Bible Strands
Jeremiah 27:11
But the nation that will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave in its own land, to cultivate it and reside in it, declares the LORD.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The Lord speaks through Jeremiah to Judah’s rulers and people during the Babylonian campaign, directly countering false prophets who promise immediate national restoration.
The words — צַוָּאר/וֹ (tza.va.R/o) means “neck/its,” and בְּעֹל (be./'Ol) means “in/the yoke of,” together describing the physical posture of forced political submission.
The thread — This imagery runs through Jeremiah 27:2 where a leather yoke is commanded, Jeremiah 27:8 which warns against refusing the yoke, Jeremiah 27:12 where Zedekiah receives the identical directive, and Jeremiah 21:9 which links surrender to physical survival.
Why it lands — The text forces a binary choice between active resistance and pragmatic surrender, making national survival contingent on accepting present geopolitical reality rather than waiting for divine rescue.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the Lord; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 21:9 Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who besiege you will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war.
- Jeremiah 27:2 This is what the LORD said to me: “Make for yourself a yoke out of leather straps and put it on your neck.
- Jeremiah 27:8 As for the nation or kingdom that does not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and does not place its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation by sword and famine and plague, declares the LORD, until I have destroyed it by his hand.
- Jeremiah 38:2 “This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.
- Jeremiah 27:12 And to Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke the same message: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and live!
- Jeremiah 40:9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore an oath to them and their men, assuring them, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.
- Jeremiah 42:10 ‘If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I will relent of the disaster I have brought upon you.