King James Version

What Does Jeremiah 25:12 Mean?

Jeremiah 25:12 in the King James Version says “And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation,...” — study this verse from Jeremiah chapter 25 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“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. punish: Heb. visit upon”

Jeremiah 25:12 · KJV

Context

10

Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. I will: Heb. I will cause to perish from them

11

And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

12

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. punish: Heb. visit upon

13

And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.

14

For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.

Read Jeremiah 25 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
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. The phrase bimlōʾṯ shivʿîm shānâ (בִּמְלֹאת שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה, when seventy years are fulfilled) indicates precise divine timing. The verb pāqaḏ (פָּקַד, punish/visit in judgment) applies to Babylon just as it applied to Judah. Though God used Babylon as His instrument, their brutal excesses and proud arrogance warranted judgment (Isaiah 47; Jeremiah 50-51).

This reveals a crucial theological principle: God holds accountable those He uses to judge others. Assyria faced judgment for pride despite being God's 'rod of anger' (Isaiah 10:5-19). Rome would be destroyed despite executing God's judgment on Jerusalem in AD 70. Being God's instrument doesn't excuse moral responsibility for how that role is executed. Babylon's sin wasn't conquering Judah (God commanded this) but their cruelty, pride, and idolatry in doing so. The phrase lĕḥorĕḇōṯ ʿôlām (לְחָרְבוֹת עוֹלָם, perpetual desolations) pronounced on Babylon would be even more complete than Judah's—Babylon would never be restored as Judah was.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Babylon fell to Cyrus the Persian in 539 BC, just 66 years after Nebuchadnezzar's first conquest of Jerusalem. The prophecy's fulfillment was dramatic—Daniel 5 records the fall of Babylon the very night of Belshazzar's feast. Though the city survived initially, it gradually declined until by the Christian era it was deserted ruins. Isaiah 13-14 and Jeremiah 50-51 prophesied Babylon's perpetual desolation, fulfilled more completely than Judah's temporary exile. Archaeological excavations reveal a magnificent ancient city now uninhabited desert—a testimony to fulfilled prophecy.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does God's judgment on Babylon demonstrate that being used by God doesn't exempt one from moral accountability?
  2. What does the greater severity of Babylon's judgment (perpetual versus temporary) teach about degrees of accountability based on knowledge and privilege?
  3. How should this principle—that God judges those who execute His judgments—shape our understanding of national and political powers today?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 22 words
וְהָיָ֣ה1 of 22
H1961

to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

כִמְלֹ֣אות2 of 22

“are accomplished”

H4390

to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively)

שִׁבְעִ֣ים3 of 22

“And it shall come to pass when seventy”

H7657

seventy

שָׁנָ֡ה4 of 22

“years”

H8141

a year (as a revolution of time)

אֶפְקֹ֣ד5 of 22

“that I will punish”

H6485

to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc

עַל6 of 22
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

מֶֽלֶךְ7 of 22

“the king”

H4428

a king

בָּבֶל֩8 of 22

“of Babylon”

H894

babel (i.e., babylon), including babylonia and the babylonian empire

וְעַל9 of 22
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

הַגּ֨וֹי10 of 22

“and that nation”

H1471

a foreign nation; hence, a gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts

הַה֧וּא11 of 22
H1931

he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo

נְאֻם12 of 22

“saith”

H5002

an oracle

יְהוָ֛ה13 of 22

“the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

אֶת14 of 22
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

עֲוֹנָ֖ם15 of 22

“for their iniquity”

H5771

perversity, i.e., (moral) evil

וְעַל16 of 22
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

אֶ֣רֶץ17 of 22

“and the land”

H776

the earth (at large, or partitively a land)

כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים18 of 22

“of the Chaldeans”

H3778

a kasdite, or descendant of kesed; by implication, a chaldaean (as if so descended); also an astrologer (as if proverbial of that people

וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י19 of 22

“and will make”

H7760

to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)

אֹת֖וֹ20 of 22
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

לְשִֽׁמְמ֥וֹת21 of 22

“desolations”

H8077

devastation; figuratively, astonishment

עוֹלָֽם׃22 of 22

“it perpetual”

H5769

properly, concealed, i.e., the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e., (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Jeremiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Jeremiah 25:12 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Jeremiah 25:12 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Daniel 9:2Isaiah 13:19Jeremiah 29:10Jeremiah 50:1-46Jeremiah 51:62-64Isaiah 14:23

Places in This Verse

Babylon 1Settlement · Modern: Babylon · 32.54°N, 44.42°E296 verses across 15 books
ChaldeaRegion · Modern: Tell el Muqayyar · 30.96°N, 46.10°E85 verses across 11 books
View all places in Jeremiah 25 →

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