Jeremiah 27:8
in Jeremiah 27As for the nation or kingdom that does not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and does not place its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation by sword and famine and plague, declares the LORD, until I have destroyed it by his hand.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it shall come to pass, that the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith Jehovah, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
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.
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This verse in Jeremiah 27
Commentary
6 notes on this verse(Verse 8) However, the nation and kingdom that will not serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and whoever will not bend their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will visit upon that nation with the sword, famine, and plague, declares the Lord, until I have consumed them by his hand. Not only does the Lord subject sinful nations to Nebuchadnezzar, but the Apostle also speaks of sinners: whom I have handed over to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme (1 Timothy 1:20).
This site's exposition
As for the nation or kingdom
on Jeremiah 27:8-11
The nation that refuses Babylon's yoke is promised “sword and famine and plague” until it is destroyed. The nation that submits keeps its land. The prophets who say “You will not serve the king of Babylon” prophesy “a lie that will serve to remove you from your land.”
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
For Jeremiah also prophesied that the Lord commanded them to go into Babylon. He reproved as false prophets any of the other prophets who told the people not to go to Babylon. Let those who read the Scriptures remember this as we do. Let those who do not, give us credit. Jeremiah, then, on the part of God, threatened those who would not go to Babylon, whereas he promised rest to those who would go and even a kind of contentment in the cultivation of their vines, and planting of their gardens and the abundance of their fruits.
By the mouth of his prophet God called the heathen king Nebuchadnezzar, king of kings. For Jeremiah said, "Every people and kingdom that shall not put his neck into the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, king of kings, my servant, with famine and with sword and with pestilence will I visit that people." Though he is the great King, God does not begrudge the name of kingship to mortals. Though he is the great God, yet he did not grudge the name of godhead to the children of flesh. Though all fatherhood is his, he has called men fathers too. He said to the congregation, "Instead of your fathers shall be your children." Though authority is his, he has given people authority one over another. While worship is his for honor, he has still allowed in the world for one human being to honor another.… Behold the grace and the love of our good Maker, that he did not begrudge to people the name of godhead and the name of worship, and the name of kingship and the name of authority, because he is the Father of the created things that are over the face of the world, and he has honored and exalted and glorified human beings above all creatures. For with his holy hands he formed them, and with his Spirit he breathed into them, and he became a dwelling place for them from ancient times. He abides in them and walks among them. For he said through the prophet, I will dwell in them and walk in them.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): That nation that will not put their neck under his yoke I will punish with sword and famine, with one judgment after another, till it is consumed by his hand.
quarantine:debris,scripture (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens; scripture-overlap:80%@v7-8
And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon,.... Will not, upon his approaching to them, invading and besieging them, submit and become tributary to him, as is more fully expressed in the next clause: and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon; or voluntarily become subject to him, and pay a tax he shall impose upon them.
The words behind it
33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָ֨ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַגּ֜וֹי | hagoy | the nation | H1471 → | 561 times |
| וְהַמַּמְלָכָ֗ה | vehamamlakhah | and the kingdom | H4467 → | 117 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַעַבְד֤וּ | yaavdu | they will serve | H5647 → | 288 times |
| אֹתוֹ֙ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּ֣ר | nevukhadnetzar | Nebuchadnezzar | H5019 → | 60 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בָּבֶ֔ל | bavel | Babylon | H894 → | 262 times |
| וְאֵ֨ת | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִתֵּן֙ | yiten | it will put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| צַוָּאר֔וֹ | tzavaro | neck its | H6677 → | 42 times |
| בְּעֹ֖ל | beol | in [the] yoke of | H5923 → | 40 times |
| מֶ֣לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בָּבֶ֑ל | bavel | Babylon | H894 → | 262 times |
| בַּחֶרֶב֩ | bacherev | with the sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וּבָרָעָ֨ב | uvaraav | and with <the> famine | H7458 → | 101 times |
| וּבַדֶּ֜בֶר | uvadever | and with <the> pestilence | H1698 → | 49 times |
| אֶפְקֹ֨ד | ʾefkod | I will visit [judgment] | H6485 → | 303 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַגּ֤וֹי | hagoy | the nation | H1471 → | 561 times |
| הַהוּא֙ | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| תֻּמִּ֥י | tumi | have consumed I | H8552 → | 63 times |
| אֹתָ֖ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ | beyado | by hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
וְהָיָ֨הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
הַגּ֜וֹיthe nation
hagoyH1471 →561 times
וְהַמַּמְלָכָ֗הand the kingdom
vehamamlakhahH4467 →117 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יַעַבְד֤וּthey will serve
yaavduH5647 →288 times
אֹתוֹ֙<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּ֣רNebuchadnezzar
nevukhadnetzarH5019 →60 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
בָּבֶ֔לBabylon
bavelH894 →262 times
וְאֵ֨תand <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִתֵּן֙it will put
yitenH5414 →2011 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
צַוָּאר֔וֹneck its
tzavaroH6677 →42 times
בְּעֹ֖לin [the] yoke of
beolH5923 →40 times
מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
בָּבֶ֑לBabylon
bavelH894 →262 times
בַּחֶרֶב֩with the sword
bacherevH2719 →413 times
וּבָרָעָ֨בand with <the> famine
uvaraavH7458 →101 times
וּבַדֶּ֜בֶרand with <the> pestilence
uvadeverH1698 →49 times
אֶפְקֹ֨דI will visit [judgment]
ʾefkodH6485 →303 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַגּ֤וֹיthe nation
hagoyH1471 →561 times
הַהוּא֙<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →376 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
תֻּמִּ֥יhave consumed I
tumiH8552 →63 times
אֹתָ֖ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
בְּיָדֽוֹ׃by hand his
beyadoH3027 →1618 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
Ezekiel 14:21For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem My four dire judgments—sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague—in order to cut off from it…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 5:17
I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring a sword against you. I, the LORD, have…
- Ezekiel 33:27
Tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, those in the ruins will fall by the sword, those in the open field I will give to be…
- Ezekiel 14:19
Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out My wrath upon it through bloodshed, cutting off from it both man and beast,
- Ezekiel 14:17
Or if I bring a sword against that land and say, ‘Let a sword pass through it,’ so that I cut off from it both man and beast,
- Ezekiel 14:13
“Son of man, if a land sins against Me by acting unfaithfully, and I stretch out My hand against it to cut off its supply of food, to send famine upon it, and to…
- Ezekiel 5:17
Through
Jeremiah 24:10And I will send against them sword and famine and plague, until they have perished from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.’”
it leads to
- Isaiah 51:19
These pairs have befallen you: devastation and destruction, famine and sword. Who will grieve for you? Who can comfort you?
- Ezekiel 5:12–17
A third of your people will die by plague or be consumed by famine within you, a third will fall by the sword outside your walls, and a third I will scatter to every…
- Jeremiah 19:7
And in this place I will ruin the plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies, by the hands of those who seek their lives, and…
- Isaiah 51:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
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; Aphrahat the Persian Sage, DEMONSTRATIONS 17:6; Augustine of Hippo, SERMON 51.14; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.