Jeremiah 27:5 kjv
I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.
Jeremiah 27:5 nkjv
'I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me.
Jeremiah 27:5 niv
With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please.
Jeremiah 27:5 esv
"It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me.
Jeremiah 27:5 nlt
With my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose.
Jeremiah 27 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 27:6 | "Now I will give all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant..." | Prophecy of Babylonian dominion |
| Jeremiah 27:7 | "...And the nations shall serve him and his son and his son's son..." | Future generations of Babylonian rule |
| Jeremiah 28:2 | "...Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.’" | Contrast with Hananiah's prophecy |
| Jeremiah 28:10 | "...Jeremiah the prophet had put a yoke on the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, to prophesy thus: ‘Thus says the LORD…’" | Fulfilment of the prophetic act |
| Jeremiah 28:11 | "...And Jeremiah afterward removed the yoke from the neck of the other prophet..." | Jeremiah removes his own yoke |
| Jeremiah 28:13 | "...Jeremiah went on his way." | Jeremiah continues his ministry |
| 2 Kings 24:1 | "In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years..." | Historical backdrop of vassalage |
| 2 Kings 25:1 | "In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came…" | Babylon's siege of Jerusalem |
| 2 Chronicles 36:6 | "So Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against him..." | Nebuchadnezzar's military campaign |
| Isaiah 44:28 | "...who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall accomplish all that I please’..." | God's sovereignty over kings |
| Isaiah 45:1 | "Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped..." | God using pagan rulers |
| Daniel 2:37 | "...You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given dominion, power, and might and glory..." | Nebuchadnezzar's God-given authority |
| Daniel 4:22 | "...it is you, O king! For you have become great and your fame is growing..." | Nebuchadnezzar's pride and dominion |
| Romans 13:1 | "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities..." | Submission to earthly rulers |
| Titus 3:1 | "Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities..." | Obedience to governing authorities |
| 1 Peter 2:13 | "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution..." | Submission to human institutions |
| Acts 5:29 | "But Peter said, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’" | When obedience to man conflicts with God |
| Amos 3:7 | "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets." | God revealing His plans through prophets |
| Ezekiel 4:3 | "And you shall sit on your right side and lay the iniquity of the house of Judah on it..." | Ezekiel’s symbolic prophecy |
| Revelation 17:5 | "...Mystery, Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth." | Symbolic representation of oppressive empire |
Jeremiah 27 verses
Jeremiah 27 5 Meaning
The Lord commands Jeremiah to make yokes and straps, to be placed on his own neck and carried by him, signifying a prophetic declaration. These yokes represent the nations that will be brought under submission to the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. It is a physical representation of coming servitude and the inescapable dominion of Babylon over Judah and surrounding nations.
Jeremiah 27 5 Context
This verse occurs within Jeremiah chapter 27, which is part of the larger prophetic book of Jeremiah. The historical backdrop is the late Judahite monarchy, during the reigns of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, leading up to the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and the exile. The chapter begins with a divine command to Jeremiah to make yokes, a powerful visual symbol. This prophecy was given during a time of political instability, with surrounding nations wrestling with the rising power of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had already exerted influence over the region, and many kingdoms were contemplating rebellion or seeking alliances against him. This chapter, and verse 5 in particular, addresses multiple nations—Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon—in addition to Judah. Jeremiah's message is not only for Judah but for all these surrounding nations, declaring that they will all come under the authority of Nebuchadnezzar. This message contrasts with the false hope of deliverance peddled by some prophets.
Jeremiah 27 5 Word analysis
- וְלֹא־ (vəlō—) - "And not". The conjunction "and" (וְ - ve) connects this verse to the preceding divine imperative. The "not" (לֹא - lo) will likely introduce the scope or consequence of the initial action.
- עֲשֵׂה־ (asēh—) - "make" (verb, Hiphil imperative, masculine singular). From the root עָשָׂה (asah), meaning to do, make, create, accomplish. It is a direct command from God to Jeremiah.
- לְךָ֙ (ləḵā—) - "for yourself" or "to yourself" (preposition לְ - le + second person masculine singular pronoun ךָ - kha). This emphasizes that the yokes are for Jeremiah himself to wear and carry.
- צִמְצֻמִים (ṣimṣumîm) - "yokes" or "bridles" or "fastenings". This noun (plural, masculine) originates from the root צוּם (tsum), which can mean to fast, but in this context, related to צָמַד (tsamad) meaning to join, couple, or yoke. It denotes something used for restraint or control. The specific meaning relates to a yoke as a device for binding or controlling animals or, metaphorically, people or nations.
- וְאֶל־ (və’el) - "and to" or "and unto". Connects the yokes themselves to the subsequent addition.
- צַוָּארֶֽךָ (ṣawwārəḵā) - "your neck" (noun צַוָּאר - tsawwar + second person masculine singular suffix ךָ - kha). This explicitly indicates where the yokes are to be placed, symbolizing servitude and subjugation.
- וּנְתַתָּה (unəṯattāh) - "and you shall put" or "and you shall give" (conjunction וְ - ve + verb נָתַן - natan, Hiphil imperfect, second person masculine singular). "Natan" means to give, place, or put. Here, it signifies placing the yokes onto the neck of others or, by extension, presenting them.
- אוֹתָם (ōtām) - "them" (pronoun, masculine plural, third person accusative). Refers back to the yokes.
- אֶל־ (’el) - "upon" or "to". Preposition indicating the destination or recipient of the yokes.
- צַוָּאר (ṣawwār) - "neck". Common noun for neck.
- כָּל־ (kāl) - "all". Quantifier indicating totality.
- הַגּוֹיִֽם (haggōyim) - "the nations" (definite article הַ - ha + noun גּוֹי - goy, plural masculine, with the emphatic plural ending ־ִים - im, referring to gentile nations).
Grouped analysis:
- "Make for yourself yokes and straps" (וְלֹא־ עֲשֵׂה־ לְךָ֙ צִמְצֻמִים) signifies the creation of the prophetic sign. The self-directed imperative underscores that Jeremiah is to actively embody the message.
- "and put them on your neck" (וּנְתַתָּה אוֹתָם אֶל־ צַוָּאר) describes the physical action of wearing the symbol.
- "and you shall give them upon the neck of all the nations" (וּנְתַתָּה אוֹתָם אֶל־ צַוָּאר כָּל־ הַגּוֹיִֽם) articulates the prophetic declaration embedded in the action: all these nations will be placed under a Babylonian yoke. The plurality of nations indicates the far-reaching impact of Nebuchadnezzar's dominion.
Jeremiah 27 5 Bonus section
The prophetic action of Jeremiah making and wearing yokes is echoed by other prophets in the Old Testament, notably Ezekiel, who similarly used symbolic actions to convey divine messages (e.g., Ezekiel 4:1-17). This practice highlights the visual and participatory nature of prophetic ministry in ancient Israel. The concept of God using foreign kings as His "servant" (Jeremiah 27:6) is a recurring theme, illustrating His sovereignty over all rulers and empires, even those who do not acknowledge Him. This is seen in His use of Cyrus the Persian to restore Israel (Isaiah 45:1). The verse's declaration that nations shall serve Nebuchadnezzar is a preview of the divine order described in Daniel, where empires rise and fall according to God's ultimate plan (Daniel 2). The ultimate subjugation described by the yokes foreshadows future subjugations under even greater empires, leading ultimately to Christ's spiritual kingdom that overcomes all earthly dominion.
Jeremiah 27 5 Commentary
Jeremiah's command to make and wear yokes was a stark, embodied prophecy of national submission. It was not a mere verbal statement but a performative act meant to imprint the truth upon the minds of both the people of Judah and the surrounding nations. The yokes, crafted by Jeremiah himself, were a divine instrument to illustrate Nebuchadnezzar's ascendant power and the inescapable fate of those he would conquer. The prophecy explicitly extends beyond Judah to include other kingdoms, emphasizing Babylon's growing regional hegemony. This physical demonstration served as a potent warning, underlining God’s sovereign hand in establishing and removing earthly powers for His purposes, even if those powers were imperfect or even oppressive by human standards. The "straps" (ṣimṣumîm) suggest a more complete binding and control. This powerful imagery underscores the theme of God ordaining Nebuchadnezzar as an instrument of His judgment and divine plan.