271 In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the son of Josiah , king of Judah , this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord , saying - 2 thus says the Lord to me-"Make for yourself bonds and yokes and put them on your neck , 3 and send word to the king of Edom , to the king of Moab , to the king of the sons of Ammon , to the king of Tyre and to the king of Sidon by the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah . 4 "Command them to go to their masters , saying , 'Thus says the Lord of hosts , the God of Israel , thus you shall say to your masters , 5 " I have made the earth , the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm , and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight . 6 "Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon , My servant , and I have given him also the wild animals of the field to serve him. 7 " All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes ; then many nations and great kings will make him their servant . 8 "It will be, that the nation or the kingdom which will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon , and which will not 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 destroyed it by his hand . 9 "But as for you, do not listen to your prophets , your diviners , your dreamers , your soothsayers or your sorcerers who speak to you, saying , 'You will not serve the king of Babylon .' 10 "For they prophesy a lie to you in order to remove you far from your land ; and I will drive you out and you will perish . 11 "But the nation which will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let remain on its land ," declares the Lord , "and they will till it and dwell in it.""'
12 I spoke words like all these to Zedekiah king of Judah , saying , "Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people , and live ! 13 "Why will you die , you and your people , by the sword , famine and pestilence , as the Lord has spoken to that nation which will not serve the king of Babylon ? 14 "So do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying , 'You will not serve the king of Babylon ,' for they prophesy a lie to you; 15 for I have not sent them," declares the Lord , "but they prophesy falsely in My name , in order that I may drive you out and that you may perish , you and the prophets who prophesy to you." 16 Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people , saying , "Thus says the Lord : Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying , 'Behold , the vessels of the Lord'S house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon '; for they are prophesying a lie to you. 17 "Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon , and live ! Why should this city become a ruin ? 18 "But if they are prophets , and if the word of the Lord is with them, let them now entreat the Lord of hosts that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord , in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon . 19 "For thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars , concerning the sea , concerning the stands and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city , 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he carried into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim , king of Judah , from Jerusalem to Babylon , and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem . 21 "Yes , thus says the Lord of hosts , the God of Israel , concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the Lord and in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem ,
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 27:1-21
Commentary on Jeremiah 27:1-11
(Read Jeremiah 27:1-11)
Jeremiah is to prepare a sign that all the neighbouring countries would be made subject to the king of Babylon. God asserts his right to dispose of kingdoms as he pleases. Whatever any have of the good things of this world, it is what God sees fit to give; we should therefore be content. The things of this world are not the best things, for the Lord often gives the largest share to bad men. Dominion is not founded in grace. Those who will not serve the God who made them, shall justly be made to serve their enemies that seek to ruin them. Jeremiah urges them to prevent their destruction, by submission. A meek spirit, by quiet submission to the hardest turns of providence, makes the best of what is bad. Many persons may escape destroying providences, by submitting to humbling providences. It is better to take up a light cross in our way, than to pull a heavier on our own heads. The poor in spirit, the meek and humble, enjoy comfort, and avoid many miseries to which the high-spirited are exposed. It must, in all cases, be our interest to obey God's will.
Commentary on Jeremiah 27:12-18
(Read Jeremiah 27:12-18)
Jeremiah persuades the king of Judah to surrender to the king of Babylon. Is it their wisdom to submit to the heavy iron yoke of a cruel tyrant, that they may secure their lives; and is it not much more our wisdom to submit to the pleasant and easy yoke of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, that we may secure our souls? It were well if sinners would be afraid of the destruction threatened against all who will not have Christ to reign over them. Why should they die the second death, infinitely worse than that by sword and famine, when they may submit and live? And those who encourage sinners to go on in sinful ways, will perish with them.
Commentary on Jeremiah 27:19-22
(Read Jeremiah 27:19-22)
Jeremiah assures them that the brazen vessels should go after the golden ones. All shall be carried to Babylon. But he concludes with a gracious promise, that the time would come when they should be brought back. Though the return of the prosperity of the church does not come in our time, we must not despair, for it will come in God's time.