Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 25:27
Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spew, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.
27 29. There is some reason to consider these vv. a later insertion. For (i) the nations ( Jer 25:17) had already been made to drink, (ii) Jehovah (“and thou shalt say”) suddenly becomes the speaker, instead of, as in the previous vv., the prophet himself, (iii) the implication ( Jer 25:29) that the guilt of other nations is greater than that of Judah is inconsistent with such passages as Jer 2:10 f.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The metaphors denote the helplessness to which the nations are reduced by drinking the wine-cup of fury Jer 25:15.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 27. Be drunken, and spue] Why did we not use the word vomit, less offensive than the other, and yet of the same signification?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
27. rise no moreThe heathennations in question should fall to rise no more. The Jews should fallbut for a time, and then rise again. Therefore, the epithet is given,”the God of Israel.“
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Therefore thou shalt say unto them,…. To the several nations before mentioned, prophesied against:
thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; the Lord of armies, above and below, the Sovereign of the whole universe; but in a special and peculiar manner the God of Israel:
drink ye, and be drunken, and spew, and fall, and rise no more; as is sometimes the case of drunken men; they drink till they are quite intoxicated; and become drunk, and then they spew up what they have drunk; and, attempting to walk, fall, and sometimes so as never to rise more; not only break their bones, but their necks, or fall into places where they are suffocated, or in one or other, where they lose their lives. So it is signified, that these nations should drink of the cup of God’s wrath and fury; or his judgments should come upon them in such a manner as that they should be obliged to part with all their riches, power, and authority; and should fall and sink into such a ruinous condition, as that they should never be able to the more to a prosperous one:
because of the sword that I will send among you; by which they should be destroyed. The Targum joins this with the preceding clause, thus,
“and ye shall not rise from before those that kill with the sword, whom I send among you.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
From Jer 25:27 onwards the commission from God (Jer 25:15.) is still more completely communicated to Jeremiah, so that the record of its fulfilment (Jer 25:17-26), together with the enumeration of the various peoples, is to be regarded as an explanatory parenthesis. These might the less unsuitably be inserted after Jer 25:16, inasmuch as what there is further of the divine command in Jer 25:27-29 is, if we examine its substance, little else than an enforcement of the command. The prophet is not merely to declare to them what is the meaning of this drinking of wrath (Hitz.), but is to tell them that they are to drink the cup of wrath to the bottom, so that they shall fall for drunkenness and not be able to stand again (Jer 25:27); and that they must drink, because when once Jahveh has begun judgment on His own people, He is determined not to spare any other people. from = serves to strengthen the ; in the second hemistich the figurative statement passes into the real, as at Jer 25:16. In Jer 25:28 is a peremptory command; ye shall = must drink. Jer 25:29 gives the reason; since God spares not His own people, then the heathen people need not count on immunity. “And ye think to go unpunished” is a question of surprise. Judgment is to be extended over all the inhabitants of the earth.
As to the fulfilment of this prophecy, see detail sin the exposition of the oracles against the nations, Jer 46-51. Hence it appears that most of the nations here mentioned were subject to Nebuchadnezzar. Only of Elam is no express mention there made; and as to Media, Jeremiah has given no special prophecy. As to both these peoples, it is very questionable whether Nebuchadnezzar ever subdued them. For more on this, see on Jer 49:34-39. Although it is said in Jer 25:9 of the present chapter and in Jer 27:5. that God has given all peoples, all the lands of the earth, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, yet it does not follow thence that Nebuchadnezzar really conquered all. The meaning of the prophetic announcement is simply that the king of Babylon will obtain dominion over the world for the coming period, and that when his time is run, he too must fall beneath the judgment. The judgment executed by Nebuchadnezzar on the nations is the beginning of that upon the whole earth, before which, in course of time, all inhabitants of the earth fall, even those whom Nebuchadnezzar’s sword has not reached. In the beginning of the Chaldean judgment the prophet sees the beginning of judgment upon the whole earth.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Here the Prophet returns to his former discourse. He had said that a cup was extended to him by God’s hand, that he might give it to all nations to drink. He now repeats and confirms the same thing, not indeed that he brought this message to all the nations; for we have said the benefit arising from these predictions belonged only to the Jews. Neither the Tyrians nor the Sidonians ever knew that they were punished by God’s hand when they were plundered by their enemies; this never came to their minds, nor had this been ever taught them. The Prophet had not been appointed their teacher; but his duty was only to warn his own nation.
However, the Prophet, that his predictions might have greater authority, is here introduced as God’s herald, denouncing ruin on all nations, Thou shalt therefore say to them, Thus saith Jehovah, etc. The true God was unknown to these heathens, except they had heard that God was worshipped in Judea; but at the same time they despised, yea, hated true religion. But, as I have already said, the Prophet addressed his own people, the Jews alone, though he spoke of aliens and distant nations. I cannot advance further now.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(27) Drink ye, and be drunken . . .The bold imagery points, like that of Jer. 25:16, to the terror and dismay which made joint action impossible, and reduced the nations whom it affected to a helpless impotence. The word most alien to our modern feelingspueis significant, as implying that the spoilers of Israel should be spoiled. They should be made, to use a word which expresses essentially the same thought, to disgorge their prey.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
27. Drink ye, etc. Language which sets forth vividly and impressively the helplessness of the people under the divine inflictions.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 25:27 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.
Ver. 27. Drink ye, and be drunk, and spue, and fall. ] Eckius, or Eccius, otherwise by some called Jeccius, from his casting or spuing, being nonplussed by Melanchthon, and well nigh madded, started drinking, for his own solace, and drank himself to death. a So should these do of the cup of God’s wrath, not only till they were mad drunk, as Jer 25:16 but dead drunk.
a Manlii, Loc. Com. 89.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 25:27-29
27You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall and rise no more because of the sword which I will send among you.’ 28And it will be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you will say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: You shall surely drink! 29For behold, I am beginning to work calamity in this city which is called by My name, and shall you be completely free from punishment? You will not be free from punishment; for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of hosts.’
Jer 25:27 There is a string of commands related to drunkenness as a metaphor for judgment.
1. drink – BDB 1059, KB 1667, Qal IMPERATIVE
2. be drunk – BDB 1016, KB 1500, Qal IMPERATIVE
3. vomit – BDB 883, KB 1096, Qal IMPERATIVE
4. fall – BDB 656, KB 709, Qal IMPERATIVE
5. notice the INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and IMPERFECT VERB of #1 in Jer 25:28 for intensity
Jer 25:29 Jerusalem, who had such privileges, will be judged along with the rest of mankind!
completely free This is the INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and IMPERFECT VERB from the same root (BDB 667, KB 720) for dramatic emphasis. The city which was called by YHWH’s name was surely responsible for her covenant breaking, refusal to repent, continued idolatry!
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Jer 25:27-29
Jer 25:27-29
And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink ye, and be drunken, and spew, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you. And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thy hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Ye shall surely drink. For, lo, I begin to work evil at the city which is called by my name; and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished; for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith Jehovah of hosts.
If they shall refuse to take the cup…
(Jer 25:28). Of course, no person or no nation can refuse to drink the cup of the wine of the wrath of God; and what this signifies here is the surfacing of any complaint against God’s judgment that might be raised by sufferers of the consequences of their sins.
The judgment of God against the whole world derives from the fact that when the world has become so wicked that God’s people themselves are swept into the near-universal rebellion against God, then the whole world at that time does indeed deserve destruction. It happened once upon the occasion of the destruction of the Old Israel; and it will occur again in the destruction of the New Israel at the end of the age in the events culminating in the Final Judgment of the Great Day. When will that happen? When the cities of the Gentiles have fallen, when the Great Whore, when oppressive anti-theistic government, and Satan himself shall all three have been cast into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone. See the last three chapters of Revelation.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Drink: Isa 51:21, Isa 63:6, Lam 4:21, Hab 2:16
because: Jer 25:16, Jer 12:12, Jer 46:10, Jer 46:14, Jer 47:6, Jer 47:7, Jer 50:35, Deu 32:42, Eze 21:4, Eze 21:5, Eze 24:21-25
Reciprocal: Psa 75:8 – For in Pro 13:2 – the soul Isa 19:14 – as a Isa 19:17 – the land Isa 24:20 – and it Isa 29:9 – they are Isa 51:17 – which hast Jer 9:16 – and I Jer 13:13 – I will Jer 25:15 – all Jer 27:4 – Thus Jer 48:26 – ye him Jer 50:1 – against Babylon Jer 51:39 – their heat Jer 51:57 – I will Jer 51:64 – Thus shall Lam 3:15 – filled Eze 23:33 – filled Amo 8:14 – shall fall Oba 1:16 – as ye Rev 14:10 – drink
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 25:27. This verse is an emphatic summing up of the experiences to be had by those who were destined to drink of the cup of Gods wrath.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 25:27-29. Drink ye and be drunken The imperative is here put for the future: see the like mode of speaking, Isa 2:9; Isa 6:9; Isa 23:16. The cup being metaphorically put for calamity, to be drunken with it, and fall, &c., must signify extreme calamity, or destruction. If they refuse to take the cup, &c. If they either do not believe thy threatenings, or disregard them, as thinking themselves sufficiently provided against any hostile invasion, thou shalt let them know that the judgments denounced against them are Gods irreversible decree, which shall certainly be executed, and that it will be in vain for them to hope to escape the threatened ruin. For lo, I bring evil on the city called by my name, &c. Judgment often begins at the house of God, for the correction of his people, and to be a warning to others; but the heaviest strokes of it are reserved for the ungodly: see Lowth, and Jer 49:12; 1Pe 4:17-18. And should ye be utterly unpunished? No: if this be done in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry? If they that have some good in them smart so severely for the evil that is found in them, can they expect to escape that have worse evils and no good found among them? If Jerusalem be punished for learning idolatry of the nations, shall not the nations be punished of whom they learned it? No doubt they shall; for, says the Lord, I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth For they have helped to corrupt the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jeremiah was to announce the doom of all these nations by military conquest. Their fate would be similar to that of a drunken man.