Jeremiah 50 27

Jeremiah 50:27 kjv

Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: woe unto them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation.

Jeremiah 50:27 nkjv

Slay all her bulls, Let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them! For their day has come, the time of their punishment.

Jeremiah 50:27 niv

Kill all her young bulls; let them go down to the slaughter! Woe to them! For their day has come, the time for them to be punished.

Jeremiah 50:27 esv

Kill all her bulls; let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them, for their day has come, the time of their punishment.

Jeremiah 50:27 nlt

Destroy even her young bulls ?
it will be terrible for them, too!
Slaughter them all!
For Babylon's day of reckoning has come.

Jeremiah 50 verses

Jeremiah 50 27 meaning

Jeremiah 50:27 declares an absolute decree of judgment and destruction upon Babylon. It commands the eradication of her most powerful figures—likened to bulls for their strength and prestige—destined for slaughter. The verse pronounces an inevitable "woe" because the divinely appointed time for Babylon's judgment and severe recompense has arrived. This signifies God's justice triumphing over a powerful, oppressive empire.

Jeremiah 50 27 Context

Jeremiah 50:27 is part of a substantial prophecy against Babylon found in chapters 50-51 of the Book of Jeremiah. These chapters serve as a divine declaration of Babylon's imminent destruction, delivered after Babylon had already conquered Judah and exiled its people. This specific verse intensifies the prediction of Babylon's downfall by targeting its symbols of power and its leadership. Historically, Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar was the dominant world power, having ruthlessly subdued nations including Judah. Culturally, Babylon boasted immense fortifications and a vibrant polytheistic religion where deities like Marduk were revered, often symbolized by animals such as the bull (e.g., in their "Ishtar Gate"). The prophecy of Babylon's demise serves as a profound contrast to God's promise of Israel's eventual restoration, emphasizing God's sovereignty over all nations and His justice for both the oppressed and the oppressor. It also directly challenges the self-perception and religious stability of Babylon by predicting the slaughter of what it considers strong or even sacred.

Jeremiah 50 27 Word analysis

• Slay (Hebrew: Harag, הָרַג): This strong verb signifies to kill, execute, or slaughter. It conveys decisive, often violent, and comprehensive elimination, typically in battle or as a judicial act. It is not accidental death but purposeful extermination.
• all her bulls (Hebrew: parim, פָּרִים):
  • Literal interpretation: This could refer to literal bulls, which were animals of strength, virility, and great economic value. In pagan contexts, they were often associated with fertility gods, used in temple rituals, or depicted as divine symbols (e.g., bull gods like Baal in Canaanite religion, or symbolic strength in Babylonian imagery). Their slaughter would represent a deep desecration and loss.
  • Metaphorical interpretation: More profoundly, "bulls" in prophetic language frequently represent powerful, aggressive individuals—specifically mighty warriors, rulers, or influential leaders of a nation. They embody the strength, pride, and perceived invincibility of Babylon's military and government. The phrase thus refers to the systematic destruction of Babylon's entire elite and military force. This interpretation is widely favored by scholars due to the war context.
• let them go down to the slaughter! (Hebrew: tevach, טֶבַח): The term tevach denotes the act of butchering, slaughter, or sacrifice. The command "go down to" intensifies the imagery of descent into an unavoidable place of execution, stripping the mighty of their dignity and power as they are reduced to victims. It speaks of a vast, unresisting destruction, much like animals led to a literal abattoir.
• Woe to them, (Hebrew: Hoy, הֹוי): This is a prophetic interjection, a declaration of impending judgment, often signaling lament or sorrow over a destined disaster. It's a mournful exclamation predicting ruin, similar to an elegy or funeral dirge spoken in advance. It underlines the certain, tragic outcome for Babylon.
• for their day has come, (Hebrew: Yom, יוֹם): Not merely a day, but "the day"—the appointed, definite, and inescapable moment decreed by God for their judgment and downfall. This phrase speaks to divine timing and cosmic justice, asserting God's control over historical events. It is a day of reckoning.
• the time of their punishment. (Hebrew: ʿĒt Pqōdāh, עֵת פְּקֻדָּה):
  • time (ʿĒt): Denotes a specific, opportune, or destined period.
  • punishment (Pqōdāh): While paqad can mean "to visit" (for good or ill), Pqōdāh here specifically signifies a "visitation for judgment" or "accounting." It implies divine accountability and retribution for all Babylon's iniquities and oppressions. It's the moment for the debt of their actions to be paid.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Slay all her bulls; let them go down to the slaughter!": This declarative command functions as a stark and irreversible divine judgment. The imagery of "bulls" going to "slaughter" is deeply polemical, mocking Babylon's self-perception of unassailable might. It demotes their powerful elite and possibly their very gods (who might be represented by or associated with bulls) from their exalted status to mere fodder for destruction. This phrase communicates the total and undignified annihilation of Babylon's leadership and military power, orchestrated by divine decree.
• "Woe to them, for their day has come, the time of their punishment.": This collective declaration encapsulates the divine pronouncement of ultimate, inevitable doom. The "woe" sets a solemn, lamenting tone, highlighting the severity of the coming judgment. The parallelism of "their day has come" and "the time of their punishment" emphasizes the divine decree of justice; this is not random misfortune, but a precisely timed, deserved retribution. It underscores God's sovereignty over history and the moral universe, where every nation and individual eventually faces accountability for their actions.

Jeremiah 50 27 Bonus section

The metaphor of "bulls" for powerful men can be further explored through its resonance in ancient Near Eastern iconography and literature, where bull symbolism often denoted royalty, strength, and divine patronage. By predicting the "slaughter" of these "bulls," the prophecy subtly mocks the very foundation of Babylonian power and religious assurance. It indicates not only the destruction of their physical strength but also the utter humiliation and defeat of their spiritual and ideological claims of invincibility.

Furthermore, Jeremiah 50-51 serves as an archetype for later prophecies, including the Revelation of John, where "Babylon" becomes a symbolic representation of all worldly power opposed to God and His people, destined for similar comprehensive judgment. The "day of punishment" here prefigures the eschatological "day of the Lord" where ultimate divine justice will be executed against all forms of unrighteousness, affirming God's immutable righteousness and eventual triumph. This verse therefore is not just about historical Babylon, but points to a perennial principle of divine reckoning.

Jeremiah 50 27 Commentary

Jeremiah 50:27 encapsulates the unwavering certainty of God's justice against Babylon, the oppressive empire that devastated Judah. By commanding the "slaughter" of her "bulls"—metaphorically her strongest warriors and leaders—God asserts His ultimate authority over human power structures, no matter how formidable. This prophetic imagery is deeply humiliating, reducing the mighty to unresisting sacrificial victims, a clear polemic against Babylon's hubris and idolatry where bulls symbolized strength and even deity. The emphatic pronouncement "Woe to them" leaves no room for escape. The repetition of divine timing—"their day has come, the time of their punishment"—underscores that Babylon's downfall is not an accident of war but a predetermined, righteous act of God's sovereign judgment. It signifies a long-awaited vindication for the oppressed and a demonstration that even the most powerful nations are accountable to the divine King of kings.

• Example 1: Just as a farmer leads his strong animals to market, God, as the ultimate sovereign, directs Babylon's powerful elite to their demise, stripping them of their perceived invincibility.
• Example 2: In the face of overwhelming power and oppression, this verse provides solace, reminding the faithful that God maintains the divine calendar of justice, and no injustice goes unpunished indefinitely.