Jeremiah 27:7-17

7 "1All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson 2until the time of his own land comes; then 3many nations and great kings will make him their servant.
8 "It will be, that the nation or the kingdom which 4will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the 5sword, with famine and with pestilence," declares the LORD, "until I have destroyed it by his hand.
9 "But as for you, 6do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers or your sorcerers who speak to you, saying, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon.'
10 "For they prophesy a 7lie to you in order to 8remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out and you will perish.
11 "But the nation which will 9bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will 10let remain on its land," declares the LORD, "and they will till it and dwell in it.""'
12 I spoke words like all these to 11Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, "Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live!
13 "Why will you 12die, you and your people, by the sword, famine and pestilence, as the LORD has spoken to that nation which will not serve the king of Babylon?
14 "So 13do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon,' for they prophesy a 14lie to you;
15 for 15I have not sent them," declares the LORD, "but they 16prophesy falsely in My name, in order that I may 17drive you out and that you may perish, 18you and the prophets who prophesy to you."
16 Then 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 19vessels of the LORD'S house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon '; for they are prophesying a 20lie to you.
17 "Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city 21become a ruin?

Jeremiah 27:7-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 27

This chapter contains a prophecy of the subjection of the king of Judah, with five neighbouring kings, to the king of Babylon; signified by bonds and yokes on the prophet's neck, which they are exhorted patiently to bear, as being most for their good; and not to give heed to false prophets, who would persuade them to the contrary. The date of the prophecy is in Jer 27:1; the order to make the yokes, and send them to the several neighbouring princes by their messengers at Jerusalem, Jer 27:2,3; what they should say to their masters from the God of Israel, who is described from his power in the creation of the earth, and the disposal of it, Jer 27:4,5; as that he had given all their lands into the hand of the king of Babylon, whom they should serve, or it would be worse for them, Jer 27:6-8; and therefore should not hearken to their prophets, who prophesied lies; if they did, it would be to their hurt; whereas, if they quietly submitted, they would dwell in their own land, Jer 27:9-11; particularly Zedekiah king of Judah is exhorted to submit; and both he, and the priests and the people, are advised not to hearken to the false prophets, Jer 27:12-15; particularly as to what they said concerning the speedy return of the vessels of the temple, which were carried away to Babylon; but might assure themselves they should remain there; and the rest also should be taken, and not returned until the end of the seventy years, Jer 27:16-22.

Cross References 21

  • 1. 2 Chronicles 36:20; Jeremiah 44:30; Jeremiah 46:13
  • 2. Daniel 5:26; Zechariah 2:8, 9
  • 3. Isaiah 14:4-6; Jeremiah 25:12
  • 4. Jeremiah 38:17-19; Jeremiah 42:15, 16; Ezekiel 17:19-21
  • 5. Jeremiah 24:10; Jeremiah 27:13; Jeremiah 29:17, 18; Ezekiel 14:21
  • 6. Exodus 22:18; Deuteronomy 18:10; Proverbs 19:27; Isaiah 8:19; Malachi 3:5; Ephesians 5:6
  • 7. Jeremiah 23:25
  • 8. Jeremiah 8:19; Jeremiah 32:31
  • 9. Jer 27:2, 8, 12
  • 10. Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 38:2; Jeremiah 40:9-12; Jeremiah 42:10, 11
  • 11. Jeremiah 27:3; Jeremiah 28:1; Jeremiah 38:17
  • 12. Proverbs 8:36; Jeremiah 27:8; Jeremiah 38:23; Ezekiel 18:31
  • 13. Jeremiah 27:9; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
  • 14. Jeremiah 14:14; Jeremiah 23:21; Jeremiah 27:10; Jeremiah 29:8, 9; Ezekiel 13:22
  • 15. Jeremiah 23:21; Jeremiah 29:9
  • 16. Jeremiah 23:25
  • 17. 2 Chronicles 25:16; Jeremiah 27:10
  • 18. Jeremiah 6:13-15; Jeremiah 14:15, 16
  • 19. 2 Kings 24:13; 2 Chronicles 36:7, 10; Jeremiah 28:3; Daniel 1:2
  • 20. Jeremiah 27:10
  • 21. Jeremiah 7:34

Footnotes 3

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