This verse highlights God’s supreme rule over every nation, calling both Judah and its neighbors to submit to His plan and trust His greater purposes.
“Command them to go to their masters, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Thus you shall say to your masters,”’ (v.4). The prophet Jeremiah speaks these words during the reign of King Zedekiah (circa 597-586 BC), a tense era leading up to Judah’s downfall at the hands of Babylon. By instructing various emissaries to deliver this command, Jeremiah warns nations like Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon that the LORD is sovereign over every kingdom. Earlier, the LORD declared that He shaped creation by His “great power” and “outstretched arm,” thus establishing His authority to decide who would rule over the peoples of the earth (Jeremiah 27:5).
In delivering the message, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel” (v.4), Jeremiah reminds these foreign delegations that the God of Israel is not merely a local god, but the God who is sovereign over all nations. Elsewhere, Jeremiah makes it clear that resistance to Babylon’s dominion is futile because the LORD has given King Nebuchadnezzar temporary power for His own divine purposes (Jeremiah 27:6). The call is for humility—to accept the discipline that God has ordained rather than seeking deliverance through alliances or false hopes. Judah itself would suffer greatly because of rejecting this message, as Jeremiah 27 shows they refused to trust God’s directive and instead pursued other solutions (Jeremiah 27).
The command “Command them to go to their masters” (v.4) underscores how God’s word extends beyond Judah’s borders. The prophet’s assignment was to demonstrate that the immediate fate of surrounding nations hinged upon their recognition of God’s sovereignty. Jeremiah’s instructions pointed forward to the truth that all kingdoms and rulers ultimately stand under the authority of the LORD who fashioned heaven and earth, and that obedience to His will brings life while defiance leads to ruin.
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Jeremiah 27:4 meaning
“Command them to go to their masters, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Thus you shall say to your masters,”’ (v.4). The prophet Jeremiah speaks these words during the reign of King Zedekiah (circa 597-586 BC), a tense era leading up to Judah’s downfall at the hands of Babylon. By instructing various emissaries to deliver this command, Jeremiah warns nations like Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon that the LORD is sovereign over every kingdom. Earlier, the LORD declared that He shaped creation by His “great power” and “outstretched arm,” thus establishing His authority to decide who would rule over the peoples of the earth (Jeremiah 27:5).
In delivering the message, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel” (v.4), Jeremiah reminds these foreign delegations that the God of Israel is not merely a local god, but the God who is sovereign over all nations. Elsewhere, Jeremiah makes it clear that resistance to Babylon’s dominion is futile because the LORD has given King Nebuchadnezzar temporary power for His own divine purposes (Jeremiah 27:6). The call is for humility—to accept the discipline that God has ordained rather than seeking deliverance through alliances or false hopes. Judah itself would suffer greatly because of rejecting this message, as Jeremiah 27 shows they refused to trust God’s directive and instead pursued other solutions (Jeremiah 27).
The command “Command them to go to their masters” (v.4) underscores how God’s word extends beyond Judah’s borders. The prophet’s assignment was to demonstrate that the immediate fate of surrounding nations hinged upon their recognition of God’s sovereignty. Jeremiah’s instructions pointed forward to the truth that all kingdoms and rulers ultimately stand under the authority of the LORD who fashioned heaven and earth, and that obedience to His will brings life while defiance leads to ruin.