Jeremiah 25:11
And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Original Language Analysis
וְהָֽיְתָה֙
H1961
וְהָֽיְתָה֙
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
1 of 14
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
2 of 14
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
הָאָ֣רֶץ
And this whole land
H776
הָאָ֣רֶץ
And this whole land
Strong's:
H776
Word #:
3 of 14
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
לְחָרְבָּ֖ה
shall be a desolation
H2723
לְחָרְבָּ֖ה
shall be a desolation
Strong's:
H2723
Word #:
5 of 14
properly, drought, i.e., (by implication) a desolation
וְעָ֨בְד֜וּ
shall serve
H5647
וְעָ֨בְד֜וּ
shall serve
Strong's:
H5647
Word #:
7 of 14
to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc
הַגּוֹיִ֥ם
and these nations
H1471
הַגּוֹיִ֥ם
and these nations
Strong's:
H1471
Word #:
8 of 14
a foreign nation; hence, a gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
10 of 14
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
Cross References
Daniel 9:2In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.Zechariah 1:12Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?Jeremiah 25:12And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.Zechariah 7:5Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?Jeremiah 4:27For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
Historical Context
The seventy-year prophecy shaped Jewish hope during exile. Knowing the duration prevented despair ('this will never end') and false optimism ('this will end immediately'). It required faith to believe God's word when circumstances seemed hopeless. When Cyrus issued his decree in 538 BC (Ezra 1:1-4), Jewish exiles recognized the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy and responded in faith. The precision of fulfillment vindicated Jeremiah against the false prophets who had promised immediate deliverance.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the specificity of the seventy-year prophecy demonstrate the difference between true biblical prophecy and vague predictions?
- What does the correlation between seventy years of exile and seventy missed Sabbath years teach about God's justice and the consequences of accumulated disobedience?
- How should precisely fulfilled prophecies like this strengthen our confidence in unfulfilled biblical prophecies about Christ's return and final judgment?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. The specification of shivʿîm shānâ (שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה, seventy years) is one of Scripture's most precise and significant time prophecies. The number seventy carries symbolic weight—ten (completion) times seven (perfection/covenant). This period corresponds to the seventy missed Sabbath years (2 Chronicles 36:21; Leviticus 26:34-35). For 490 years, Israel failed to observe the seventh-year land rest; now the land would forcibly rest for seventy years.
This prophecy was precisely fulfilled. From Nebuchadnezzar's first siege of Jerusalem (605 BC) to Cyrus's decree allowing return (538 BC) was approximately 67-70 years, depending on which events mark beginning and end. Daniel understood this prophecy and used it to calculate the time for return (Daniel 9:2). The specificity of this prediction demonstrates prophetic authenticity—this wasn't vague fortune-telling but precise divine revelation. It also reveals God's sovereign control over history, accomplishing His purposes on His exact timetable.