Jeremiah 27:20 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 27:20 kjv
Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;
Jeremiah 27:20 nkjv
which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem?
Jeremiah 27:20 niv
which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away when he carried Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem?
Jeremiah 27:20 esv
which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away, when he took into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem ?
Jeremiah 27:20 nlt
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon left them here when he exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon, along with all the other nobles of Judah and Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 27 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 39:6-7 | 'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house...shall be carried to Babylon...' | Prophecy of future Babylonian captivity. |
| Jer 20:4-6 | 'I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon...they shall carry them to Babylon.' | Jeremiah's consistent message of impending exile. |
| Jer 25:9-11 | 'I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants...and this whole land shall be a desolation...' | God's use of Babylon for judgment. |
| Jer 29:10 | 'For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you...' | Prophecy of the duration of the exile. |
| 2 Kgs 24:8-17 | Describes Jeconiah's brief reign and the first deportation by Nebuchadnezzar. | Historical account of Jeconiah's exile. |
| 2 Kgs 25:13-17 | Describes the final, extensive looting of the temple treasures by Babylon. | Details of the complete despoliation later. |
| 2 Chr 36:9-10 | Chronicles Jeconiah's rule, capture, and deportation to Babylon. | Parallel historical account. |
| Jer 27:16 | 'Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are telling you, "Behold, the vessels of the house of the LORD will soon be brought back..."' | Context of false hope surrounding temple vessels. |
| Jer 52:17-23 | Describes the extensive plundering of the temple in the final siege. | Details of later, more thorough looting. |
| Dan 1:2 | 'And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand...and he carried them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god...' | Earliest temple treasures taken by Nebuchadnezzar. |
| Dan 5:2-3 | 'Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver...be brought, which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken...' | Illustrates the destiny of the plundered vessels. |
| Ezra 1:7-11 | Cyrus restoring the vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar for the returning exiles. | Restoration of temple articles by Cyrus. |
| Neh 1:2 | Speaks of Jerusalem's desolate state post-exile. | Aftermath of the Babylonian destruction. |
| Psa 75:6-7 | 'For promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west...but God is the judge...' | God's sovereignty over earthly kings and kingdoms. |
| Prov 21:1 | 'The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.' | God's control over rulers like Nebuchadnezzar. |
| Isa 10:5-6 | 'Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger...to plunder, to prey on many nations.' | God uses foreign kings as instruments of judgment. |
| Ezek 1:1-3 | 'Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year...as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal...' | Ezekiel's ministry began among these very exiles. |
| Ezek 11:3 | 'Saying, "The time is not near to build houses; this city is the cauldron, and we are the meat."' | False sense of security in Jerusalem. |
| Matt 24:1-2 | Jesus prophesying the destruction of the Temple, 'not one stone upon another...' | Prophecy of final Temple destruction. |
| Jer 28:1-4 | Hananiah's false prophecy about breaking Babylon's yoke and returning temple vessels. | Directly relates to the false prophets' message. |
| Jer 39:9-10 | The final deportation and the poor remaining in the land. | The pattern of selective deportation. |
Jeremiah 27 verses
Jeremiah 27 20 meaning
Jeremiah 27:20 clarifies that the specific temple vessels mentioned in the preceding verse – the pillars, the Sea, the stands, and the rest of the articles – were among those items that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon left behind in Jerusalem during his initial deportation. This exile involved King Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin), the son of Jehoiakim, and many of Judah's leading figures, when they were taken from Jerusalem to Babylon around 597 BC. The verse highlights that this first wave of deportation did not fully deplete the temple, a point often misconstrued by false prophets to instill a sense of false security among the people.
Jeremiah 27 20 Context
Jeremiah chapter 27 is set during the early years of Zedekiah's reign, after the first Babylonian deportation that occurred under King Jeconiah. Jeremiah is called by God to convey a message of submission to Nebuchadnezzar, symbolized by a yoke placed on his neck, and instructed to send yokes to surrounding kings. The central theme is that Babylon is God's chosen instrument of judgment against Judah and surrounding nations for their idolatry and disobedience. Resisting Babylon would mean perishing by sword, famine, and pestilence. Within this chapter, there is a clear polemic against false prophets who were declaring that the yoke of Babylon would soon be broken and that the precious articles plundered from the temple, like those mentioned in Daniel 1:2, would be returned (Jer 27:16). Jeremiah 27:19 specifically warns that even the remaining grand items of the temple would eventually be carried away. Verse 20 provides the historical specific — that certain valuable temple articles were not taken during the first major deportation (597 BC), under Jeconiah, implicitly reinforcing the truth that more judgment and plundering were yet to come, contrary to the false prophets' promises of peace and quick restoration. The historical context thus underlines a period of intense geopolitical pressure and spiritual deception, with Jeremiah standing firm on God's unpopular message.
Jeremiah 27 20 Word analysis
- which: Refers directly back to the monumental items detailed in the preceding verse, Jer 27:19 – "the pillars, the Sea, the stands, and the rest of the articles that are left in this city." This anaphoric reference connects the prophecy about future plundering to specific, visible temple treasures.
- Nebuchadnezzar: Hebrew: נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר (Nəḇūḵaḏneʾṣṣar). The mighty king of Babylon (605-562 BC), who served as God's instrument of judgment against Judah and surrounding nations. His actions, even those where he "did not take away" items, were within the scope of God's sovereign plan. His name signifies God's ultimate authority, as He "raised up" Nebuchadnezzar for a divine purpose.
- king of Babylon: This title emphasizes his authority and the empire he represented, solidifying his role as the major foreign power of that era, used by God to fulfill prophecy (cf. Isa 43:14).
- did not take away: This negative phrasing is crucial. It highlights that some significant items, particularly those mentioned in 27:19, remained after the initial invasion. This fact became a source of false hope and contention; false prophets used the presence of these items as proof that God had not fully abandoned Jerusalem, despite Jeremiah's clear warnings that the rest would also fall.
- when he carried into exile: Hebrew: הִגְלֹות (higlôt). This term signifies a forceful, governmental deportation of a population. It underscores the severity of the act and God's judgment against Judah, showing a systematic removal of its leadership. This was not a minor raid but a strategic, devastating policy to weaken the conquered state.
- Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim: This specific identification of the king pegs the event to a precise historical moment. Jeconiah (also called Jehoiachin) reigned for only three months (2 Kgs 24:8-9) before being captured and exiled. This "first wave" of exile (597 BC) saw the deportation of the king, royal family, court officials, artisans, and skilled workers, about 10,000 in total. This early stage already significantly weakened Judah.
- king of Judah: This confirms Jeconiah's regal status at the time of the exile, signifying that not just ordinary citizens, but the very head of the nation was subjected to Babylon.
- from Jerusalem to Babylon: Defines the exact scope of the relocation, indicating the complete shift of power and authority from Judah's capital to the foreign empire.
- along with all the nobles: Hebrew: חֹרִים (ḥōrîm). This refers to the most influential and prominent citizens, often royalty, high officials, priests, and skilled craftsmen. Their removal was strategic, designed to decapitate the Judean leadership and cripple its ability to rebel or rebuild effectively, thus making Babylon's control absolute. This emphasizes the comprehensive nature of this early deportation.
- of Judah and Jerusalem: Specifying both the larger kingdom and its capital, clarifying that the elite from throughout the region, not just the capital, were targeted and exiled. This signifies the depth and reach of the judgment.
Jeremiah 27 20 Bonus section
The mention of the "nobles" (ḥōrîm) being carried away in the 597 BC deportation is highly significant. This event is commonly referred to as the "Jehoiachin exile" or "first exile." It involved approximately 10,000 individuals, including King Jehoiachin, his family, the court, skilled craftsmen, artisans, and mighty men of valor, along with many of the leading citizens and wealthiest people (2 Kgs 24:14-16). This was a deliberate policy by Nebuchadnezzar to neutralize Judah's capacity for resistance by removing its intellectual, administrative, military, and economic leadership. The remaining population, including King Zedekiah whom Nebuchadnezzar installed, was thus severely weakened and reliant. The psychological impact of seeing their king and leaders, as well as essential artisans, being led away would have been immense for those left in Jerusalem, creating a void that contributed to political instability and spiritual despair, yet paradoxically, it also fueled the false optimism among some who thought the worst was over.
Jeremiah 27 20 Commentary
Jeremiah 27:20 acts as a historical marker within a significant prophetic discourse. It confirms that during the first major Babylonian deportation of 597 BC, which included King Jeconiah and the leadership, certain key, impressive temple items (specifically those mentioned in 27:19) were left behind by Nebuchadnezzar. This detail is not incidental; it directly addresses the false hopes being promulgated by deceitful prophets who claimed that the remaining presence of such artifacts meant God's immediate protection or speedy return of what was taken. Jeremiah's message is that these items will also be carried away (27:21), underlining the certainty and completeness of God's judgment against an unrepentant Judah. The partial plundering was a severe warning, not a sign of reprieve, serving as a preamble to the Temple's ultimate destruction. It starkly highlights the conflict between divine truth (as spoken by Jeremiah) and popular deception, revealing the superficial basis of faith rooted in mere physical presence of sacred objects rather than genuine repentance and obedience. The ultimate removal of all temple items (2 Kgs 25:13-17) confirms Jeremiah's grim prophecy.