo simplicius vertendum est, quia ubi impleti fuerint) in Babylone septuaginta anni, visitabo vos, et suscitabo super vos sermonem meum bonum, ut reducam vos ad locum hunc.
In order t…
The phrase "perform my good word" isn't just about God keeping a promise, but about Him actively "raising up" or "awakening" His word to bring it to life and fulfill it in their experience. It suggests that even when His promises seem dormant or unfulfilled for a long time, God is faithful to stir them into action at the appointed moment.
This promise comes during the Babylonian exile, after false prophets have told the exiles that their captivity will be short. Jeremiah, instructed by God, is writing a letter to these exiles to reveal the truth: they will be in Babylon for a long time. He urges them to settle in, build houses, and seek the welfare of the city they've been exiled to, because their return is not imminent but will happen only after a specific period.
This promise comes during the Babylonian exile, after false prophets have told the exiles that their captivity will be short. Jeremiah, instructed by God, is writing a letter to these exiles to reveal the truth: they will be in Babylon for a long time. He urges them to settle in, build houses, and seek the welfare of the city they've been exiled to, because their return is not imminent but will happen only after a specific period.
"“For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and n…" — The phrase "perform my good word" isn't just about God keeping a promise, but about Him actively "raising up" or "awakening" His word to bring it to life and fulfill it in their experience. It sugges…
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Last reviewed October 2026
