Y M x 1-7-. Nations to serve Babylon.
y -7. For a limited time.
N z1 Exhortation. Nations.
a1 9-11. Dehortation.
z2 12,13. Exhortation. Zedekiah.
a2 14,15. Dehortation.
z3 16-. Exhortation. Priests and People.
a3 -16,17. Dehortation.
M x 18-22-. Remaining vessels to go to Babylon.
y -22. For a limited time.
(Given in reign of Jehoiakim to Jeremiah. Declared, after 13 years, in the 4th year of Zedekiah: 1.e. 485 B.C. Cp. v.12. Chs. 27 and 28 were written by Jeremiah, or at his dictation. Cp. "me", 27:2; 28:1.)
Jeremiah 27)
1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, (Refers to a future time, as shown in v.12)
2 "Thus saith the LORD to me; 'Make you bonds and yokes, and put them upon your neck, (This was literally done, as a prophetic symbol; and at that time prophetic of what was to happen in the reign of Zedekiah, 11 years later.)
3 And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers that are coming to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah; (This was to happen 11 years later. Then and there we have the fulfillment of this prophecy.)
4 And command them to say to their masters, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall you say to your masters;
5 'I have made the earth (see Gen. 1:1), the man and the beast that are upon the earth, by My great power and by My outstretched arm (see Ex. 6:6. Deut. 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 9:29; 11:2; 26:8), and have given it to whom it seemed necessary to me.
6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant (cp. 25:9. See Dan. 2:37,38); and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. (God did this.)
7 And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, (I.e. Evil Merodach, Nergelissar, and Nabonidus, in whose 70yh year Babylon was taken by Cyrus)
until the appointed end of his land come: and then many nations and great kings (i.e. the kings of Persia and Media [Dan. 2:29]) shall serve themselves of him.
8 And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, says the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
9 Therefore hearken not you to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your observes of the clouds, nor to your sorcerers (these were their heathen guides. These were mediums and necromancers), which speak to you, saying, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon:'
10 For they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and you should perish.
11 But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, says the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.' ' ' "
12 I spake (i.e. 13 years after this prophecy came to him. See v.1) also to Zedekiah (it is not stated whether he ever addressed the 2 other kings. Jehoahaz and Zedekiah were the sons of Hamutal; Jehoiakim was the son of the proud Zebudah [2 Kings 23:36]. Cp. 13:18) king of Judah according to all these words, saying, "Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.
13 Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, according as the LORD has spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
14 Therefore hearken not to the words of the prophets that speak to you, saying, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon:' for they prophesy a lie to you.
15 'For I have not sent them,' says the LORD, 'yet they prophesy a lie in My name; that I might drive you out, and that you might perish, you, and the prophets that prophesy to you.' "
16 Also I spoke to the priests (probably in the Temple. Cp. 28:1) and to all this people, saying, "Thus says the LORD;
'Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy to you, saying, 'Behold, the vessels (which were taken away by Nebuchadnezzar in the reigns of Jehoiakim and Jeconiah [2 Kings 24:13. 2 Chron. 37:7,10. Dan. 1:2]) of the LORD'S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon:' for they prophesy a lie to you.
17 Hearken not to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?
18 But if they exists (or, be or remain) prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.'
19 For thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in the land. (Probably because they were too heavy and cumbersome.)
20 Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah (cp. 24:1) the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;
21 Yes, thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;
22 They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, says the LORD;
then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.' " (Fulfilled by Cyrus (Ezra 1:7; 5:13,14).)