King James Version

What Does Jeremiah 27:7 Mean?

Jeremiah 27:7 in the King James Version says “And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nat...” — study this verse from Jeremiah chapter 27 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.”

Jeremiah 27:7 · KJV

Context

5

I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.

6

And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

7

And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.

8

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.

9

Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: dreamers: Heb. dreams

Read Jeremiah 27 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come—God prophesies three generations of Babylonian dominance: Nebuchadnezzar, his son (Evil-merodach, 2 Kings 25:27), and grandson (Belshazzar, Daniel 5). The phrase until the very time of his land come uses 'ad-bo' 'et-artso (עַד־בּוֹא עֵת־אַרְצוֹ), literally 'until comes the time of his land'—indicating divine appointment for both Babylon's rise and its fall. History is not cyclical or random; God establishes both the duration and termination of empires according to His purposes.

And then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him—The verb shall serve themselves of (avadu bo, עָבְדוּ בוֹ) indicates Babylon would become subject to the very nations it had conquered. This was fulfilled when the Medo-Persian coalition under Cyrus conquered Babylon (539 BC), ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The prophecy demonstrates God's absolute control over history's rise and fall of empires—what He establishes, He also terminates. Daniel 2's vision of the statue with different metals illustrates this succession of kingdoms, all under divine sovereignty. This prophetic precision should have given the plotting envoys pause: if God ordained Babylon's dominion, resistance was futile; if God also ordained Babylon's fall, patience would be rewarded.

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

The prophecy was precisely fulfilled: Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC), his son Evil-merodach (562-560 BC), and his grandson Belshazzar (co-regent 553-539 BC) ruled before Babylon fell to Cyrus the Persian in 539 BC. Technically, Belshazzar was Nebuchadnezzar's grandson through his daughter (Daniel 5:11), not direct line, but Hebrew 'son' can mean descendant. The seventy-year period from Jerusalem's destruction (586 BC) to Cyrus's decree allowing return (538 BC) corresponds to this Babylonian dominance. The Cyrus Cylinder (archaeological artifact) confirms Cyrus's policy of allowing conquered peoples to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples, fulfilling both Jeremiah's prophecy and Isaiah's even earlier prediction naming Cyrus (Isaiah 44:28-45:1).

Reflection Questions

  1. How does God's precise control over the rise and fall of empires provide comfort or challenge to your faith?
  2. What does this passage teach about the temporary nature of all earthly power and authority?
  3. How should believers living under ungodly governments balance submission with the knowledge that God will eventually judge all earthly powers?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 21 words
וְעָ֤בְדוּ1 of 21

“shall serve”

H5647

to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc

אֹתוֹ֙2 of 21
H853

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

כָּל3 of 21
H3605

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

גּוֹיִ֣ם4 of 21

“And all nations”

H1471

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

וְאֶת5 of 21
H853

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

בְּנ֑וֹ6 of 21

“and his son's”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

וְאֶֽת7 of 21
H853

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

בְּנ֑וֹ8 of 21

“and his son's”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

בְּנ֑וֹ9 of 21

“and his son's”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

עַ֣ד10 of 21
H5704

as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)

בֹּא11 of 21

“come”

H935

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

עֵ֤ת12 of 21

“until the very time”

H6256

time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc

אַרְצוֹ֙13 of 21

“of his land”

H776

the earth (at large, or partitively a land)

גַּם14 of 21
H1571

properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and

ה֔וּא15 of 21
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

וְעָ֤בְדוּ16 of 21

“shall serve”

H5647

to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc

בוֹ֙17 of 21
H0
גּוֹיִ֣ם18 of 21

“And all nations”

H1471

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

רַבִּ֔ים19 of 21

“and then many”

H7227

abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)

וּמְלָכִ֖ים20 of 21

“kings”

H4428

a king

גְּדֹלִֽים׃21 of 21

“and great”

H1419

great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent

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 27:7 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 27:7 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Jeremiah 52:31Zechariah 2:8-9Isaiah 14:4-6Daniel 5:25-31Revelation 13:5-10Jeremiah 25:11-14

Places in This Verse

Babylon 1Settlement · Modern: Babylon · 32.54°N, 44.42°E296 verses across 15 books
View all places in Jeremiah 27 →

Test Your Knowledge

Jeremiah 27 QuizTest your knowledge of this chapterJeremiah Book QuizComprehensive quiz for the entire book

Continue Your Study

Read Jeremiah 27 with CommentaryAll Jeremiah ChaptersComplete Jeremiah QuizBible CharactersNave's Topical BibleAll Bible Quizzes