Jeremiah 25:8-14

8 "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words,
9 1behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, 2my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, 3and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.
10 Moreover, 4I will banish from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, 5the grinding of the millstones and 6the light of the lamp.
11 7This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and 8these nations shall serve the king of Babylon 9seventy years.
12 Then after 10seventy years are completed, 11I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, 12the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, 13making the land an everlasting waste.
13 I will bring upon that land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written 14in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations.
14 15For many nations 16and great kings shall make slaves even of them, 17and I will recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands."

Jeremiah 25:8-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 25

This chapter contains a prophecy of the destruction of Judea by the king of Babylon; and also of Babylon itself, after the Jews' captivity of seventy years; and likewise of all the nations round about. The date of this prophecy is in Jer 25:1; when the prophet puts the Jews in mind of the prophecies that had been delivered unto them by himself and others, for some years past, without effect, Jer 25:2-7; wherefore they are threatened with the king of Babylon, that he should come against them, and strip them of all their desirable things; make their land desolate, and them captives for seventy years, Jer 25:8-11; at the expiration of which he in his turn shall be punished, and the land of Chaldea laid waste, and become subject to other nations and kings, Jer 25:12-14; and by a cup of wine given to all the nations round about, is signified the utter ruin of them, and who are particularly mentioned by name, Jer 25:15-26; which is confirmed by beginning with the city of Jerusalem, and the destruction of that, Jer 25:27-29; wherefore the prophet is bid to prophesy against them, and to declare the Lord's controversy with them, and that there should be a slaughter of them from one end of the earth to the other, Jer 25:30-33; upon which the shepherds, kings, and rulers of them, are called to lamentation and howling, Jer 25:34-38.

Cross References 17

  • 1. Jeremiah 1:15
  • 2. Jeremiah 27:6; Jeremiah 43:10; [Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1]; See Ezekiel 29:18-20
  • 3. See Jeremiah 18:16
  • 4. See Jeremiah 7:34
  • 5. Ecclesiastes 12:4; Revelation 18:22
  • 6. Revelation 18:23
  • 7. [See ver. 9 above]
  • 8. [Jeremiah 28:14]; See Jeremiah 27:3-6
  • 9. 2 Chronicles 36:21, 22; Ezra 1:1; Daniel 9:2; [Isaiah 23:15]
  • 10. [See ver. 11 above]
  • 11. Jeremiah 51:24, 26, 62; Isaiah 13:19
  • 12. Jeremiah 51:24, 26, 62; Isaiah 13:19
  • 13. Jeremiah 51:24, 26, 62; Isaiah 13:19
  • 14. See Jeremiah 46 - 51
  • 15. Jeremiah 27:7; Jeremiah 50:9, 41; Jeremiah 51:27, 28
  • 16. Jeremiah 27:7; Jeremiah 50:9, 41; Jeremiah 51:27, 28
  • 17. Jeremiah 50:29; Jeremiah 51:6, 24
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.