Jeremiah 27:8 kjv
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, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
Jeremiah 27:8 nkjv
And it shall be, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish,' says the LORD, 'with the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
Jeremiah 27:8 niv
"?'?"If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation with the sword, famine and plague, declares the LORD, until I destroy it by his hand.
Jeremiah 27:8 esv
"'"But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares the LORD, until I have consumed it by his hand.
Jeremiah 27:8 nlt
So you must submit to Babylon's king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon's yoke! I will punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the LORD. I will send war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it.
Jeremiah 27 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 27:6 | "...and I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar..." | Control over nations |
| Jer 25:9 | "...and will bring Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, my servant..." | Babylon as God's instrument |
| Jer 43:10 | "Declare: ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant..." | God's chosen agent |
| Isa 44:28 | "who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall accomplish all that I please..." | God using Gentile kings |
| Isa 45:1 | "Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped..." | God sovereign over empires |
| Ezek 29:18-20 | "...‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar..." | God giving nations to Nebuchadnezzar |
| Dan 2:21 | "He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings..." | God's dominion over rulers |
| Dan 4:17 | "...that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men..." | God's sovereignty proclaimed |
| Rev 17:12 | "And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour..." | Kings receiving authority |
| Rev 19:15 | "From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron." | Christ striking nations |
| Matt 24:7 | "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom..." | Wars between nations |
| Luke 21:10 | "Then he said to them, 'Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom..." | Wars prophesied |
| Jer 27:12-15 | "to the same effect said Jeremiah to Zedekiah king of Judah..." | Judah's disobedience |
| Jer 27:13 | "You shall serve the king of Babylon and live..." | Consequences of rebellion |
| Deut 28:48 | "...serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you..." | Serving enemies |
| Lev 26:25 | "and I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the vengeance of the covenant..." | Punishment by sword |
| 1 Sam 15:3 | "Now go and strike Amalek and devote all that they have..." | Devotion to destruction |
| Psa 106:37-38 | "They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons and poured out innocent blood..." | Idolatry leading to destruction |
| Rom 1:28-32 | "...and since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind..." | Judgment for rejecting God |
| 2 Thess 2:10-12 | "...because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion..." | Strong delusion for rejection |
Jeremiah 27 verses
Jeremiah 27 8 Meaning
This verse states that if any nation or kingdom refuses to serve Babylon, God will punish that nation with war, famine, and pestilence until they are utterly destroyed. It emphasizes God's ultimate sovereignty over all nations and His determination to use Babylon as His instrument to discipline disobedient peoples.
Jeremiah 27 8 Context
Jeremiah 27 follows a prophetic proclamation concerning various nations being subjugated to Babylon. The immediate context is a priestly delegation attempting to forge alliances against Babylon. Jeremiah is commanded to go and confront these emissaries and the kings of Judah, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon. He is to make yokes, symbolizing servitude, and place them on his own neck, then send them to these kings, declaring that all these nations will serve Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. This chapter is a powerful declaration of God's sovereign control over world powers and His judgment upon those who resist His established order, even if that order involves pagan rulers. The focus is on urging submission to Babylon, not out of admiration for Babylon, but as a necessary act of obedience to God's decree, preventing further devastation.
Jeremiah 27 8 Word Analysis
- וְהָיָה (vehāyâ): "And it shall come to pass." This common Hebrew connective particle introduces a consequence or future event.
- אִם־ (im-): "If." This introduces a conditional clause.
- גּוֹי (gōy): "nation," "people." Refers to any ethnic group or political entity.
- וּמַמְלָכָה (umimlákhâ): "and kingdom." Similar to "nation," it refers to a structured state with a ruler.
- אֲשֶׁר־ (ášer-): "which," "who." A relative pronoun introducing a further description of the nation or kingdom.
- לֹא־ (lō-): "not." A negative particle.
- יַעַבְדוּךָ (yaʻăvðúḵâ): "will serve you." From the root עָבַד (
āvád), meaning "to serve," "to work," "to worship." In this context, it signifies submission and obedience. The suffix "you" refers to Nebuchadnezzar. - אֶת־ (’et-): The definite direct object marker, indicating a specific entity.
- מַלְכֵּ֣נוּ (malkê•nû): "our king." Plural possessive, implying that Nebuchadnezzar is acknowledged as the ruler by the prophet on behalf of the people and the nations.
- נְבֽוּכַדְנֶצַּ֥ר (nebhukhadhnétstsar): Nebuchadnezzar. The name of the Babylonian king.
- אֶת־ (’et-): Again, the definite direct object marker.
- צַוָּארֵֽךְ (tsavvā•rêḵ): "your neck." The neck symbolizes submission and carrying a burden.
- וְגַרְתִּ֤י (věgartî): "then I will afflict," "I will contend with." From the root גּוּר (gûr), which can mean "to sojourn," but in the Piel conjugation, it can mean "to afflict," "to contend," "to punish."
- בָּ֔ךְ (bāḵ): "you" (feminine singular suffix, referring back to the nation/kingdom).
- בַּחֶ֥רֶב (baḥé•reḇ): "with the sword." A tool of warfare and punishment.
- וּבָרָעָ֖ב (uvārāʻāḇ): "and with famine." Another form of severe punishment.
- וּבַדָּּ֑בֶר (uvadádāḇér): "and with pestilence." A widespread disease, often occurring in conjunction with war and famine.
- נְאֻם־ (ne’um-): "declares," "says." An utterance of divine authority.
- יְהוָֽה־ (YHWH): The LORD. The personal covenantal name of God.
- צְבָאֽוֹת׃ (tsəḇā•’ō•wt): "of hosts." Indicating God's supreme power as the commander of heavenly armies.
Words-Group Analysis:
- The phrase "nation and kingdom that will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon" (גּוֹי וּמַמְלָכָה אֲשֶׁר־ לֹא־ יַעַבְדוּךָ אֶת־ מַלְכֵּ֣נוּ נְבֽוּכַדְנֶצַּ֥ר) highlights the universality of Babylon's dominion according to God's decree.
- The terms "war," "famine," and "pestilence" (חֶ֥רֶב, רָעָב, דֶּבֶר) are presented as a tripartite divine judgment, reflecting common consequences of national defiance of God's established order.
Jeremiah 27 8 Bonus Section
The concept of a foreign power serving as an instrument of divine judgment is a recurring motif in the Old Testament. For example, Assyria was used to punish the northern kingdom of Israel, and Babylon was used to discipline Judah. This illustrates God’s omnipotence, demonstrating that He has absolute control over all earthly kingdoms and rulers. Even when He uses sinful nations to carry out His judgments, the ultimate authority rests with Him. Furthermore, the threefold repetition of devastating forces – war, famine, and pestilence – echoes curses pronounced upon disobedience in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, underscoring the severe consequences of rejecting God’s established order. The prophecy here highlights the importance of discernment in understanding God’s will in times of geopolitical upheaval, urging submission to divinely appointed authorities, even when they are not morally upright.
Jeremiah 27 8 Commentary
Jeremiah 27:8 is a stark pronouncement of God's judgment upon any nation or kingdom that resists His will as expressed through the subjugation to Babylon. This is not an endorsement of Nebuchadnezzar's character or methods, but an assertion of divine sovereignty over human affairs. God utilizes Gentile empires as instruments for His purposes, whether for discipline or deliverance. The nations addressed here, including Judah, are facing God's wrath due to their spiritual adultery and persistent disobedience. Refusal to submit to Babylon is framed as rebellion against God Himself. The three severest forms of divine judgment – sword, famine, and pestilence – are decreed for those who defy this divine mandate, emphasizing the completeness of their destruction. This principle of God using external powers to chasten His people and to bring order to the world is a recurring theme throughout Scripture.