The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;

JEREMIAH 25:1KJV
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Jeremiah 25:1 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 25:1 mean?

Jeremiah 25:1 marks the moment when God’s message came to Jeremiah about all the people of Judah, specifically during the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign, which was also the first year Nebuchadrezzar became king of Babylon. This verse sets the historical context for the warnings and prophecies that follow, linking Judah’s fate to the rise of Babylon’s power.

Jeremiah, a prophet in Jerusalem, is receiving and delivering a message from God (referred to as "the word" in this verse) directed toward the people of Judah. The verse carefully dates the prophecy to a specific year, connecting Judah’s king, Jehoiakim (son of Josiah), with Nebuchadrezzar’s first year as Babylon’s king. This detail highlights a turning point in history, as Babylon’s rise would soon have major consequences for Judah.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 25:1

  • דָּבָר (davar, H1697): This word means "word" or "message." In this context, it emphasizes that what follows is not Jeremiah’s own thoughts but a direct communication from God.
  • יְהוּדָה (Yehudah, H3063): This is the name "Judah," referring to the southern kingdom and its people. The focus on "all the people of Judah" shows the message is meant for the entire nation, not just leaders.
  • יְהוֹיָקִים (Yehoiakim, H3079): The name of the king at the time, grounding the prophecy in a real historical period.
  • נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר (Nevukhadretzar, H5019): The name "Nebuchadrezzar," the Babylonian king. Mentioning his "first year" marks the start of Babylon’s dominance, which is crucial for understanding the coming events in Jeremiah.

Why Jeremiah 25:1 matters

  • Jeremiah 25:1 clarifies the exact historical moment when Jeremiah’s prophecy was delivered, helping readers connect biblical events with known history.
  • By naming both Jehoiakim and Nebuchadrezzar, the verse signals a shift in world power that will directly affect Judah, setting the stage for the coming Babylonian exile.
  • The verse emphasizes that the message is for "all the people of Judah," not just the king or elites, showing that the coming warnings and consequences are meant for the whole nation.

Where else these words appear

“Jehoiakim” Hebrew H3079 · used in 37 verses

  • 2 Kings 23:34 And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there.
  • Jeremiah 1:3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
  • Jeremiah 36:1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

“Josiah” Hebrew H2977 · used in 48 verses

  • 1 Kings 13:2 And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
  • 2 Chronicles 33:25 But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.
  • Jeremiah 1:3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

“fourth” Hebrew H7243 · used in 54 verses

  • Genesis 1:19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
  • 2 Samuel 3:4 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
  • 1 Chronicles 26:11 Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth: all the sons and brethren of Hosah were thirteen.

“Nebuchadrezzar” Hebrew H5019 · used in 59 verses

  • 2 Kings 24:1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.
  • Jeremiah 25:9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.
  • Jeremiah 44:30 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.