Jeremiah 50:27

Translation
King James Version
Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: woe unto them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Slay H2717 all her bullocks H6499; let them go down H3381 to the slaughter H2874: woe H1945 unto them! for their day H3117 is come H935, the time H6256 of their visitation H6486.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Kill all her bulls! let them go down to be slaughtered! Woe to them! for their day has come, the time for them to be punished."
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Berean Standard Bible
Kill all her young bulls; let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them, for their day has come— the time of their punishment.
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American Standard Version
Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: woe unto them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation.
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World English Bible Messianic
Kill all her bulls; let them go down to the slaughter: woe to them! for their day has come, the time of their visitation.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Destroy all her bullockes: let them goe downe to the slaughter. Wo vnto them, for their day is come, and the time of their visitation.
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Young's Literal Translation
Slay all her kine, they go down to slaughter, Woe is on them, for come hath their day, The time of their inspection.
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See also
Isaiah 34:7Jeremiah 46:21Psalms 22:12Psalms 37:13Jeremiah 48:44Ezekiel 39:17Ezekiel 39:20
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Prophecy Against Babylon
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In the KJVVerse 20,194 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Jeremiah 50:27 delivers a stark and comprehensive prophetic declaration of God's impending and decisive judgment against Babylon, portraying its mighty warriors and leaders as "bullocks" destined for an inescapable "slaughter." This verse underscores the absolute certainty and severe nature of divine retribution, proclaiming that Babylon's divinely appointed "day" of reckoning and "visitation" for its profound pride, pervasive idolatry, and ruthless cruelty against God's chosen people has irrevocably arrived, sealing its fate as a once-dominant empire now facing utter and irreversible desolation.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Jeremiah 50:27 is strategically positioned within a lengthy and comprehensive prophetic oracle against Babylon, spanning chapters 50 and 51. This "burden of Babylon" (Jeremiah 50:1) stands in profound literary and theological contrast to the preceding prophecies concerning Judah's destruction and subsequent restoration. After detailing Judah's seventy-year exile and promising their eventual return to their land, Jeremiah's focus shifts dramatically to the very instrument God used for Judah's chastisement—Babylon. By declaring Babylon's inevitable and total downfall, Jeremiah highlights God's absolute sovereignty over all nations and His unwavering commitment to justice. This literary placement powerfully demonstrates that even those nations used by God for His divine purposes are not exempt from His judgment when they exceed their commission, act with unrighteousness, and oppress His people. The pervasive imagery of slaughter, desolation, and ruin in this verse is entirely consistent with the overarching theme of complete annihilation that permeates these two chapters, painting a vivid picture of Babylon's ultimate demise.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: During the period of this prophecy's fulfillment, Babylon, under the formidable rule of King Nebuchadnezzar II, had established itself as the preeminent world power. It had conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC, and initiated the painful Babylonian exile. The Babylonians were celebrated for their unparalleled military might, their impressive architectural achievements (such as the Hanging Gardens), and their advanced civilization. However, they were equally infamous for their brutal conquest strategies, their widespread polytheism, and their oppressive rule. The term "bullocks" (Hebrew: parim) in ancient Near Eastern cultures frequently symbolized strength, virility, and sacrificial offerings. Leading these "bullocks" to "slaughter" evokes the chilling practice of animal sacrifice or the merciless butchering of livestock, serving as a profoundly demeaning and powerful metaphor for the ignominious fate awaiting Babylon's elite warriors and leaders. This imagery would have been particularly shocking given Babylon's perceived invincibility, emphasizing the complete and humiliating reversal of its fortunes by divine decree. The "visitation" refers to a divinely appointed time of reckoning, a concept deeply ingrained in Israelite theology, signifying God's active intervention in human history to bring either blessing or, as in this case, severe judgment.
  • Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes evident throughout the book of Jeremiah and the broader prophetic literature. Firstly, it emphatically highlights Divine Justice and Retribution, asserting that God holds even the most powerful nations accountable for their actions, especially their oppression of His people and their blatant defiance of His moral law. Babylon's "visitation" is presented as a direct and inescapable consequence of its profound pride and cruelty, echoing the enduring biblical principle that the Lord is known by the judgment He executes, as articulated in Psalm 9:16. Secondly, it underscores the Inevitable and Appointed Nature of God's Judgment. The solemn declaration "their day is come, the time of their visitation" emphasizes the absolute certainty and precise timing of divine judgment, indicating that no human power or military might can avert God's decreed punishment once its appointed hour has arrived. This concept is a recurring and potent motif in prophetic literature, often associated with the "Day of the Lord," as powerfully depicted in Isaiah 13:6. Thirdly, the verse profoundly reinforces God's Absolute Sovereignty Over Nations. Despite Babylon's immense and formidable power, it is ultimately revealed to be a mere instrument in God's hand, entirely subject to His will and ultimate judgment. This theme is central to Jeremiah's entire prophetic message, demonstrating that the Lord raises up and casts down empires according to His sovereign and immutable divine plan, as vividly illustrated in the metaphor of the potter and the clay in Jeremiah 18:7-10.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Slay (Hebrew, chârab', H2717): This primitive root signifies to parch, desolate, destroy, or kill. In this context, it conveys a profound sense of utter destruction and laying waste, indicating that the divine command to "slay" is not merely about killing individuals but about completely annihilating Babylon's strength, reducing its once-mighty empire to a desolate and ruined state. It powerfully reflects the severity, totality, and irreversible nature of the impending judgment.
  • Bullocks (Hebrew, par', H6499): Derived from a root meaning "to break forth in wild strength," par refers specifically to a young bull or ox. Symbolically, these "bullocks" represent the prime, robust, and virile elements of Babylon's military—its elite warriors, its formidable fighting forces—or perhaps even its most influential leaders and vital resources. Their designation as "bullocks" destined for slaughter profoundly emphasizes their inherent vulnerability and the terrifying ease with which they will be overcome and utterly defeated by divine decree, despite their perceived strength.
  • Visitation (Hebrew, pᵉquddâh', H6486): This feminine passive participle carries the nuanced sense of an appointed time of inspection, reckoning, or official charge. While it can, in some contexts, imply a positive oversight or care, in contexts of judgment, it refers to a punitive visitation—a precise, divinely appointed time when God actively intervenes to hold a person or a nation strictly accountable for their actions. Here, it unequivocally denotes the exact, divinely determined moment for Babylon's comprehensive judgment and severe punishment to commence.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Slay all her bullocks;": This is a direct and imperative divine command, most likely addressed to the instruments God will use for His judgment (e.g., the Medes and Persians, as prophesied elsewhere). "Her bullocks" serves as a potent metaphor for Babylon's most powerful military forces, its strong young warriors, or even its ruling elite and vital resources. The command to "slay all" emphasizes the comprehensive, merciless, and utterly annihilating nature of the impending destruction, ensuring that no strength, leadership, or vital element of Babylon will remain intact.
  • "let them go down to the slaughter:": This clause powerfully reinforces the preceding command, depicting the complete, inevitable, and ignominious demise of Babylon's once-formidable strength. The imagery of "slaughter" (Hebrew: ṭebach) evokes the brutal, systematic, and unresisted killing of animals, highlighting the utter lack of resistance and the demeaning, inglorious end awaiting Babylon's once-proud forces. It implies a total and crushing defeat where the mighty are led passively and helplessly to their doom.
  • "woe unto them!": This is a profound exclamation of lament, sorrow, and impending doom. "Woe" (Hebrew: hôwy) is a common prophetic interjection signifying deep distress, profound sorrow, and an authoritative pronouncement of severe judgment. It underscores the overwhelming severity of the coming calamity and expresses the divine condemnation of Babylon's actions, unequivocally indicating that their suffering is not arbitrary but profoundly deserved as a consequence of their sin.
  • "for their day is come, the time of their visitation.": This final clause provides the ultimate justification and precise timing for the preceding pronouncements of judgment. "Their day" and "the time of their visitation" refer to a divinely appointed and inescapable moment of reckoning. It signifies that Babylon's period of unchecked power, unbridled pride, and pervasive sin has reached its divinely ordained limit, and God's patience has finally run out. This "visitation" is not for blessing or mercy but for punitive judgment—a precise, unavoidable, and decisive divine intervention to settle accounts and bring about justice.

Literary Devices

Jeremiah 50:27 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its powerful and terrifying message of judgment with profound impact. The most prominent is Metaphor, where Babylon's strong warriors, leaders, and vital resources are vividly likened to "bullocks" being led to "slaughter." This potent imagery strips Babylon of its perceived power, dignity, and invincibility, reducing its once-formidable military to helpless livestock, thereby emphasizing the ease, totality, and demeaning nature of its destruction by divine hand. The phrase "let them go down to the slaughter" also functions as Hyperbole, exaggerating the extent of the defeat to convey the absolute, overwhelming, and merciless nature of the coming judgment. Furthermore, the declaration "woe unto them!" serves as a powerful Divine Pronouncement or Oracle of Judgment, a common and authoritative prophetic device that signals the absolute certainty and severe intensity of God's righteous wrath. Finally, the personification inherent in "their day is come, the time of their visitation" suggests an inevitable, predetermined moment, almost as if time itself is an active agent bringing about Babylon's inescapable doom, underscoring the divine decree behind its fall.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Jeremiah 50:27 stands as a powerful and enduring testament to God's unwavering justice and His ultimate, unchallenged sovereignty over all earthly powers and nations. It profoundly reveals that no nation, however mighty, seemingly invincible, or historically dominant, is beyond the reach of divine accountability. Babylon, though used by God as an instrument of judgment against Judah, ultimately faced its own devastating reckoning for its excessive cruelty, unbridled pride, and pervasive idolatry. This principle underscores a foundational and immutable biblical truth: God is not merely the Lord of Israel but the sovereign King of all creation, actively and meticulously involved in the rise and fall of empires, ensuring that justice will ultimately prevail and that the oppressed will find vindication in His perfect timing. The concept of "visitation" signifies a meticulously timed and divinely orchestrated intervention, powerfully demonstrating God's perfect control over the unfolding of human history and His unwavering commitment to upholding righteousness and bringing about His just purposes.

  • Isaiah 13:1 - A broader and equally devastating prophetic oracle against Babylon, detailing its complete destruction and portraying it as a desolate wasteland, powerfully reinforcing the consistent biblical theme of divine judgment against proud and oppressive nations.
  • Daniel 5:25 - The dramatic account of Belshazzar's feast and the "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin" prophecy, which literally foretold Babylon's immediate and unexpected fall, serving as a powerful historical fulfillment of prophecies like Jeremiah 50:27 and demonstrating God's precise timing in judgment.
  • Revelation 18:2 - The New Testament echoes the judgment on ancient Babylon, applying similar imagery, themes, and pronouncements of ultimate destruction to "Babylon the Great," representing a future oppressive world system that will likewise face God's decisive, complete, and final judgment.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Jeremiah 50:27 serves as a profound and sobering reminder that all individuals, institutions, and nations are ultimately accountable to a righteous and sovereign God. For those who wield power—whether political, economic, or social—it is a stark warning against the insidious dangers of pride, oppression, and self-sufficiency, urging instead a posture of humility and a profound recognition of divine authority and moral law. This verse challenges us to critically examine our own lives and the societies we inhabit, prompting us to ask whether we are genuinely aligning with God's unwavering justice and boundless compassion or succumbing to the pervasive temptations of worldly power, selfish ambition, and self-interest. Conversely, for those who feel oppressed, marginalized, or witness systemic injustice, this verse offers immense hope and profound comfort. It assures us with divine certainty that God sees every wrong committed, hears every cry of the afflicted, and will, in His perfect and unfailing timing, bring about justice and complete vindication for His people. This divine promise encourages unwavering perseverance in faith, knowing that God's ultimate plan for righteousness will irrevocably prevail, and no earthly power, however formidable, can ultimately thwart His eternal purposes. It calls us to trust implicitly in His absolute sovereignty, even when circumstances seem bleak or overwhelming, and to actively participate in His ongoing work of justice, mercy, and redemptive transformation in the world.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does the vivid imagery of "bullocks going down to the slaughter" profoundly challenge our contemporary perceptions of worldly power, invincibility, and human autonomy?
  • In what specific ways might we, as individuals or as a collective society, be subtly prone to the same dangerous pride, self-sufficiency, or oppressive tendencies that ultimately led to Babylon's catastrophic downfall?
  • How does the profound concept of God's "visitation" (particularly when understood as a time of judgment) encourage and compel us to live lives of greater accountability, intentional righteousness, and humble obedience before Him?
  • What tangible hope and encouragement does this ancient prophecy offer to those who are currently experiencing profound oppression, systemic injustice, or deep suffering in the world today?

FAQ

What does "bullocks" symbolize in this verse?

Answer: In Jeremiah 50:27, "bullocks" (Hebrew: parim) is a powerful and vivid metaphor for Babylon's strongest and most vital elements. It specifically symbolizes their elite warriors, their formidable military might, their prominent and influential leaders, or even their most valuable and essential resources. The deliberate choice of "bullocks" emphasizes their inherent strength and virility, but crucially, it also highlights their ultimate vulnerability and helplessness when confronted with God's overwhelming judgment. They are portrayed as being led passively and without resistance to their demise, much like cattle to a slaughterhouse. This compelling imagery profoundly underscores the complete, merciless, and humiliating nature of the impending destruction of Babylon.

What is meant by "their day is come, the time of their visitation"?

Answer: This profound phrase signifies that a divinely appointed, predetermined, and utterly inevitable moment of reckoning has arrived for Babylon. "Their day" refers to a specific, unchangeable, and divinely ordained time for judgment, while "visitation" (Hebrew: pᵉquddâh) denotes a divine inspection or intervention that, in this specific context, is unequivocally punitive. It means that God's immense patience with Babylon's unbridled pride, pervasive idolatry, and relentless cruelty has finally reached its limit, and the precise time for their severe punishment has been irrevocably set. This concept is a recurring and central theme in prophetic literature, indicating that God actively and precisely intervenes in human history to bring about justice and fulfill His divine purposes, as seen in other prophecies concerning the "Day of the Lord" (e.g., Amos 5:18).

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

While Jeremiah 50:27 directly and powerfully prophesies the historical downfall of ancient Babylon, its profound theological implications find ultimate and rich Christ-centered fulfillment in the broader, unfolding narrative of God's redemptive plan. The judgment pronounced upon Babylon, a potent biblical symbol of oppressive worldly power, rebellion against God, and spiritual idolatry, profoundly foreshadows Christ's ultimate and decisive victory over all forces of evil, sin, and the spiritual "Babylon" that seeks to enslave humanity. Just as ancient Babylon's "day of visitation" came with terrifying certainty, so too does the New Testament speak of a final, universal reckoning, a glorious yet fearsome "Day of the Lord" (e.g., 1 Thessalonians 5:2), when Christ will return in power and glory to judge the living and the dead. Jesus, the true and eternal King, came not only to offer salvation and reconciliation but also to decisively dismantle the spiritual strongholds and principalities that hold humanity captive. His voluntary crucifixion and triumphant resurrection represent the decisive "slaughter" of sin, death, and the powers of darkness, rendering powerless the spiritual "bullocks" of this fallen world (Colossians 2:15). Through His atoning work on the cross, Christ has already secured the ultimate "visitation" of God's perfect justice, not only against the forces of darkness but also by graciously providing the only path for humanity's reconciliation with a holy God. The final "woe" pronounced upon Babylon in Jeremiah finds its ultimate echo in the righteous judgment that awaits all who reject God's gracious and transformative offer of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who willingly went to the ultimate "slaughter" to redeem and save His people from their sins, thereby ensuring that for all who are found in Him, the day of God's visitation is transformed from a day of condemnation into an eternal day of salvation and glorious liberation (Romans 8:1).

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Commentary on Jeremiah 50 verses 21–32

Here, 1. The forces are mustered and commissioned to destroy Babylon, and every thing is got ready for a descent upon that potent kingdom: Go up against that land by Merathaim, the country of the Mardi, that lay part in Assyria and part in Armenia; and go among the inhabitants of Pekod, another country (mentioned Eze 23:23) which Cyrus took in his way to Babylon. The forces of Cyrus are called to go up against Babylon (Jer 50:21), to come against her from the utmost border. Let all come together, for there will be both work and pay enough for them all, Jer 50:26. Distance of place must not be their hindrance from engaging in this work. The archers particularly must be called together against Babylon, Jer 50:29. Thus the Lord hath opened his armoury (Jer 50:25), his treasury (so the word is), and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation, as great princes fetch out of their magazines and stores all necessary provisions for their armies when they undertake any great expedition. Media and Persia are now God's armoury; thence he fetches the weapons of his wrath, Cyrus and his great officers and armies, whom he will make use of for the destruction of Babylon. Note, Great men are but instruments which the great God makes use of to serve his own purposes. He has variety of instruments, has them at command, has armouries ready to be opened according as the occasion is. This is the work of the Lord God of hosts. Note, When God has work to do he will make it appear that he is God of hosts, and will not want instruments to do it with. 2. Instructions are given them what to do. In general, Do according to all that I have commanded thee, Jer 50:21. It was said of Cyrus (Isa 44:28), He shall perform all my pleasure, in his expedition against Babylon. They must waste and utterly destroy after them; when they have destroyed once they must go over them again, or destroy their posterity that should come after them. They must open her store-houses (Jer 50:26), rifle her treasures, and turn her artillery against herself. They must cast her up as heaps; let all the wealth and pomp of Babylon be shovelled up in a heap of ruins and rubbish. Tread her down as heaps (so the margin reads it) and destroy her utterly. See how little account the great God makes of those things which men so much value and value themselves so much upon. Their princes and great men, who are fat and bulky, shall fall by the sword, not as men of war in the field of battle, which we call a bed of honour, but as beasts by the butcher's hand (Jer 50:27): Slay all her bullocks, all her mighty men; let them go down sottishly and insensibly, as an ox to the slaughter. Woe unto them! their case is the more sad for the little sense they have of it. Their day has come to fall, the time when they must be reckoned with, and they are not aware of it. 3. Assurances are given them of success. Let them do what God commands, and they shall accomplish what he threatens. A great destruction shall be made, Jer 50:22. Babylon shall become a desolation (Jer 50:23); her young men and all her men of war shall be cut off in that day which should have been her defence, Jer 50:30. God is against her (Jer 50:31); he has laid a snare for her (Jer 50:24); he has formed this enterprise against her, that she should be surprised as a bird taken in a snare. Cyrus shall no doubt prevail, for he fights under God. God will kindle a fire in the cities of Babylon (Jer 50:32); and who can stand before him when he is angry, or quench the fire that he has kindled? 4. Reasons are given for these severe dealings with Babylon. Those that are employed in this war may, if they please, know the grounds of it, and be satisfied in the justice of it, which it is fit all should be that are called to such work. (1.) Babylon has been very troublesome, vexatious, and injurious, to all its neighbours; it has been the hammer of the whole earth (Jer 50:23), beating, beating down, and beating to pieces, all the nations far and near. It has done so long enough; it is time now that it be cut asunder and broken. Note, He that is the god of nations will sooner or later assert the injured rights of nations against those that unjustly and violently invade them. The God of the whole earth will break the hammer of the whole earth. (2.) Babylon has bidden defiance to God himself: Thou has striven against the Lord (Jer 50:24), hast joined issue with him (so the word signifies) as in law or battle, hast openly opposed him, set up rivals with him, raised rebellion against him; therefore thou art now found, and caught, as in a snare. Note, Those that strive against the Lord will soon find themselves over-matched. (3.) Babylon ruined Jerusalem, the holy city, and the holy house there, and must now be called to an account for that. This is the manifesto published in Zion, in the day of Babylon's visitation; it is the vengeance of the Lord our God, the vengeance of his temple, Jer 50:28. The burning of the temple, and the carrying away of its vessels, were articles in the charge against Babylon on which greater stress was laid than upon its being the hammer of the whole earth; for Zion was the joy and glory of the whole earth. Note, Whatever wrong is done to God's church (his temple in the world) it will certainly be reckoned for; and no vengeance will be sorer nor heavier than the vengeance of the temple. (4.) Babylon has been very haughty and insolent, and therefore must have a fall; for it is the glory of God to look upon those that are proud and to abase them, Job 40:12. I am against thee, O thou most proud! Jer 50:31 and again Jer 50:32. Thou pride (so the word is), as proud as pride itself. Note, the pride of men's hearts sets God against them and ripens them apace for ruin; for God resists the proud and will bring them down. The most proud shall stumble and fall; they shall fall not so much by others' thrusting them down as by their own stumbling; for they hold their heads so high that they never look under their feet, to choose their way and avoid stumbling-blocks, but walk at all adventures. Babylon's pride must unavoidably be her ruin; for she has been proud against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel (Jer 50:29), has insulted him in insulting over his people; she has made him her enemy, and therefore, when she has fallen, none shall raise her up, Jer 50:32. Who can help those up whom God will throw down?

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 21–32. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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