Introduction to Jeremiah 27:3: A Diplomatic Web of Judgments
This verse from Jeremiah sets the stage for a prophetic message delivered not only to Judah but to neighboring kingdoms through a dramatic diplomatic gesture. The verse is packed with repeated prepositional phrases and coordinated titles, showing how Hebrew can use syntactic stacking and repetition for rhetorical power. In this grammar lesson, we’ll focus on the use of preposition stacking and coordination—how the preposition אֶל (“to”) is repeated to emphasize plurality, weight, and divine intentionality in a prophetic chain of communication.
וְשִׁלַּחְתָּם֩ אֶל־מֶ֨לֶךְ אֱדֹ֜ום וְאֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ מֹואָ֗ב וְאֶל־מֶ֨לֶךְ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֔ון וְאֶל־מֶ֥לֶךְ צֹ֖ר וְאֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ צִידֹ֑ון בְּיַ֤ד מַלְאָכִים֙ הַבָּאִ֣ים יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם אֶל־צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃
Analysis of Syntactic and Grammatical Features
1. וְשִׁלַּחְתָּם – “And you shall send them”
- וְ – conjunction: “and”
- שִׁלַּחְתָּם – Piel perfect 2ms + 3mp suffix of שׁ־ל־ח: “you sent them” or here, prophetic perfect expressing future action
This introduces the prophetic command from YHWH to Jeremiah. The verb in the Piel stem emphasizes causative force, i.e., Jeremiah must actively commission or dispatch these emissaries. The suffix ־ם refers to symbolic yokes (see Jer 27:2), which are to be delivered.
2. אֶל־מֶ֨לֶךְ … repeated 5x – “to the king of…”
- אֶל – preposition: “to / toward”
- מֶ֨לֶךְ – noun: “king”
Each political figure is introduced with a repeated אֶל־מֶ֨לֶךְ clause. Hebrew could have listed the kingdoms and only used אֶל once, but repetition here creates accumulation, rhetorical emphasis, and judicial tone. Each monarch is individually addressed as a target of divine judgment.
Sequence of Recipients:
- אֶל־מֶ֨לֶךְ אֱדֹ֜ום – to the king of Edom
- וְאֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ מֹואָ֗ב – and to the king of Moav
- וְאֶל־מֶ֨לֶךְ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֔ון – and to the king of the children of Ammon
- וְאֶל־מֶ֥לֶךְ צֹ֖ר – and to the king of Tsor (Tyre)
- וְאֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ צִידֹ֑ון – and to the king of Tsidon (Sidon)
This list spans the ancient Levant, showing how YHWH’s message is not just to Judah but has international scope.
3. בְּיַד מַלְאָכִים – “by the hand of messengers”
- בְּיַד – preposition + noun: “by the hand of” = idiom for agency
- מַלְאָכִים – plural noun: “messengers, envoys”
This idiom (בְּיַד) expresses indirect agency, indicating that Jeremiah is to send the symbolic yokes via foreign envoys already in Jerusalem. The context shows political intrigue: these messengers are already in town, possibly seeking alliance with Judah.
4. הַבָּאִים יְרוּשָׁלִַם – “who are coming to Jerusalem”
- הַבָּאִים – participle plural from ב־ו־א: “those who are coming”
- יְרוּשָׁלִַם – proper noun: “Jerusalem”
This participial clause qualifies מַלְאָכִים: they are the foreign delegates currently present in Jerusalem. Hebrew uses the definite article + participle to describe an ongoing or characteristic action.
5. אֶל־צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה – “to Tsidqiyyahu, king of Judah”
This final phrase marks the setting. All the foreign envoys are gathered before Judah’s last king, Tsidqiyyahu. The syntax confirms the location and diplomatic context of the previous instructions.
Grammatical Emphasis through Repetition
The repeated use of אֶל־מֶ֤לֶךְ reflects a hallmark of Biblical Hebrew: using grammatical repetition not for redundancy, but for weight and solemnity. This technique emphasizes divine authority over kings and nations, and it turns what might be a simple list into a liturgical pronouncement of jurisdiction.
Prepositions and Prophetic Geography
This verse is not only about grammar—it’s about geopolitical theology. The preposition אֶל links divine instruction to human kings across national borders. The phrase בְּיַד מַלְאָכִים gives Jeremiah a role in the midst of diplomacy, reminding us how Hebrew syntax often locates divine messages in real human contexts. The grammatical features work together to say: YHWH reigns not just in Judah, but in every court under heaven.
