The Meaning of Jeremiah 27:2 Explained

Jeremiah 27:2

KJV: Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,

YLT: 'Thus said Jehovah unto me, Make to thee bands and yokes,

Darby: Thus hath Jehovah said unto me: Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck;

ASV: Thus saith Jehovah to me: Make thee bonds and bars, and put them upon thy neck;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thus saith  the LORD  to me; Make  thee bonds  and yokes,  and put  them upon thy neck, 

What does Jeremiah 27:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The prophet was to make fetters, specifically yokes, and to put one set of them on his neck. Evidently Jeremiah walked around wearing this half-filled yoke as a lopsided burden to illustrate his message. This was another of his symbolic acts (cf. Jeremiah 13:1-11; Jeremiah 19:1-13; 1 Kings 22:11; Isaiah 20). The animal yoke, of course, represented submission, servitude, and captivity (cf. 1 Kings 22:11; Ezekiel 7:23).

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 27:2 mean?

thus says Yahweh to me Make for yourselves bonds and yokes and put them on your neck
כֹּֽה־ אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י עֲשֵׂ֣ה לְךָ֔ מוֹסֵר֖וֹת וּמֹט֑וֹת וּנְתַתָּ֖ם עַל־ צַוָּארֶֽךָ

כֹּֽה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֤ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֵלַ֔י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עֲשֵׂ֣ה  Make 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לְךָ֔  for  yourselves 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
מוֹסֵר֖וֹת  bonds 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: מֹוסֵר 
Sense: band, bond.
וּמֹט֑וֹת  and  yokes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מֹוטָה  
Sense: pole, bar of yoke.
וּנְתַתָּ֖ם  and  put  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
צַוָּארֶֽךָ  your  neck 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: צַוָּאר 
Sense: neck, back of neck.