The Meaning of Jeremiah 27:12 Explained

Jeremiah 27:12

KJV: I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

YLT: And unto Zedekiah king of Judah I have spoken according to all these words, saying, 'Cause your necks to enter into the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

Darby: And I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

ASV: And I spake to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I spake  also to Zedekiah  king  of Judah  according to all these words,  saying,  Bring  your necks  under the yoke  of the king  of Babylon,  and serve  him and his people,  and live. 

What does Jeremiah 27:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Jeremiah 27:1-22 - Shepherds That Mislead God's Flock
It is God's purpose to care for His people through shepherds (pastors) who are responsible to Him. Jesus our Lord is the Branch into which we may be grafted. He is our King who saves us and clothes us with His own spotless righteousness. God finds us in Him, Philippians 3:9. Because He reigns, we are saved and dwell in safety. When we are brought into contact with false shepherds, whether the failure be in doctrine or example, let us ask for the broken heart of Jeremiah 23:9.
God is everywhere present; as the latter paragraph indicates, He is near at hand to overhear the blasphemy of those who deride religion, and to be a very present help in time of trouble. If He fills heaven and earth, can He not fill thy heart? If His Word is like fire, let it cleanse thee! If it is as a hammer, let it pulverize thy pride! Let those of us who essay to teach and preach, not steal our words from our neighbors, or utter our own, but receive them from the source of all truth. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 27

1  By the type of bonds and yokes he prophesies the subduing of the neighbor kings
8  He exhorts them to yield, and not to believe the false prophets
12  The like he does to Zedekiah
19  He foretells the remnant of the vessels shall be carried to Babylon,

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 27:12 mean?

And to Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke according to all words these saying bring - your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people and live
וְאֶל־ צִדְקִיָּ֤ה מֶֽלֶךְ־ יְהוּדָה֙ דִּבַּ֔רְתִּי כְּכָל־ הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לֵאמֹ֑ר הָבִ֨יאוּ אֶת־ צַוְּארֵיכֶ֜ם בְּעֹ֣ל מֶֽלֶךְ־ בָּבֶ֗ל וְעִבְד֥וּ אֹת֛וֹ וְעַמּ֖וֹ וִֽחְיֽוּ

וְאֶל־  And  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
צִדְקִיָּ֤ה  Zedekiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: צִדְקִיָּה 
Sense: the last king of Judah renamed from ‘Mattaniah’ by Nebuchadnezzar; son of Josiah by wife Hamutal; placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar when he carried his nephew Jehoiakim in captivity.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יְהוּדָה֙  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
דִּבַּ֔רְתִּי  I  spoke 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
כְּכָל־  according  to  all 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַדְּבָרִ֥ים  words 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הָאֵ֖לֶּה  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הָבִ֨יאוּ  bring 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
צַוְּארֵיכֶ֜ם  your  necks 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: צַוָּאר 
Sense: neck, back of neck.
בְּעֹ֣ל  under  the  yoke 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֹל  
Sense: yoke.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  of  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בָּבֶ֗ל  of  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
וְעִבְד֥וּ  and  serve 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
וְעַמּ֖וֹ  and  his  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וִֽחְיֽוּ  and  live 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.