Jeremiah 25:12
in Jeremiah 25But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, declares the LORD, and I will make it an everlasting desolation.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith Jehovah, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate for ever.
KJV
And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.
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This verse in Jeremiah 25
Commentary
8 notes on this verseAnd it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished,.... Which were accomplished in the first year of Cyrus: they began with the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned two years and two months with his father Nabopolassar; after that forty three years by himself; Evilmerodach two years: Neriglissar four years; Belshazzar or Nabonadius seventeen years; and Darius the Median two years; which all make sixty nine years and two months; and if ten months more be added to complete the said seventy years, it will carry the end of them to the first year of Cyrus (g).
This site's exposition
But when seventy years are complete
on Jeremiah 25:12-14
The seventy years that measure Judah's servitude measure Babylon's reprieve: “when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation.” Verse 14 repays Babylon in kind, since “many nations and great kings will enslave them.”
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 11 and following) And these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. And when seventy years have been completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, says the Lord, for their iniquities, and the land of the Chaldeans, and I will make it an eternal wasteland. And I will bring upon that land all my words that I have spoken against it, all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Accomplished - Counted from the time that the Jews were carried away in the time of Jeconiah or Jehoiakim, 2 Kings xxiv, 15, 16. Desolations - This was fulfilled by Darius, the king of Persia, Dan. iv, 31, of these seventy Nebuchadnezzar reigned thirty six, 2 Kings xxv, 27.
Upon this prophecy of its being the author of the ruin of so many nations it is very fitly repeated here again. What should be the effect of it. The desolations which the sword should make in all these kingdoms are represented by the consequences of excessive drinking (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
I rather incline to the former, because then these nations began to serve the king of Babylon, and because usually God has taken the earliest time from which to reckon the accomplishment of a promise of mercy, as will appear in computing the 400 years' servitude in Egypt.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And that nation - הגוי ההוא haggoi hahu. Dr. Blayney contends that this should be translated his nation, and that ההוא hahu is the substantive pronoun used in the genitive case. It is certainly more clear and definite to read, “I will punish the king of Babylon, and His nation.” Will make it perpetual desolations - See the note on Isa 13:19, where the fulfillment of this prophecy is distinctly marked.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Perpetual desolations - The ruins of Babylon form its only lasting memorial.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָ֣ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כִמְלֹ֣אות | khimlot | when are completed | H4390 → | 249 times |
| שִׁבְעִ֣ים | shivim | seventy | H7657 → | 91 times |
| שָׁנָ֡ה | shanah | year[s] | H8141 → | 877 times |
| אֶפְקֹ֣ד | ʾefkod | I will visit [judgment] | H6485 → | 303 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בָּבֶל֩ | bavel | Babylon | H894 → | 262 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַגּ֨וֹי | hagoy | the nation | H1471 → | 561 times |
| הַה֧וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָ֛ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֲוֹנָ֖ם | ʾavonam | iniquity their | H5771 → | 233 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֶ֣רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים | kasdim | [the] Chaldeans | H3778 → | 80 times |
| וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י | vesamti | and I will make | H7760 → | 584 times |
| אֹת֖וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְשִֽׁמְמ֥וֹת | leshimot | into desolations of | H8077 → | 57 times |
| עוֹלָֽם׃ | olam | perpetuity | H5769 → | 438 times |
וְהָיָ֣הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
כִמְלֹ֣אותwhen are completed
khimlotH4390 →249 times
שִׁבְעִ֣יםseventy
shivimH7657 →91 times
שָׁנָ֡הyear[s]
shanahH8141 →877 times
אֶפְקֹ֣דI will visit [judgment]
ʾefkodH6485 →303 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
בָּבֶל֩Babylon
bavelH894 →262 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
הַגּ֨וֹיthe nation
hagoyH1471 →561 times
הַה֧וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →376 times
יְהוָ֛הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֲוֹנָ֖םiniquity their
ʾavonamH5771 →233 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
אֶ֣רֶץ[the] land of
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים[the] Chaldeans
kasdimH3778 →80 times
וְשַׂמְתִּ֥יand I will make
vesamtiH7760 →584 times
אֹת֖וֹ<obj.> it
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
לְשִֽׁמְמ֥וֹתinto desolations of
leshimotH8077 →57 times
עוֹלָֽם׃perpetuity
olamH5769 →438 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 29:10For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place.
it leads to
- Zechariah 7:5
“Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, was it really for Me that you fasted?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 9:2
in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the sacred books, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.
- Jeremiah 24:6–7
I will keep My eyes on them for good and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them.
- Jeremiah 32:42–44
For this is what the LORD says: Just as I have brought all this great disaster on this people, so I will bring on them all the good I have promised them.
- Zechariah 7:5
Through
Daniel 9:2in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the sacred books, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 29:10
For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place.
- Jeremiah 25:11–12
And this whole land will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.
- 2 Chronicles 36:21
So the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation, until seventy years were completed, in fulfillment of the word of the LORD through Jeremiah.
- Revelation 1:3
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.
- Jeremiah 29:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Jeremiah

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
