Jeremiah 27:22 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 27:22 kjv
They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.
Jeremiah 27:22 nkjv
'They shall be carried to Babylon, and there they shall be until the day that I visit them,' says the LORD. 'Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.' "
Jeremiah 27:22 niv
'They will be taken to Babylon and there they will remain until the day I come for them,' declares the LORD. 'Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.'?"
Jeremiah 27:22 esv
They shall be carried to Babylon and remain there until the day when I visit them, declares the LORD. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place."
Jeremiah 27:22 nlt
'They will all be carried away to Babylon and will stay there until I send for them,' says the LORD. 'Then I will bring them back to Jerusalem again.'"
Jeremiah 27 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 25:11-12 | This whole land will be a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years... after seventy years... I will punish... | Prophecy of the 70-year duration of Babylonian exile and its end. |
| Jer 29:10-14 | For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed... I will visit you, and I will fulfill my good word... and bring you back... | Direct fulfillment of "I will visit you" and restoration from Babylon. |
| 2 Chr 36:18-21 | He carried to Babylon all the articles... and he carried them to Babylon, where they remained until the reign of the Persian kingdom. | Historical account of the exile of Temple articles to Babylon. |
| Ezra 1:1-4 | In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled... Cyrus issued a decree... | Fulfillment of prophecy: Cyrus' decree to allow return and rebuilding. |
| Ezra 5:13-15 | King Cyrus... made a decree for the rebuilding of this house of God... took the gold and silver articles... and delivered them to a man... | Restoration of the Temple vessels by Cyrus. |
| Zech 1:16 | Therefore, thus says the Lord, I have returned to Jerusalem... my house shall be built in it, and a measuring line shall be stretched out... | God's renewed favor and active involvement in Jerusalem's restoration. |
| Isa 44:28 | That says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foun | Cyrus as God's instrument for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple. |
| Isa 45:1-3 | Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus... I will raise him up in righteousness... | God raises Cyrus to orchestrate the return from exile. |
| Lev 26:33-35 | I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation and your cities a waste... | Consequences of disobedience: scattering and desolate land, paralleling exile. |
| Deut 30:1-5 | when all these things come upon you... then if you return to the Lord... he will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you... | Prophecy of exile and subsequent restoration upon repentance. |
| Neh 1:8-9 | Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you... But if you return... then I will gather | Moses' prophecy echoed; conditions for scattering and gathering. |
| Jer 3:16-18 | In those days, when you multiply and increase in the land... Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord... and all nations shall gather... | Broader prophecy of a future, even more glorious restoration of Jerusalem. |
| Isa 11:11-12 | In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant... he will raise a signal for the nations... | God's future, greater ingathering of His people from global exile. |
| Eze 34:11-16 | For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out... and bring them back... | God's shepherd-like care and promise to bring back His scattered flock. |
| Mal 3:1-4 | Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me... The Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple... | Prophecy of the Lord "visiting" His temple in a redemptive sense through Messiah. |
| Num 23:19 | God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? | Emphasizes God's faithfulness to His prophetic word. |
| Isa 55:11 | So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose... | Assurance that God's spoken word will infallibly achieve its intended purpose. |
| Rom 11:25-27 | A partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved... | New Testament perspective on a future spiritual restoration of Israel. |
| Acts 3:19-21 | Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord... | Future "times of refreshing" and the restoration of all things spoken by prophets. |
| Rev 21:2-3 | And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God... Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man... | Ultimate, eschatological restoration of God's presence among His people. |
Jeremiah 27 verses
Jeremiah 27 22 meaning
Jeremiah 27:22 proclaims a definitive prophecy regarding the remaining sacred articles within the Temple in Jerusalem and the royal palace: they are destined for capture and transport to Babylon. This exile is not indefinite, but precisely timed "until the day I visit them," signifying a specific divine appointment for a reversal. At that predetermined time, the Lord explicitly declares He will personally intervene to bring these items, and by extension His people, back to their rightful place in Jerusalem. The verse encapsulates a message of judgment, sovereign control over exile's duration, and a certain promise of future restoration by divine action.
Jeremiah 27 22 Context
Jeremiah 27:22 concludes a significant section (27:1-22) where Jeremiah, using the powerful symbolism of a yoke on his neck, delivers God's message to Judah and surrounding nations. The core message is that all these nations, including Judah, are destined to serve Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, as an instrument of God's judgment. This servitude is a divinely ordained, inescapable reality, and resisting it would mean death by sword, famine, and plague. The specific context leading to verse 22 involves Jeremiah directly confronting King Zedekiah and the priests and people in Jerusalem (vv. 12-15) about listening to false prophets who claimed Babylon would not invade or that the previously taken Temple articles would soon return. Jeremiah's message is unequivocally contrary: the remaining articles, which King Jeconiah had left behind, will also be carried to Babylon. Verse 22 acts as the culminating, summary prophecy for these precious sacred vessels, solidifying their coming exile but also offering the foundational promise of a future return under God's explicit guidance.
Jeremiah 27 22 Word analysis
- They shall be carried (יֻבָּאוּ - yubbāʾū): This is a passive verb (Hophal stem of boʾ), emphasizing that the articles will not be moved by chance, nor entirely by the Babylonians' will, but rather through divine allowance or direct action. It denotes a definite, decreed event. The "they" refers to the remaining articles of the Lord’s house and the king’s house mentioned in verse 21.
- to Babylon (בָּבֶל - bābēl): This specific geographic and political entity signifies the place of judgment, exile, and foreign domination. It was the premier world power of the era, chosen by God as His instrument of discipline for Judah's persistent sin and idolatry.
- and remain there (וְשָׁם יִהְיוּ - wᵉšām yihyū): This phrase emphasizes the fixed duration and permanence of their exile for a set period. It contrasts sharply with the false prophets' assurances of a quick return, cementing the reality of a prolonged, divinely determined captivity.
- until the day (עַד־יוֹם - ʿad-yôm): The phrase signifies a fixed, definite termination point. It sets a clear boundary to the exile, revealing God's control over time and historical events, not just their initiation but also their conclusion.
- I visit them (פָּקְדִי אֹתָם - poqdī ʾôtām): The verb paqad (visit) is rich in meaning. It can denote both judgment (visitation for punishment) and gracious intervention (visitation for blessing or redemption). Here, it marks the completion of the time of judgment and the beginning of a redemptive phase. It highlights God's active engagement and personal oversight, not merely a passive observation. It's His designated time for intervention and turning point for restoration.
- declares the Lord (נְאֻם־יהוה - nᵉʾum-YHWH): This is a prophetic formula, authenticating the preceding message as a direct utterance from the sovereign God, YHWH. It signifies unquestionable divine authority, guaranteeing the prophecy's certainty and truthfulness. YHWH is the covenant God, assuring faithfulness to His promises even amidst judgment.
- Then I will bring them back (וַהֲשִׁבֹתִים - waḥaḥašibbōṯîm): This verb (Hiphil stem of shuv) is causative: "I will cause them to return." It underscores God's direct, personal, and active involvement in the act of restoration. It is not something the exiles or their allies will achieve on their own, but an act of divine will and power.
- and restore them (implied in the repetition of wahašibbōtîm): The Hebrew verb form often implies both the act of returning and the reestablishment of what was lost. It signals a complete reversal of their fortunes.
- to this place (אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה - ʾel-hammaqom hazzeh): "This place" directly refers to Jerusalem, particularly the Temple and royal palace where the articles currently resided (and where they originally belonged). It speaks of a complete physical restoration to their homeland and rightful setting.
- "They shall be carried to Babylon and remain there": This phrase details the initial act of judgment and its enduring nature. It’s a definite, extended period of captivity for the sacred objects and, by extension, the people of Judah, refuting any hope for a quick end to the impending exile.
- "until the day I visit them": This specifies the duration of the exile, placing it entirely under God's sovereign timetable. The "visitation" implies God's intervention to pivot from punishment to covenant blessing, initiating the restoration phase.
- "declares the Lord. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place": This conclusive statement affirms divine authority and promise. It unequivocally guarantees the future reversal of fortunes and a return, not just of the articles, but signifies the restoration of the people to their land and God’s re-establishment of His presence among them.
Jeremiah 27 22 Bonus section
The fulfillment of "the day I visit them" for the physical return of the people and vessels from Babylon to Jerusalem is explicitly tied to the seventy-year period mentioned in Jer 25:11-12 and 29:10-14. This period provided a framework for God's plan and reinforced the reliability of His prophetic word. The return of the Temple articles under Cyrus (Ezra 1:7-11) was a tangible sign of this divine fulfillment, serving as a powerful demonstration that God keeps His promises. Furthermore, this historical event foreshadows the greater, spiritual "visitations" and restorations throughout biblical history, ultimately pointing towards the coming of Messiah and the ultimate gathering of God's people in the New Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 27 22 Commentary
Jeremiah 27:22 serves as a pivotal culmination of a stern prophecy regarding Judah's unavoidable submission to Babylonian conquest. While earlier verses predict the coming subjugation, this verse focuses specifically on the fate of the sacred Temple and palace articles, asserting their definite deportation to Babylon. However, this divine decree of judgment is immediately buffered by a profound promise of restoration, defining both the certainty and the limited duration of the exile. The crucial phrase "until the day I visit them" reveals God's meticulous sovereignty over historical timelines. His "visitation" marks a divinely appointed turning point, where the season of punitive judgment concludes, and a redemptive act begins. The prophecy unequivocally states that God, not any human power, will personally orchestrate the return of these treasures—symbolizing the people themselves—to "this place," Jerusalem. This instills hope in God's faithfulness to His covenant, even as His justice demands a season of exile for their disobedience. It reassures that, despite impending desolation, God's ultimate plan is for restoration and reestablishment, manifesting both His holiness and His steadfast love.