Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 27:13
Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
Zedekiah was restless under the Babylonian yoke, and the false prophets found only too ready a hearing from him. He is addressed in the plural because his feelings were fully shared by the mass of the officers of state and by the people.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. Why will ye die] If ye resist the king of Babylon, to whom I have given a commission against you, ye shall be destroyed by the sword and by famine; but if ye submit, ye shall escape all these evils.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
That is, Why wilt thou wilfully not only ruin thyself, but thy innocent people, by the sword, the famine, and the pestilence? The word is spoken by the Lord, that all nations who will not willingly yield to the king of Babylon shall be thus destroyed.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. Why . . . dieby runningon your own ruin in resisting Nebuchadnezzar after this warning (Eze18:31).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Why will ye die, thou and thy people, the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence,…. Through a blockade of the Chaldean army, which would invade their land, and besiege their city, upon a refusal to be subject to their yoke:
as the Lord hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? as the Lord has threatened shall be the case of any and everyone of the above nations that should refuse to be tributary to him; of which, no doubt, Zedekiah and his court had been apprized; see Jer 27:8.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Here is a threatening added; for all means were used not only to invite the Jews, but also to stimulate them to repent. The Prophet offered them pardon, if they quietly submitted to be chastised by God. It was to be their life, he said, when the Lord punished them according to his will. As they could not be sufficiently moved by this kindness, he now adds, “See ye to it, for except ye receive the life offered to you, you must inevitably perish. Therefore thou, Zedekiah, wilt precipitate thyself with all thy people into eternal destruction, if ye continue to be perverse and obstinate against God.”
We hence see that nothing was left undone by the Prophet to bend the Jews to obedience and to lead them to repentance. By speaking of the sword, famine, and pestilence, he intimates that there would be no end, until they were consumed by God’s vengeance, except they suffered themselves, as we have said, to be thus chastised by his paternal kindness, for this would be salutary to them.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
13. Why will ye die Namely, by persisting in that course which, as you have been plainly warned, will lead to inevitable destruction. They cannot successfully resist Nebuchadnezzar, for he is armed with Jehovah’s authority. (Jer 27:6-8.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 27:13 Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
Ver. 13. Why will ye die, thou and thy people? ] Ec quae haec pertinacia? If thou hast no mercy on thyself, yet pity the State, which is like to perish by thy pertinace. Josephus highly commendeth Jeconiah for his yielding to go into captivity for the safety of the city. Tertullian giveth this counsel to Scapula the persecutor, If thou wilt not spare us, yet spare thyself; or, if not thyself, yet thy country, Carthage, which is like to smoke for thy cruelty, for “God is the avenger of all such.”
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Why . . . ? Figure of speech Asterismos.
by. Some codices, with Aramaean, Syriac, and Vulgate, read “and by”, thus completing the Figure of speech Polysyndeton. Compare Jer 27:8.
as = according as.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Why: Jer 38:20, Pro 8:36, Eze 18:24, Eze 18:31, Eze 33:11
by the sword: Jer 27:8, Jer 24:9, Jer 38:2, Eze 14:21
Reciprocal: Deu 28:48 – a yoke 2Ki 7:3 – Why 2Ch 36:21 – To fulfil Jer 17:4 – and I Jer 21:9 – that abideth Jer 27:17 – wherefore Jer 37:13 – Thou Jer 38:23 – shalt cause Lam 1:19 – my priests
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 27:13. Even though the nation as a whole was doomed to eo into captivity. Zedekiah and his family could have escaped personal hardship had they conducted themselves in the proper manner. Jeremiah pleaded with them to hearken to the word of the Lord which he was delivering unto them.