Jeremiah 50:27

Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: woe unto them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation.

Jeremiah 50:27 (KJV)

Context

Jeremiah 50:27 is part of the prophet’s extended oracle against Babylon, the Chaldean empire, which had been God’s instrument of judgment against Judah but had itself acted with pride and cruelty. The verse employs vivid pastoral imagery: “bullocks,” or young bulls, represent Babylon’s mighty warriors and military strength. The command to “slay all her bullocks” and let them “go down to the slaughter” pictures the complete destruction of that power, as oxen are led helplessly to the butcher.

Meaning

The phrase “woe unto them” is a formal cry of judgment, signaling that God’s condemnation has fallen. “Their day is come” marks the appointed time of Babylon’s downfall, while “the time of their visitation” indicates God’s inspection leading to punishment. This is not random disaster but the outworking of divine justice. The same expression appears in Jeremiah 46:21 concerning Egypt, showing a consistent theme: God sets fixed times when He will call nations to account.

Biblical connections

The immediate context in Jeremiah 50:28-29 explains that Babylon’s destruction is retribution for its pride against the LORD and for its desecration of His temple. The prophecy was historically fulfilled when Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians in 539 BC. Some interpreters also see a typological application to the final judgment of God’s enemies, as in Revelation 19:18, though this is a secondary interpretation rather than the primary meaning.

Application

This verse teaches that God is sovereign over all nations and will bring down the proud and oppressive. No empire, army, or ruler can withstand His decree. For the believer, it is a call to humility before God and a reassurance that His justice is certain, even when evil seems to prosper for a time.

Reflection

Because God appoints the day of judgment, His people can trust Him to act in His own time. The same God who judged Babylon remains the righteous Judge of all the earth, and He invites His people to find refuge in Him rather than in worldly power.