Jeremiah 27:4-6

27:4 Charge them to give their masters a message from me. Tell them, ‘The Lord God of Israel who rules over all 1  says to give your masters this message. 2  27:5 “I made the earth and the people and animals on it by my mighty power and great strength, 3  and I give it to whomever I see fit. 4  27:6 I have at this time placed all these nations of yours under the power 5  of my servant, 6  King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have even made all the wild animals subject to him. 7 

1 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.”

sn See study notes on 2:19 and 7:3 for the significance of this title.

2 tn Heb “Give them a charge to their masters saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel, “Thus you shall say unto your masters…”’” The sentence is broken up in conformity with contemporary English style.

3 tn Heb “by my great power and my outstretched arm.” Again “arm” is symbolical for “strength.” Compare the similar expression in 21:5.

4 sn See Dan 4:17 for a similar statement.

5 tn Heb “have given…into the hand of.”

6 sn See the study note on 25:9 for the significance of the application of this term to Nebuchadnezzar.

7 tn Heb “I have given…to him to serve him.” The verb “give” in this syntactical situation is functioning like the Hiphil stem, i.e., as a causative. See Dan 1:9 for parallel usage. For the usage of “serve” meaning “be subject to” compare 2 Sam 22:44 and BDB 713 s.v. עָבַד 3.

sn This statement is rhetorical, emphasizing the totality of Nebuchadnezzar’s dominion. Neither here nor in Dan 2:38 is it to be understood literally.