Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;

JEREMIAH 27:20KJV
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Jeremiah 27:20 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 27:20 mean?

Jeremiah 27:20 refers to the valuable items from Jerusalem that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, did not take when he deported Jeconiah (also called Jehoiachin), the son of Jehoiakim, along with the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem to Babylon. The verse highlights that some treasures or objects remained in Jerusalem after this first wave of exile.

The prophet Jeremiah is speaking to the people of Judah, reminding them about the earlier deportation led by Nebuchadnezzar (the Babylonian king) when Jeconiah and the leading citizens were taken from Jerusalem to Babylon. Jeremiah is pointing out that not everything was taken in that first exile—some items were left behind, which sets up his warning about what might happen to the rest.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 27:20

  • נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר (Nevukhadnetzar, "Nebuchadnezzar"): This is the Babylonian king responsible for the exile, emphasizing the foreign power controlling Judah’s fate.
  • גָּלָה (galah, "carried away captive"): This word means to remove or exile, highlighting the forced nature of the deportation.
  • יְכָנְיָה (Yekhonyah, "Jeconiah"): Naming Jeconiah specifically ties the event to a known historical moment, giving the verse a clear context.
  • חֹרֵי (khorei, "nobles"): This word refers to the leading citizens or officials, showing that the exile targeted not just the king but also the influential people of Judah and Jerusalem.

Why Jeremiah 27:20 matters

  • Jeremiah 27:20 clarifies that the Babylonian conquest happened in stages, not all at once; some items and people were left in Jerusalem after the first deportation.
  • By naming Jeconiah and the nobles, the verse anchors the warning in a specific historical event, making Jeremiah’s message more concrete and urgent for his listeners.
  • This verse helps explain the context for the warnings in the surrounding passage: Jeremiah is building a case that what remains in Jerusalem is still at risk if the people do not listen to God’s message.

Where else these words appear

“Jeconiah” Hebrew H3204 · used in 7 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 3:16 And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son.
  • Esther 2:6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
  • Jeremiah 28:4 And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.

“nobles” Hebrew H2715 · used in 13 verses

  • 1 Kings 21:8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
  • Nehemiah 4:19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
  • Nehemiah 13:17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?

“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,

“Nebuchadnezzar” 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 25:1 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 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.