Jeremiah27
New American Standard
1In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying—
2this is what the Lord has said to me: “Make for yourself restraints and yokes and put them on your neck,
3and send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon by the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.
4Order them to go to their masters, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “This is what you shall say to your masters:
5‘I have made the earth, mankind, and the animals which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight.
6And now I have handed all these lands over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and I have also given him the animals of the field to serve him.
7All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will make him their servant.
8‘And it will be that the nation or the kingdom which will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with plague,’ declares the Lord, ‘until I have eliminated it by his hand.
9And as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers who talk to you, saying, “You will not serve the king of Babylon.”
10For they are prophesying a lie to you in order to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you away and you will perish.
11But the nation that will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let remain on its land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and they will cultivate it and live in it.’”’”
12I spoke words like all these to Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live!
13Why should you die, you and your people, by the sword, famine, and plague, as the Lord has spoken to the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
14So do not listen to the words of the prophets who talk to you, saying, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying a lie to you;
15for I have not sent them,” declares the Lord, “but they are prophesying falsely in My name, so that I will drive you away and that you will perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”
16Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, “Behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon”; for they are prophesying a lie to you.
17Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city become a place of ruins?
18But if they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, have them now plead with the Lord of armies that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord and the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem do not go to Babylon.
19For this is what the Lord of armies says concerning the pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the kettle stands, and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city,
20which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he led into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem—
21Yes, this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, says concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the Lord and in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem:
22“They will be brought to Babylon and will be there until the day I visit them,” declares the Lord. “Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.”’”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Jeremiah 27.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The neighbouring nations to be subdued. (1-11). Zedekiah is warned to yield. (12-18). The vessels of the temple to be carried to Babylon, but afterwards to be restored. (19-22).
vv1-11
Jeremiah is to prepare a sign that all the neighbouring countries would be made subject to the king of Babylon. God asserts his right to dispose of kingdoms as he pleases. Whatever any have of the good things of this world, it is what God sees fit to give; we should therefore be content. The things of this world are not the best things, for the Lord often gives the largest share to bad men. Dominion is not founded in grace. Those who will not serve the God who made them, shall justly be made to serve their enemies that seek to ruin them. Jeremiah urges them to prevent their destruction, by submission. A meek spirit, by quiet submission to the hardest turns of providence, makes the best of what is bad. Many persons may escape destroying providences, by submitting to humbling providences. It is better to take up a light cross in our way, than to pull a heavier on our own heads. The poor in spirit, the meek and humble, enjoy comfort, and avoid many miseries to which the high-spirited are exposed. It must, in all cases, be our interest to obey God's will.
vv12-18
Jeremiah persuades the king of Judah to surrender to the king of Babylon. Is it their wisdom to submit to the heavy iron yoke of a cruel tyrant, that they may secure their lives; and is it not much more our wisdom to submit to the pleasant and easy yoke of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, that we may secure our souls? It were well if sinners would be afraid of the destruction threatened against all who will not have Christ to reign over them. Why should they die the second death, infinitely worse than that by sword and famine, when they may submit and live? And those who encourage sinners to go on in sinful ways, will perish with them.
vv19-22
Jeremiah assures them that the brazen vessels should go after the golden ones. All shall be carried to Babylon. But he concludes with a gracious promise, that the time would come when they should be brought back. Though the return of the prosperity of the church does not come in our time, we must not despair, for it will come in God's time.
Key Words
רֵאשִׁית: the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a firstfruit)
מַמְלָכָה: dominion, i.e. (abstractly) the estate (rule) or (concretely) the country (realm)
יְהוֹיָקִים: Jehojakim, a Jewish king
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יֹאשִׁיָּה: Joshijah, the name of two Israelites
מֶלֶךְ: a king
יְהוּדָה: Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
זֶה: the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
Cross References
Jeremiah 27Hananiah physically breaks the yokes Jeremiah was commanded to make and wear.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Establishes the seventy-year Babylonian rule and subsequent judgment of Babylon.
Supported by JFB
Hananiah falsely prophesies the immediate return of the temple vessels within two years.
Supported by Matthew Henry
God's creation of the earth grounds His supreme authority to distribute sovereignty.
Supported by JFB
Daniel acknowledges God giving Nebuchadnezzar universal rule, including beasts of the field.
Supported by JFB
First mention of Nebuchadnezzar as God's servant to execute judgment.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Historical fulfillment of serving Nebuchadnezzar and his sons until the Persian empire.
Supported by JFB
Records the historical taking of the temple vessels under Jehoiachin.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Cyrus restores the temple vessels carried to Babylon, fulfilling Jeremiah's promise.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Records Zedekiah's rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar in violation of his sacred oath.
Supported by JFB
Ezekiel's prophecy condemning Zedekiah for breaking his covenant with Babylon.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Detailed record of the pillars and sea being broken and carried off.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Repeated warning not to trust deceptive, self-appointed prophets and diviners.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The Mosaic law strictly forbids the sorcery and divination practiced here.
Supported by JFB