Jeremiah
Chapter 27
SUBMISSION TO THE KING OF BABYLON
To the Ambassadors
At the start of Zedekiah’s reign, son of Josiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah like this:
“Make ropes and a yoke for yourself, and put them on your neck.
Then send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their ambassadors, who have come to Jerusalem to see Zedekiah, king of Judah.
Give them these instructions for their masters: The Lord God of Hosts tells you what to say to your masters:
Through my great power And mighty deeds, I made the earth, along with the people and animals that inhabit it, and I give them to whoever I wish.
Now I have handed all these lands over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and I will even make the beasts of the field subject to him.
All nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until the time comes for his land; then, he will be overpowered by powerful nations and great kings.
As for the nation or kingdom That refuses to serve Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, I will punish it with the sword, famine, and plague —this is the word of the Lord— until I completely wipe it out.
Therefore, you must no longer heed your prophets, diviners, dream interpreters, astrologers, or sorcerers who say that you should not submit yourselves to the king of Babylon.
For they are false prophets whose words will lead you to be ultimately driven from your land. I myself will drive you out, and you will perish.
But the nation that submits to the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, I will leave in its land —word of the Lord— to cultivate it and live there.
To Zedekiah
Then I gave the same message to King Zedekiah of Judah: “Place your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon. Serve him and his people, and you will live.
Why should you and your people die by the sword, famine, and plague as the Lord has threatened any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
Do not listen to the prophets when they say: ‘You will not have to serve the king of Babylon.’ For they are deceiving you with their prophesies.
I did not send them, says the Lord, and they falsely use my name in their prophesying. Let it not be that I drive you out of your land, and you perish along with the prophets who have spoken to you.”
To the Priests and the People
Then I spoke to the priests and the people: “The Lord reminds you not to listen to your prophets who say: ‘Very soon now the articles from the Lord’s house will be brought back from Babylon.’ They prophesy lies.
Do not listen to them; instead, serve the king of Babylon and survive. Why should this city become a ruin?
If they were prophets and had the Lord’s word in their hearts, they would now be praying to the Lord God of Hosts not to allow the objects still remaining in the house of the Lord and the royal palace and Jerusalem to be carried off to Babylon.
For, the Lord says something about the pillars, the Sea, the movable stands, and the other objects still in this city
which Nebuchadnezzar did not carry off when he deported Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, together with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem.
Yes, this is what the Lord, the God of Hosts, says about the objects remaining in the house of the Lord and the royal palace in Jerusalem:
“They will be taken to Babylon, and there they will remain until the day I deal with them. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.”
Commentaries
To the Ambassadors.
Once again, Jeremiah employs a symbolic act to convey his message; this time, it is the image of a yoke, similar to those placed on oxen, which illustrates the condition of all kingdoms after Nebuchadnezzar conquers them. For the prophet, it is obvious that the Creator and Owner of the entire earth can give it temporarily to whoever he chooses (5); this time, Nebuchadnezzar will hold it (6f), with the assurance that the Lord himself will give into his hands anyone who tries to resist (8). With such support, there is no reason to rebel (9).
To Zedekiah.
The word of God spoken by the true prophet is fulfilled.
To the Priests and the People.
The prophet continues to stress submission to the king of Babylon and condemns the prophets and priests who openly oppose divine will. At the very least, submission guarantees survival and keeps hope alive for returning to the land and recovering the temple treasures that Nebuchadnezzar stole. The true prophet intercedes before God on behalf of the people (18) and does not give in to their false expectations (cf. Jr 15:19).