2 Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 to me; Make H6213 thee bonds H4147 and yokes, H4133 and put H5414 them upon thy neck, H6677
3 And send H7971 them to the king H4428 of Edom, H123 and to the king H4428 of Moab, H4124 and to the king H4428 of the Ammonites, H1121 H5983 and to the king H4428 of Tyrus, H6865 and to the king H4428 of Zidon, H6721 by the hand H3027 of the messengers H4397 which come H935 to Jerusalem H3389 unto Zedekiah H6667 king H4428 of Judah; H3063
4 And command H6680 them to say H559 unto their masters, H113 Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 the God H430 of Israel; H3478 Thus shall ye say H559 unto your masters; H113
5 I have made H6213 the earth, H776 the man H120 and the beast H929 that are upon H6440 the ground, H776 by my great H1419 power H3581 and by my outstretched H5186 arm, H2220 and have given H5414 it unto whom it seemed H5869 meet H3474 unto me.
6 And now have I given H5414 all these lands H776 into the hand H3027 of Nebuchadnezzar H5019 the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 my servant; H5650 and the beasts H2416 of the field H7704 have I given H5414 him also to serve H5647 him.
7 And all nations H1471 shall serve H5647 him, and his son, H1121 and his son's H1121 son, H1121 until the very time H6256 of his land H776 come: H935 and then many H7227 nations H1471 and great H1419 kings H4428 shall serve H5647 themselves of him.
8 And it shall come to pass, that the nation H1471 and kingdom H4467 which will not serve H5647 the same Nebuchadnezzar H5019 the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 and that will not put H5414 their neck H6677 under the yoke H5923 of the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 that nation H1471 will I punish, H6485 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 with the sword, H2719 and with the famine, H7458 and with the pestilence, H1698 until I have consumed H8552 them by his hand. H3027
9 Therefore hearken H8085 not ye to your prophets, H5030 nor to your diviners, H7080 nor to your dreamers, H2472 nor to your enchanters, H6049 nor to your sorcerers, H3786 which speak H559 unto you, saying, H559 Ye shall not serve H5647 the king H4428 of Babylon: H894
10 For they prophesy H5012 a lie H8267 unto you, to remove you far H7368 from your land; H127 and that I should drive you out, H5080 and ye should perish. H6
11 But the nations H1471 that bring H935 their neck H6677 under the yoke H5923 of the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 and serve H5647 him, those will I let remain still H3240 in their own land, H127 saith H5002 the LORD; H3068 and they shall till H5647 it, and dwell H3427 therein.
12 I spake H1696 also to Zedekiah H6667 king H4428 of Judah H3063 according to all these words, H1697 saying, H559 Bring H935 your necks H6677 under the yoke H5923 of the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 and serve H5647 him and his people, H5971 and live. H2421
13 Why will ye die, H4191 thou and thy people, H5971 by the sword, H2719 by the famine, H7458 and by the pestilence, H1698 as the LORD H3068 hath spoken H1696 against the nation H1471 that will not serve H5647 the king H4428 of Babylon? H894
14 Therefore hearken H8085 not unto the words H1697 of the prophets H5030 that speak H559 unto you, saying, H559 Ye shall not serve H5647 the king H4428 of Babylon: H894 for they prophesy H5012 a lie H8267 unto you.
15 For I have not sent H7971 them, saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 yet they prophesy H5012 a lie H8267 in my name; H8034 that I might drive you out, H5080 and that ye might perish, H6 ye, and the prophets H5030 that prophesy H5012 unto you.
16 Also I spake H1696 to the priests H3548 and to all this people, H5971 saying, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD; H3068 Hearken H8085 not to the words H1697 of your prophets H5030 that prophesy H5012 unto you, saying, H559 Behold, the vessels H3627 of the LORD'S H3068 house H1004 shall now shortly H4120 be brought again H7725 from Babylon: H894 for they prophesy H5012 a lie H8267 unto you.
17 Hearken H8085 not unto them; serve H5647 the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 and live: H2421 wherefore should this city H5892 be laid waste? H2723
18 But if they be prophets, H5030 and if the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 be H3426 with them, let them now make intercession H6293 to the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 that the vessels H3627 which are left H3498 in the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and in the house H1004 of the king H4428 of Judah, H3063 and at Jerusalem, H3389 go H935 not to Babylon. H894
19 For thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 concerning the pillars, H5982 and concerning the sea, H3220 and concerning the bases, H4350 and concerning the residue H3499 of the vessels H3627 that remain H3498 in this city, H5892
20 Which Nebuchadnezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon H894 took H3947 not, when he carried away captive H1540 Jeconiah H3204 the son H1121 of Jehoiakim H3079 king H4428 of Judah H3063 from Jerusalem H3389 to Babylon, H894 and all the nobles H2715 of Judah H3063 and Jerusalem; H3389
21 Yea, thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 the God H430 of Israel, H3478 concerning the vessels H3627 that remain H3498 in the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and in the house H1004 of the king H4428 of Judah H3063 and of Jerusalem; H3389
22 They shall be carried H935 to Babylon, H894 and there shall they be until the day H3117 that I visit H6485 them, saith H5002 the LORD; H3068 then will I bring H5927 them up, and restore H7725 them to this place. H4725
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Jeremiah 27
Commentary on Jeremiah 27 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 27
Jeremiah the prophet, since he cannot persuade people to submit to God's precept, and so to prevent the destruction of their country by the king of Babylon, is here persuading them to submit to God's providence, by yielding tamely to the king of Babylon, and becoming tributaries to him, which was the wisest course they could now take, and would be a mitigation of the calamity, and prevent the laying of their country waste by fire and sword; the sacrificing of their liberties would be the saving of their lives.
Thus the prophet, if they would but have hearkened to him, would have directed them in the paths of true policy as well as of true piety.
Jer 27:1-11
Some difficulty occurs in the date of this prophecy. This word is said to come to Jeremiah in the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim (v. 1), and yet the messengers, to whom he is to deliver the badges of servitude, are said (v. 3) to come to Zedekiah king of Judah, who reigned not till eleven years after the beginning of Jehoiakim's reign. Some make it an error of the copy, and think that it should be read (v. 1), In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, for which some negligent scribe, having his eye on the title of the foregoing chapter, wrote Jehoiakim. And, if one would admit a mistake any where, it should be here, for Zedekiah is mentioned again (v. 12), and the next prophecy is dated the same year, and said to be in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, ch. 28:1. Dr. Lightfoot solves it thus: In the beginning of Jehoiakim's reign Jeremiah is to make these bonds and yokes, and to put them upon his own neck, in token of Judah's subjection to the king of Babylon, which began at that time; but he is to send them to the neighbouring kings afterwards in the reign of Zedekiah, of whose succession to Jehoiakim, and the ambassadors sent to him, mention is made by way of prediction.
Jer 27:12-22
What was said to all the nations is here with a particular tenderness applied to the nation of the Jews, for whom Jeremiah was sensibly concerned. The case at present stood thus: Judah and Jerusalem had often contested with the king of Babylon, and still were worsted; many both of their valuable persons and their valuable goods were carried to Babylon already, and some of the vessels of the Lord's house particularly. Now how this struggle would issue was the question. They had those among them at Jerusalem who pretended to be prophets, who bade them hold out and they should, in a little time, be too hard for the king of Babylon and recover all that they had lost. Now Jeremiah is sent to bid them yield and knock under, for that, instead of recovering what they had lost, they should otherwise lose all that remained; and to press them to this is the scope of these verses.