Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 27:7
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.
7. him, and his son, and his son’s son ] If this prophecy be meant to be taken literally, it will signify that the power of Babylon would last for two generations of rulers after Nebuchadnezzar. According to profane history however it was more prolonged. Evil-Merodach ( Amil-Marduk, man or servant of Marduk the chief Babylonian divinity), son and successor to Nebuchadnezzar (b.c. 561), reigned two years, or two years and a few months, according to the tablets dated in his reign. He was killed in a rebellion led by his sister’s husband, Neriglissar (Nergal-Sharezer), who in three or four years was succeeded by a young son Laborosoarchod, murdered after a nine months’ reign. Thus, unless the v. merely means that for the Jews or other nations there was to be no speedy riddance of Babylon, as the false prophets taught, it is at variance with history. It is possible that this fact may be the cause of its omission by LXX, but a view much to be preferred is that the apparently definite fixing of a termination to the power of Babylon, an announcement quite out of harmony with the context (cp. end of note on Jer 25:11), stamps it as a gloss. As Co. ( Heb. p. 70) says “The idea that the dominion of the Chaldns is to be merely transitory is decidedly inappropriate in this place, where it is much more to the interest of the prophet to depict the power of Nebuchadnezzar as terribly as possible.”
the time of his own land come ] As he acted, so shall he in like manner suffer.
many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him ] See on Jer 25:14.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
His son, and his sons son – Evil-Merodach and Nabonadius (see Dan 5:1 note).
Shall serve themselves of him – See the marginal reference. After long servitude to the Persian and Median kings, the Selucidae ruined the remains of Babylon.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. And all nations shall serve him, (Nebuchadnezzar,) and his son, (Evil-merodach, Jer 52:31,) and his son’s son, (Belshazzar, Da 5:11.) All which was literally fulfilled.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
All nations shall serve him; that is, all these nations; and some think that it is expressed in the article used here demonstratively, though not so taken notice of by our translators. And his son, and his sons son; and Evil-merodach his son, who succeeded him, Jer 52:31, and Belshazzar his grandchild, Dan 4:1,11. Until the period of his kingdom shall come, (for nations have their periods,) which was after seventy years, according to Jer 29:10, during which years some say four princes ruled in Babylon, the Scripture mentions but three. After that he shall himself be conquered, as it came to pass in Belshazzars time, Dan 5:30, Darius the emperor of the Medes taking his kingdom.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. son . . . son’s son (2Ch36:20). Nebuchadnezzar had four successorsEvil-merodach,his son; Neriglissar, husband of Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter;his son, Labosodarchod; and Naboned (with whom his son, Belshazzar,was joint king), son of Evil-merodach. But Neriglissar andLabosodarchod were not in the direct male line; so that theprophecy held good to “his son and his son’s son,” and theintermediate two are omitted.
time of his landthatis, of its subjugation or its being “visited” in wrath(Jer 27:22; Jer 25:12;Jer 29:10; Jer 50:27;Dan 5:26).
serve themselves of himmakehim their servant (Jer 25:14;Isa 13:22). So “his day”for the destined day of his calamity (Job18:20).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And all nations shall serve him,…. That is, all those, all above mentioned; though there were others also that were tributary to him, but not every nation under heaven:
and his son, and his son’s son; their Scripture names were Evilmerodach and Belshazzar, Jer 52:31; and by Ptolemy, in his canon, are called Iloarudamus and Nabonadius; between whom he places Niricassolassarus, or Neriglissarus; who was not a son of Evilmerodach, but his sister’s husband. A son of his succeeded him, called Laborosoarchod; who, reigning but nine months, is not placed in the canon; agreeably to which is the account of Berosus h; by whom the immediate son of Nebuchadnezzar is named Evilmaradouchus; or Evilmalaurouchus, as in Eusebius i; who, after he had reigned two years, was slain by Neriglissoor, or Neriglissar, as in the above writer, his sister’s husband; who, after he had enjoyed the kingdom four years, died, and left it to his son, whom he calls Chabaessoarachus, or Laborosoarchados, as before, who reigned but nine months; and then Nabonnidus succeeded, the name he gives him who was conquered by Cyrus in the seventeenth year of his reign; and not very different is the account of Nebuchadnezzar’s successors, and the names of them, as given by Abydenus, out of Megasthenes k; according to whom, Evilmalaurouchus, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, was his successor; then Neriglissar, his sister’s husband, who left a son called Labassoarascus; and after him Nabannidochus, in whose times Cyrus took Babylon; and who appears to be the same with Belshazzar, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar; so that the Scripture is very just and accurate in mentioning these two only as the son, and son’s son of Nebuchadnezzar, whom the nations should serve; for in the last of these ended the Babylonish monarchy:
until the very time of his land come; or that “itself; also he himself” l or, “also of himself”, as the Vulgate Latin version. The Targum is,
“until the time of the destruction of his land come, also of himself;”
there was a time fixed for his life, and so long the nations were to serve, and did serve, him personally; and there was a time fixed for the continuance of his monarchy, in his son, and son’s son; when it was to end, as it did, in Belshazzar’s reign; and when the seventy years’ captivity of the Jews was up:
and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him; and his kingdom; subdue it, and make it tributary to them. This was accomplished by the Medes and Persians, with Darius and Cyrus at the head of them, and other nations and kings, allies and auxiliaries to them, and associates with them; see Jer 25:14. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, “and many nations and great kings shall serve him”; so the Targum; which falls in with the former part of the verse; wherefore the other sense is best.
h Apud Joseph. contra Apion. I. 1. sect. 20. p. 1344. i Praepar. Evangel. I. 9. c. 40. p. 455. k Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 41. p. 457. l “etiam illud, [vel] ipsum”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Schmidt.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Serve him shall all nations, and his son, and the son of his son The greater part think that Nebuchadnezzar had only two successors of his own posterity, Evil-merodach and Belshazar; others name five, and two of them between Evil-merodach and Belshazar. Those who think that there were no more than three, quote this testimony of the Prophet, for he names only the king’s son and his grandson; but this would be no sufficient reason. I am, however, disposed to follow what has been more commonly received, that Belshazar, the last king of Babylon, who was slain by Cyrus, was the third from Nebuchadnezzar. (181)
But this is not the main thing; for the Prophet speaks of the time of the Chaldean monarchy as well as of the king, until the time of his land shall come. The time of the land was that determined by heaven; for as to every one of us there is a limit fixed beyond which no one can pass, so we ought to judge of kingdoms. As, then, the life of every individual has its fixed limits, so God has determined with regard to the empires of the whole earth; thus the life and death of every kingdom and nation are in the hand and at the will of God. For this reason it is now said, that the time of Chaldea would come, and then it is added, and of the king himself. (182) This ought not to be confined to Nebuchadnezzar himself; but as his grandson represented him, the time, though not strictly, may yet be aptly said to have been that, when God had put an end to him and to his power when Babylon was taken by the Medes and Persians. This was, however, at the same time for the comfort of the godly; for it was not God’s design to leave the faithful without some alleviation in their trouble, lest grief should overpower them; when they found themselves oppressed by the Chaldeans, and in a manner overwhelmed, doubtless despair might have crept in, and hence murmurings and blasphemies might have followed. It was, therefore, God’s purpose to mitigate in some measure their bitterness when he added, that the time of Nebuchadnezzar himself would come, that is, the time in which he was to perish. When, therefore, the faithful saw him taking possession of all lands, and dreaded by all nations, they were not to despond, but rather to extend their thoughts to that time of which Jeremiah had predicted, that they might receive some alleviation to their grief, and be enabled to bear with more resignation the cross laid on them. In this expression, then, is included a promise; for the hope of deliverance was set before them, when they understood that reverses would soon happen to King Nebuchadnezzar.
He afterwards adds, serve him shall great, or many nations (for the word רבים, rebim, means both) and great kings (183) This was distinctly expressed, that no conspiracy might deceive the Jews and other nations; for they thought that when united together they could offer an effectual resistance: “Accumulate your forces and your efforts,” says God; “yet all these shall be dissipated; for my decree is, that great kings and many nations shall serve the Chaldeans.” It follows —
(181) It seems that there were two besides, who exercised for a time regal power, but they were not the descendants of Nebuchadnezzar. — Ed.
(182) This is rendered differently, “until the time of his land, even his, shall come.” So the early versions, and so Venema and Blayney. — Ed.
(183) Here Calvin has followed the Vulg.; but our version gives the true meaning. See note on Jer 25:14. The two clauses may be thus translated, “Until the time of his land, even his, shall come; then reduce him (or it, that is, land) to subjection, shall many nations and mighty kings.” Such substantially is the version of Venema and of Blayney, and also of Piscator and Junius. — Ed
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) And his son, and his sons son.The words may have had the meaning that this was to be the farthest limit of Nebuchadnezzars dynasty, as defined by the seventy years of Jer. 25:11. The use of the phrase, however, in Exo. 34:7, Deu. 4:25, points rather to an undefined prolongation, subject only to the fact that there was an appointed limit. Historically we may note the fact that Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by his son, Evil-merodach (Jer. 52:31); he by his brother-in-law, Neriglissar, and he by Nabouahid and his son Belshazzar. (See Introduction.)
Shall serve themselves of him.Better, shall make him to serve. It lies in the nature of the case that the pronoun refers to the King of Babylon for the time being. The confederacy of nations which shall overthrow the Babylonian monarchy, Medes and others, is described more fully in Jer. 51:11; Jer. 51:27-28. The words were clearly meant to point both ways. They warn the nations not to resist the Chaldan king then. They warn the king not to think that he is founding a dynasty of long duration. The whole verse is wanting in the LXX., perhaps because they imagined that the sons son of Jer. 27:7 was inconsistent with the facts of history, as they read them.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. The very time of his land The time when it, too, shall be given to the speller.
Shall serve themselves of him That is, shall make him to serve them.
Son, and his son’s son The actual facts do not certainly accord with this form of expression. Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by his son, and then by his son-in-law, and he by his own son in turn. But the phrase here used is proverbial in form, (see Deu 6:2,) and only implies the long duration of Nebuchadnezzar’s dynasty.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 27:7. All nations shall serve him, and his son, &c. Balthasar or Evil-Merodach being killed, this prophesy was fulfilled; for this prince was son of Nebuchodonosor the IId. or the grandson of Nebuchodonosor or Nebuchadnezzar, mentioned Jer 27:8.
Until the very time Houbigant renders the latter part as he did the beginning of Jer 27:14 chap. 25:
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 27:7 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.
Ver. 7. And all nations shall serve him. ] All the neighbouring nations, and some others more remote; but never was any man , universal monarch, though some have styled themselves so, as did Sesostris King of Egypt:
“ Qui Pharios currus regum cervicibus egit. ”
Until the very time of his land come.
And then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
him, and his son, and his son’s son: i.e. Evil Merodach, Nergelissar, and Nabonidus, in whose seventeenth year Babylon was taken by Cyrus. App-67.
the very time = the appointed end.
great kings: i.e. the kings of Persia and Media (Dan 2:39).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
all: Jer 25:11-14, Jer 50:9, Jer 50:10, Jer 52:31, 2Ch 36:20, 2Ch 36:21
until: Jer 25:12, Jer 50:27, Psa 37:13, Psa 137:8, Psa 137:9, Isa 13:1, Isa 13:8-22, Isa 14:22, Isa 14:23, Isa 21:9, Isa 47:1-5, Dan 5:25-31, Hab 2:7, Zec 2:8, Zec 2:9, Rev 13:5-10, Rev 14:8, Rev 14:15-20, Rev 16:19, Rev 17:16, Rev 17:17, Rev 18:2-8
many: Jer 25:14, Jer 50:1 – Jer 51:64, Isa 14:4-6
Reciprocal: Lev 25:39 – compel him to serve as Deu 2:21 – but the Lord 2Ki 10:5 – We are thy servants Ezr 1:2 – hath given Neh 7:67 – their manservants Isa 7:20 – shave Isa 16:8 – the lords Isa 47:2 – the millstones Jer 25:34 – the days of your Jer 28:14 – I have put Jer 29:10 – after Jer 30:8 – serve Jer 34:9 – serve Eze 34:27 – served Dan 2:37 – a king Dan 4:12 – the beasts Dan 5:26 – God Dan 7:1 – Belshazzar Dan 9:2 – to Jeremiah Hab 2:3 – the vision Hab 2:8 – thou Rom 9:17 – I raised Rev 13:7 – and power
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 27:7. This short verse contains a very important, prediction that will extend through a period of 70 years. Son and son’s son indicates that the rule given to Nebuchadnezzar was to continue for some generations after him. Until the very time of his land come means the rule of Nebuchadnezzar would continue through his successors until the time when his land, too, was to be ruled by another power. Then many nations . . . shall serve themselves (help themselves) to the land of Babylon. The history of the ages shows the fulfillment of this prediction, for the Babylonian Empire lasted 70 years and was taken over by the Medes and Persians. The Biblical account of this Is in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, and the historical account may be seen with the comments on Isa 13:1 in volume 3 of this Commentary.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 27:7-8. All nations shall serve him, his son, and his sons son His son was Evil-merodach, and his sons son Belshazzar, in whom his kingdom ended. Then the time of reckoning with his land came, when the tables were turned; and many nations and great kings Incorporated in the empire of the Medes and Persians, served themselves of him. The nation, &c., that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon That will not submit to that servitude, represented by the yoke, mentioned Jer 27:2-3; will I punish with the sword, &c. With one judgment after another, until they are wasted and ruined. Nebuchadnezzar was very unjust and barbarous in invading the rights and liberties of his neighbours, and forcing them into a subjection to him; yet God had just and holy ends in view in permitting it, namely, to punish those nations for their idolatry and gross immoralities. They that would not serve the God that made and preserved them, were justly made to serve their enemies that sought to ruin them.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
27:7 And all nations shall serve him, and his {d} son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land shall come: and then many nations and great kings shall {e} bring him into subjection.
(d) Meaning, Evilmerodach and his son Belshazzar.
(e) They will bring him and his kingdom in subjection as in Jer 25:14 .