Jeremiah 27 3

Jeremiah 27:3 kjv

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 which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;

Jeremiah 27:3 nkjv

and send them to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.

Jeremiah 27:3 niv

Then send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.

Jeremiah 27:3 esv

Send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.

Jeremiah 27:3 nlt

Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their ambassadors who have come to see King Zedekiah in Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 27 verses

Jeremiah 27 3 meaning

Jeremiah 27:3 communicates Yahweh's divine command to prophet Jeremiah, instructing him to dispatch symbolic yokes to specific neighboring nations: Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon. These yokes were to be delivered through their respective diplomatic envoys who were present in Jerusalem. The core meaning is a prophetic declaration that all these nations, including Judah, were destined to submit to the servitude of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, as an act of divine judgment and sovereign decree. It underscores God's absolute control over international politics and His use of even pagan rulers to fulfill His purposes.

Jeremiah 27 3 Context

Jeremiah 27 opens with a precise dating during the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. This period, around 597 BCE, followed Judah's initial defeat by Babylon and the deportation of King Jehoiachin and many prominent citizens (597 BCE). Zedekiah, Jehoiachin's uncle, was installed by Nebuchadnezzar as a vassal king. At this time, there was growing sentiment and diplomatic activity among the nations of the region – including Judah's immediate neighbors and distant maritime powers like Tyre and Sidon – to form an anti-Babylonian coalition and throw off Babylonian dominance. Jerusalem, as a regional capital, served as a natural meeting point for such diplomatic envoys. Against this backdrop of political scheming and false prophecies promising liberation from Babylon, Yahweh commands Jeremiah to create and wear a physical yoke (Jer 27:2) as a tangible, public prophetic act. Jeremiah 27:3 specifically lists the intended recipients of similar yokes, making clear that the divine message of submission applies universally to all nations seeking to resist Babylon, including those represented by the "messengers" in Jerusalem. The verse highlights the political climate where alliances were being forged, but God's word declares these alliances futile against His appointed instrument, Babylon.

Jeremiah 27 3 Word analysis

• and send (וְשָׁלַחְתָּ, ve-shalachta)

  • Word: Shalach (שָׁלַח), Hebrew verb, "to send, stretch out, extend." The prefixed vav ("and") connects it to the previous command in Jer 27:2 to make the yokes. The perfect tense with vav consecutive here indicates a sequence of command or consequence.
  • Significance: This is not a suggestion but a divine command for prophetic action. Jeremiah is Yahweh's messenger, delivering a tangible word, not just spoken words. The physical act of sending yokes amplified the message's weight.

• them (אֹתָם, otam)

  • Word: Refers to the yokes mentioned in the preceding verse (Jer 27:2) – "straps and yokes."
  • Significance: The yokes symbolize burden, forced labor, slavery, and political subjugation. They are a visual representation of the inescapable dominion of Babylon over these nations. This symbol would be universally understood in the ancient Near East as signifying subservience to an overlord.

• to the king of Edom (אֶל מֶלֶךְ אֱדוֹם, el melekh Edom)

  • Word: Edom (אֱדוֹם) refers to the nation descended from Esau. Melekh (מֶלֶךְ) is "king."
  • Significance: Edom, Judah's southern neighbor, held a long history of enmity with Israel, often taking advantage of Israel's weaknesses. Including Edom signifies God's judgment even upon nations hostile to His people, holding them accountable for their actions and pride.

• the king of Moab (וְאֶל מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב, ve-el melekh Mo'av)

  • Word: Moab (מוֹאָב) descended from Lot, a perennial adversary of Israel to the east.
  • Significance: Moab was known for its pride and self-sufficiency (Jer 48:7, 29). Their inclusion underlines the universality of divine judgment, encompassing nations that often scorned Judah and its God.

• the king of the Ammonites (וְאֶל מֶלֶךְ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן, ve-el melekh benei Ammon)

  • Word: Benei Ammon (בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן), "sons of Ammon," or Ammonites, another nation descended from Lot, northeast of Judah.
  • Significance: Like Edom and Moab, the Ammonites were often antagonists to Israel. Their historical cruelty and expansionist tendencies frequently brought them into conflict with Judah.

• the king of Tyre (וְאֶל מֶלֶךְ צֹר, ve-el melekh Tzor)

  • Word: Tzor (צֹר) "rock," the prominent Phoenician city-state on the Mediterranean coast.
  • Significance: Tyre, a major maritime and commercial power, epitomized wealth and worldly power. Its inclusion demonstrates that no nation, regardless of its economic strength or geographic remoteness (relative to landlocked Judah's neighbors), is exempt from Yahweh's universal decree. Tyre's pride was often tied to its perceived impregnability and vast trade network.

• and the king of Sidon (וְאֶל מֶלֶךְ צִידוֹן, ve-el melekh Tzidon)

  • Word: Tzidōn (צִידוֹן), another Phoenician city-state, north of Tyre.
  • Significance: Sidon was also a hub of trade and culture, frequently allied with Tyre. Its inclusion reinforces the message that coastal powers, often seen as beyond the reach of land-based empires, would also fall under Babylonian dominion. It underscores Yahweh's control over global affairs, not just regional ones.

• by the hand of the messengers (בְּיַד מַלְאָכִים, b’yad mal'akhim)

  • Word: Yad (יַד), "hand" or "agency." Mal'akhim (מַלְאָכִים) plural of mal'akh, "messenger," "angel."
  • Significance: This specifies the method of delivery. These messengers were official diplomatic envoys, likely assembled in Jerusalem to forge a coalition against Babylon. God chose to use their own political activity as the conduit for His counter-message, turning their intent to resist into a means for receiving a prophecy of their submission. It makes the prophetic act public and undeniable among these foreign leaders.

• who come to Jerusalem (הַבָּאִים יְרוּשָׁלַם, ha-ba'im Yerushalaim)

  • Word: Ba'im (בָּאִים) "who are coming/those coming." Yerushalayim (יְרוּשָׁלַם) "Jerusalem," the capital of Judah.
  • Significance: The fact that these messengers were already in Jerusalem indicates the active political plotting happening. It places the prophetic drama squarely within the real-world diplomatic events, lending immediate relevance and impact to Jeremiah's action. Jerusalem, the city of God's temple, is paradoxically the center from which this word of universal subjugation emanates.

• to Zedekiah king of Judah (אֶל צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה, el Tzidkiyahu melekh Yehudah)

  • Word: Tzidkiyahu (צִדְקִיָּהוּ) "Zedekiah," the current vassal king of Judah. Yehudah (יְהוּדָה) "Judah."
  • Significance: Zedekiah himself was deeply embroiled in these political machinations, perhaps torn between loyalty to Babylon and the temptation of alliances for independence. The presence of these messengers to Zedekiah highlights Judah's involvement in the anti-Babylonian movement and signals that the message of submission applied to Judah just as much as to its neighbors, as declared repeatedly by Jeremiah.

Words-group analysis:

• "king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon": This detailed list emphasizes the comprehensive scope of Yahweh's decree. These nations, though diverse in their location, culture, and power, are all under the same divine judgment and will share the same fate of servitude under Babylon. It explicitly counters any regional attempts to consolidate power against Babylon, declaring such efforts as futile against God's plan.
• "by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah": This phrase contextualizes the delivery method. It illustrates that God uses the very channels of human diplomacy and political plotting to convey His message. The gathering of these envoys for a potential alliance is ironically transformed into an occasion for them to receive the divine command to submit to Babylon.

Jeremiah 27 3 Bonus section

The specific enumeration of these five kings is highly significant, indicating that they were likely key players in the anti-Babylonian diplomatic discussions taking place in Jerusalem. This diplomatic gathering served as an opportunity for God to send His message, not just to Judah, but to the entire region. The use of a physical "yoke" was an ancient Near Eastern diplomatic symbol for subservience and vassalage. It made the message undeniable and confrontational, directly challenging the kings' pride and aspirations for independence. Furthermore, the selection of nations covers a spectrum of Judah's relationships: ancient adversaries (Edom, Moab, Ammon), and distant trading partners (Tyre, Sidon), showing that God's authority extends to all relationships and all types of national identities. This public, non-verbal prophecy directly confronted the popular narratives promoted by false prophets in Jerusalem who promised quick deliverance from Babylonian rule (cf. Jer 28), emphasizing the stark reality of God's appointed judgment.

Jeremiah 27 3 Commentary

Jeremiah 27:3 stands as a pivotal verse within a powerful prophetic drama, underlining the sovereignty of Yahweh over all earthly powers. In a time when regional kings were undoubtedly forming an anti-Babylonian alliance with King Zedekiah of Judah, God uses Jeremiah's public, symbolic act of creating and sending yokes as a divine counter-message. The specific naming of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon, representing various types of regional powers from Judah's immediate neighbors to distant maritime traders, demonstrates the universal reach of God's decree. These nations, some long-standing enemies of Israel, others economic giants, all fall under the same divine mandate to serve Nebuchadnezzar, whom God calls "My servant." This powerfully refutes both the prevalent polytheistic belief that each nation had its own sovereign deity and the human tendency to trust in military strength or political alliances over divine word. The method of delivery – through the very messengers gathering for counsel – amplifies the impact, revealing that God orchestrates events, turning human endeavors for resistance into the conduits of His predetermined plan. The message is clear: resistance to Babylon is resistance to Yahweh's will, leading to devastating consequences.