Jeremiah27
New King James Version
1In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
2“Thus says the Lord to me: ‘Make for yourselves bonds and yokes, and put them on your neck,
3and send them to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.
4And command them to say to their masters, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel—thus you shall say to your masters:
5‘I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me.
6And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him.
7So all nations shall serve him and his son and his son’s son, until the time of his land comes; and then many nations and great kings shall make him serve them.
8And it shall be, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish,’ says the Lord, ‘with the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
9Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon.”
10For they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish.
11But the nations that bring their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let them remain in their own land,’ says the Lord, ‘and they shall till it and dwell in it.’ ” ’ ”
12I also spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live!
13Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord has spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
14Therefore do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they prophesy a lie to you;
15for I have not sent them,” says the Lord, “yet they prophesy a lie in My name, that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”
16Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘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 prophesy a lie to you.
17Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city be laid waste?
18But if they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, let them now make intercession to the Lord of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, do not go to Babylon.’
19“For thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, concerning the Sea, concerning the carts, and concerning the remainder of the vessels that remain in this city,
20which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem—
21yes, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem:
22‘They shall be carried to Babylon, and there they shall be until the day that I visit them,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them up 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