Jeremiah 27:6-7
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God declared that even the beasts of the field were given to Nebuchadnezzar to serve him. This isn't just about literal animals; it reveals the profound and total extent of God’s sovereignty, showing that He grants kingship and dominion, reaching even into the natural world, as instruments for His divine purposes.
Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is commanded to make symbolic yokes and send them to the surrounding nations, signifying their impending submission to Babylon. God declares that He has placed all these lands and even the beasts of the field under the power of Nebuchadnezzar, calling the Babylonian king His "servant." This declaration aims to strip the nations of their pride and demonstrate that their dominion is entirely subject to God's sovereign will and judgment.
Why would the Almighty call a foreign oppressor 'my servant'? This title might surprise us, but it reveals a profound truth about God's control over history.
Jeremiah 27:6 declares that God has given lands and nations into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, even calling him 'my servant.' This doesn't mean Nebuchadnezzar was a willing follower of God; quite the opposite. Wicked rulers like him often act out of their own ambition and cruelty.
A Tool in God's Hand
However, God uses these individuals to accomplish His purposes. Think of a hammer: it's a tool that can build or destroy, but its use is directed by the one wielding it. Similarly, Nebuchadnezzar, despite his sinful motives, was an instrument God used to judge and discipline His own people, Judah, and other nations who had strayed from Him.
Divine Authority in Worldly Power
This concept highlights that ultimate authority rests with God. He can raise up and depose kings, using even the ungodly to enact His will. This doesn't excuse their sin, but it assures us that no worldly power operates outside of God's sovereign plan.
Beyond nations and people, God claims dominion over the wild creatures too. What does this surprising addition tell us about the extent of Nebuchadnezzar's power and God's ultimate authority?
The verse dramatically extends Nebuchadnezzar's granted authority to include 'the beasts of the field.' This isn't just poetic language; it signifies the totality of his dominion.
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A Sign of Ultimate Power
Giving Nebuchadnezzar control over wild animals emphasizes the unparalleled extent of his authority. It suggests that his power was so absolute that even the untamed elements of creation were brought under his influence or were subject to the new order he represented. This signifies a complete subjugation of the conquered lands, leaving nothing untouched.
A Universal Principle
More profoundly, this imagery points to God's absolute sovereignty over all creation. Just as God gave Adam dominion over the animals in Eden, He now delegates a fearsome, destructive power to Nebuchadnezzar. This serves as a stark reminder that all of creation, from the smallest creature to the mightiest empire, is under God's ultimate control and is subject to His decrees.
Understand the original words
ebed · Hebrew Noun
A term used for a person or nation that performs tasks or fulfills a role under the authority of a superior, particularly applied to those fulfilling God's sovereign purposes, even if they do not know Him.
The prophecy in Jeremiah 27:6 arrives amidst Nebuchadnezzar's burgeoning imperial power, presenting him as God's instrument, even over 'the beasts of the field,' underscoring the totality of his divinely permitted dominion over conquered nations.
626 BC
Nebuchadnezzar becomes Crown Prince
Nebuchadnezzar becomes crown prince of the Neo-Babylonian Empire under his father, Nabopolassar. This marks the beginning of Babylon's rise to power.
605 BC
Battle of Carchemish
The Babylonian army, led by Nebuchadnezzar, decisively defeats the Egyptian and Assyrian forces. This victory secures Babylonian dominance over the Near East.
605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar becomes King of Babylon
Following his father's death, Nebuchadnezzar ascends to the throne. He begins his reign by consolidating power and preparing for further conquests.
605 BC— this verse
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Judah and Jerusalem, taking a first wave of captives, including members of the royal family and educated elite, back to Babylon. This event is the immediate backdrop for Jeremiah's prophecy.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem
After further rebellions, Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, leading to a massive deportation of the remaining population. This fulfills God's judgment upon Judah.
562 BC
Death of Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar dies after a long and powerful reign, during which he built a vast empire and left his mark on Babylon's grandeur. His empire would eventually fall.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's declaration by stating that God gives 'into your hand wherever the sons of men dwell, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens,' directly paralleling the idea that even the natural world is subject to those God appoints.
Isaiah 1:3This verse highlights a key theme: even the animals know their master, but Israel did not. It underscores the profound rebuke implied when God says the beasts of the field serve Nebuchadnezzar, suggesting a failure of God's own people to recognize His hand.
Jeremiah 25:9This earlier prophecy directly calls Nebuchadnezzar God's 'servant' and predicts his conquest of the surrounding nations, providing crucial context for the present declaration of God's sovereign will.
Ezekiel 29:18This passage speaks of Nebuchadnezzar's reward for his service against Tyre, showing how God, even using wicked instruments, ultimately compensates them for carrying out His purposes.
Romans 13:1This New Testament passage articulates the principle that all governing authorities are established by God, reinforcing the theological framework that allows Jeremiah to declare Nebuchadnezzar's dominion as divinely appointed, even if for judgment.
clarkeJeremiah 27:6: "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."
And now have I given - These kingdoms are at my sovereign disposal; and at present, for the punishment of their rulers and people, I shall give them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
jfbJeremiah 27:6: "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."
- beasts of the field—not merely the horses to carry his Chaldean soldiers, and oxen to draw his provisions [Grotius]; not merely the deserts, mountains, and woods, the haunts of wild beasts, implying his unlimited extent of empire [Estius]; but the beasts themselves by a mysterious instinct of nature. A reproof t…
God declared that even the beasts of the field were given to Nebuchadnezzar to serve him. This isn't just about literal animals; it reveals the profound and total extent of God’s sovereignty, showing that He grants kingship and dominion, reaching even into the natural world, as instruments for His divine purposes.
Jeremiah is commanded to make symbolic yokes and send them to the surrounding nations, signifying their impending submission to Babylon. God declares that He has placed all these lands and even the beasts of the field under the power of Nebuchadnezzar, calling the Babylonian king His "servant." This declaration aims to strip the nations of their pride and demonstrate that their dominion is entirely subject to God's sovereign will and judgment.
Jeremiah is commanded to make symbolic yokes and send them to the surrounding nations, signifying their impending submission to Babylon. God declares that He has placed all these lands and even the beasts of the field under the power of Nebuchadnezzar, calling the Babylonian king His "servant." This declaration aims to strip the nations of their pride and demonstrate that their dominion is entirely subject to God's sovereign will and judgment.
"Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time…" — God declared that even the beasts of the field were given to Nebuchadnezzar to serve him. This isn't just about literal animals; it reveals the profound and total extent of God’s sovereignty, showing…
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Last reviewed October 2026
