Jeremiah 27:2-3
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This isn't just a symbolic gesture; it's a dramatic, physical enactment of impending captivity. Jeremiah isn't just telling people they'll be enslaved; he's becoming a living illustration of it, forcing onlookers to confront the harsh reality of subjugation with their own eyes.
Thus the LORD said to me: “Make yourself straps and yoke-bars, and put them on your neck. Send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Lord commands Jeremiah to fashion wooden bands and a yoke, then to wear them around his neck as a public symbol. This prophetic act is intended to demonstrate to Zedekiah, king of Judah, and the kings of surrounding nations that they will all be brought under the dominion of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Though the word of the Lord comes to Jeremiah, it is meant to be conveyed through messengers to these foreign kings and their rulers, signifying God's ultimate authority over all nations.
Why would God command His prophet to perform such a strange and difficult action? This wasn't just about Jeremiah; it was a message about who's truly in charge.
Divine Sovereignty in Action
Jeremiah's command to craft and wear a yoke wasn't merely a personal ordeal. It was a public declaration of God's absolute authority over all earthly kingdoms.
Jeremiah wasn't just a speaker of God's word; he became a walking, breathing sermon. Why did God use such dramatic methods?
Ask a follow-up
Acting Out the Message
God often uses prophets to perform symbolic actions that vividly communicate His message in ways words alone cannot.
Understand the original words
'ol · Hebrew Noun
A physical apparatus placed on the necks of draft animals to control them; metaphorically used in Scripture to represent servitude, bondage, or submission to authority, whether divine or human.
This dramatic symbolic act by Jeremiah wasn't just about Judah's fate, but a message to surrounding nations, delivered through messengers in Jerusalem. It powerfully declared that resistance to Babylon was futile, as God had ordained Nebuchadnezzar's dominion over all these kingdoms.
c. 605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's First Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports many prominent citizens, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's vassalage to Babylon.
c. 600 BC
Zedekiah Appointed King
After Nebuchadnezzar deposes Jehoiachin, he appoints Zedekiah, Jehoiachin's uncle, as king of Judah. Zedekiah is initially loyal to Babylon but faces pressure to rebel.
c. 597-594 BC— this verse
Foreign Envoys Convene in Jerusalem
Messengers from surrounding nations, including Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon, arrive in Jerusalem. They likely aim to persuade Zedekiah to join a coalition against Babylonian rule.
c. 594 BC
Jeremiah's Symbolic Yoke
In response to the potential rebellion, the LORD instructs Jeremiah to fashion wooden bands and a yoke, symbolizing the coming subjugation of Judah and surrounding nations to Babylon. Jeremiah wears this yoke as a public declaration.
c. 593 BC
Hananiah's False Prophecy
The false prophet Hananiah publicly breaks Jeremiah's wooden yoke, proclaiming that Babylonian dominance will end within two years. Jeremiah retorts that a yoke of iron will replace the wooden one.
c. 587-586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
Despite Jeremiah's warnings, Zedekiah rebels. Nebuchadnezzar besieges and destroys Jerusalem, exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon. This event fulfills Jeremiah's prophecy of Babylonian dominion.
This passage shows a similar prophetic act of symbolic representation, where Micaiah made himself a horn to illustrate how the Israelites would push the Syrians.
Isaiah 20:2Isaiah's symbolic act of walking naked and barefoot served as a sign to the people, just as Jeremiah's yoke was a visual message about impending servitude.
Ezekiel 4:1Ezekiel also engaged in powerful symbolic actions, like drawing a picture of Jerusalem under siege on a brick, to convey divine messages about judgment.
Acts 21:11This New Testament example shows how prophetic signs continued, with Agabus binding his own hands and feet with Paul's belt to foretell Paul's capture.
Psalm 2:3This psalm speaks of people trying to break free from divine authority, echoing the theme of subjugation and the futility of resisting God's ordained power.
clarkeJeremiah 27:2: "Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,"
Make thee bonds and yokes - Probably yokes with straps, by which they were attached to the neck. This was a symbolical action, to show that the several kings mentioned below should be brought under the dominion of the Chaldeans.
calvinJeremiah 27:1-5: "In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,"
And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;
Et mitte ad regem Edom, et ad regem Moab, et ad regem filiorum Ammon, et ad regem Tyri, et ad regem Sidonis, per manu…
This isn't just a symbolic gesture; it's a dramatic, physical enactment of impending captivity. Jeremiah isn't just telling people they'll be enslaved; he's becoming a living illustration of it, forcing onlookers to confront the harsh reality of subjugation with their own eyes.
The Lord commands Jeremiah to fashion wooden bands and a yoke, then to wear them around his neck as a public symbol. This prophetic act is intended to demonstrate to Zedekiah, king of Judah, and the kings of surrounding nations that they will all be brought under the dominion of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Though the word of the Lord comes to Jeremiah, it is meant to be conveyed through messengers to these foreign kings and their rulers, signifying God's ultimate authority over all nations.
The Lord commands Jeremiah to fashion wooden bands and a yoke, then to wear them around his neck as a public symbol. This prophetic act is intended to demonstrate to Zedekiah, king of Judah, and the kings of surrounding nations that they will all be brought under the dominion of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Though the word of the Lord comes to Jeremiah, it is meant to be conveyed through messengers to these foreign kings and their rulers, signifying God's ultimate authority over all nations.
"Thus the LORD said to me: “Make yourself straps and yoke-bars, and put them on your neck. Send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who…" — This isn't just a symbolic gesture; it's a dramatic, physical enactment of impending captivity. Jeremiah isn't just telling people they'll be enslaved; he's becoming a living illustration of it,…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
