Yirmeyah 27

1 7 In the beginning of the reign of Y’hoyakim Ben Yoshiyah Melech Yehudah came this davar unto Yirmeyah from Hashem, saying,

2 Thus saith Hashem to me: Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy tzavar (neck),

3 And send them to Melech Edom, and to Melech Moav, and to Melech Bnei Ammon, and to Melech Tzor, and to Melech Tzidon, by the yad of the malachim which come to Yerushalayim unto Tzidkiyah Melech Yehudah;

4 And command them to say unto their adonim, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel: Thus shall ye say unto your adonim;

5 I have made ha’aretz (the earth), ha’adam and habehemah that are upon the face of the earth, by My great ko’ach and by My outstretched zero’a, and have given it unto whom it seemed yashar unto Me.

6 And now have I given all these lands into the yad Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel, Avdi (My servant); and the beasts of the sadeh have I given him also to serve him.

7 And all Goyim shall serve him, and bno, and ben bno, until the very time of his land come; and then many Goyim and great melachim shall make him serve [in bondage to] them.

8 And it shall come to pass, that the goy (nation) and mamlachah (kingdom) which will not serve the same Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel, and that will not put their tzavar (neck) under the yoke of HaMelech Bavel, that nation will I punish, saith Hashem, with the cherev, and with the ra’av (famine), and with the dever, until I have consumed them by his yad.

9 Therefore do not pay heed to your nevi’im, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your soothsayers, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve Melech Bavel;

10 For they prophesy sheker unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.

11 But the Goyim that bring their tzavar (neck) under the yoke of the Melech Bavel, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own adamah, saith Hashem; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.

12 I spoke also to Tzidkiyah Melech Yehudah according to all these Devarim, saying, Bring your tzavarot (necks) under the yoke of Melech Bavel, and serve Him and his people, and live.

13 Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the cherev, by the ra’av (famine), and by the dever, as Hashem hath spoken against the goy (nation) that will not serve Melech Bavel?

14 Therefore do not pay heed unto the devarim of the nevi’im that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve Melech Bavel; for they prophesy sheker unto you.

15 For I have not sent them, saith Hashem, yet they prophesy sheker in My name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the nevi’im that prophesy unto you.

16 Also I spoke to the kohanim and to all this people, saying, Thus saith Hashem: Do not pay heed to the devarim of your nevi’im that prophesy unto you, saying, Hinei, the K’lei Beis Hashem shall now shortly be brought back from Bavel; for they prophesy sheker unto you.

17 Do not pay heed unto them; serve Melech Bavel, and live; why should this ir be laid waste?

18 But if they are nevi’im, and if the Devar Hashem be with them, let them now make intercession to Hashem Tzva’os, that the kelim (vessels) which are left in the Beis Hashem, and in the Bais HaMelech Yehudah, and at Yerushalayim, go not to Bavel.

19 For thus saith Hashem Tzva’os concerning the Ammudim (Pillars) and concerning the Yam (Sea), and concerning the Mekhonot (Stands [supporting the lavers]), and concerning the remainder of the kelim that remain in this ir.

20 Which Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel took not, when he carried away captive Yechanyah Ben Y’hoyakim Melech Yehudah from Yerushalayim to Bavel, and all the nobles of Yehudah and Yerushalayim;

21 Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel, concerning the kelim (vessels) that remain in the Beis Hashem, and in the Bais HaMelech Yehudah and Yerushalayim;

22 They shall be carried to Bavel, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith Hashem; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this makon.

Yirmeyah 27 Commentary

Chapter 27

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)

Verses 1-11 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.

Verses 12-18 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.

Verses 19-22 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.

Chapter Summary

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.