Jeremiah27
New Living Translation
1This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah.
2This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke, and fasten it on your neck with leather straps.
3Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their ambassadors who have come to see King Zedekiah in Jerusalem.
4Give them this message for their masters: ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says:
5With my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose.
6Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.
7All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until his time is up. Then many nations and great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon.
8So you must submit to Babylon’s king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon’s yoke! I will punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the Lord. I will send war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it.
9“‘Do not listen to your false prophets, fortune-tellers, interpreters of dreams, mediums, and sorcerers who say, “The king of Babylon will not conquer you.”
10They are all liars, and their lies will lead to your being driven out of your land. I will drive you out and send you far away to die.
11But the people of any nation that submits to the king of Babylon will be allowed to stay in their own country to farm the land as usual. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”
12Then I repeated this same message to King Zedekiah of Judah. “If you want to live, submit to the yoke of the king of Babylon and his people.
13Why do you insist on dying—you and your people? Why should you choose war, famine, and disease, which the Lord will bring against every nation that refuses to submit to Babylon’s king?
14Do not listen to the false prophets who keep telling you, ‘The king of Babylon will not conquer you.’ They are liars.
15This is what the Lord says: ‘I have not sent these prophets! They are telling you lies in my name, so I will drive you from this land. You will all die—you and all these prophets, too.’”
16Then I spoke to the priests and the people and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not listen to your prophets who claim that soon the gold articles taken from my Temple will be returned from Babylon. It is all a lie!
17Do not listen to them. Surrender to the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this whole city be destroyed?
18If they really are prophets and speak the Lord’s messages, let them pray to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Let them pray that the articles remaining in the Lord’s Temple and in the king’s palace and in the palaces of Jerusalem will not be carried away to Babylon!’
19“For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken about the pillars in front of the Temple, the great bronze basin called the Sea, the water carts, and all the other ceremonial articles.
20King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon left them here when he exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon, along with all the other nobles of Judah and Jerusalem.
21Yes, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says about the precious things still in the Temple, in the palace of Judah’s king, and in Jerusalem:
22‘They will all be carried away to Babylon and will stay there until I send for them,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back to Jerusalem again.’”
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